Superb return for
Willie Rosario after a four-year recording hiatus. He brings in a few alumni from the past (arranger/bass player
Bobby Valentin, singers
Tony Vega and
Gilberto Santa Rosa, conga player Jimmie Morales, and arranger
Humberto Ramírez) and a few extra hands (
Papo Lucca on piano and
Roberto Roena on bongos). With that personnel,
Rosario crafts his best album in years, still distinguishing the timbalero's compact, restrained rhythm sense, supported by his fiery four-trumpet and baritone saxophone lineup. The standouts are "La Bomba" (sung by
Rosario's regular vocalist Ricardo "Rico" Walker),
Santa Rosa's version of "El Apartamento" (which is closer to the singer's own solo approach than his days with
Rosario), and a newer version of "Arrepentíios Pecadores" by
Tony Vega. A superior addition of the bandleader's remarkable four-decade career. ~ José A. Estévez, Jr.