Willie Bobo

Often, albums such as Lost and Found, cobbled together from unreleased recordings found long after an artist's death, are a signal to run quickly in the other direction: if the artist chose not to make the material available to the public, it's possible that he found them lacking or just never got around to finishing them -- perhaps he buried them away for good reason. Some of the tracks on Willie Bobo's Lost and Found do feel unfinished or abandoned -- one has to wonder if Bobo had planned to add vocals to some of the instrumentals, for example -- and there are others that simply don't measure up to the Latin percussionist's most significant Afro-Cuban works. But flaws and incompleteness aside, Lost and Found is, for the most part, a fine collection of Bobo recordings dating from the early to mid-'70s, when the artist was still at the peak of his creativity. Discovered by his son in the family home, the dozen tracks assembled here showcase Bobo in a number of settings, from fiery, sweaty workouts such as "Round Trip" to the smooth, Antonio Carlos Jobim-penned "Dindi." There's no telling what, if anything, Bobo had planned for these left-behind recordings (some of which, tellingly, make little use of Bobo's percussion talents), but while Lost and Found is no substitute for his pioneering '60s albums for Verve, it's a commendable addition to his discography. ~ Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide