Bobby Matos

New York-based Latin jazz bandleader Bobby Matos' debut for the Cubop label (after over 25 years as a popular fixture in the city's vibrant Latin jazz scene) is a unique and exciting slice of Latin jazz. Not content to simply reheat the usual conga-line clichés, Matos and his enormous group, the Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble, skillfully balance both sides of the Latin jazz equation. Besides creating sterling Latin jazz reinterpretations of John Coltrane's "Impressions," Dizzy Gillespie's "Manteca," and even Miles Davis' sainted "So What" (which, believe it or not, totally works, especially in the way it's paired with the Coltrane tune), Matos drops in several "interludes" of traditional Latin rhythms. These brief interludes, along with longer tracks like the hypnotic "Conga Conversation," not only make plain the shared roots of jazz and Latin music, but their casual mastery makes a strong case for Matos as one of the finest Latin jazz percussionists of his generation. This is one of the rare jazz albums that doesn't feel too long at 72-plus minutes. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide