In this
Puente-esque big-band Latino recording, trumpeter
Humberto Ramírez leads a group of some of the most recognizable names in Latin jazz. With a rhythm section composed of percussionists
Alex Acuña and
Richie Flores teamed with famed pianist
Papo Lucca and veteran bass player
Rubén Rodríguez, the grooves are aggressive and tight. The interplay between
Flores' congas and
Lucca's signature montuno is at times dizzying. The horn arrangements, all penned by
Ramírez, swirl and churn like a tropical storm, particularly on the bright, surging
Puente tribute "To the King." There is some inconsistency in both the quality of the arrangements and the sincerity of the performances. The listener will be blown away one moment by the orchestra's all-out bad-boy funkiness, and underwhelmed the next by an Ovaltine-sipping, horn-rimmed glasses-wearing geeky arrangement. The group sounds razor sharp on one track and ramshackle loose on the next. Inconsistencies notwithstanding,
Paradise is a very enjoyable album. There are not many groups today performing Latin jazz with true big-band flavor, and
Ramírez's orchestra has that in spades. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez