Although a few other cities, most notably New York, may feel that they are the center of Afro-Cuban jazz, the richness of the Los Angeles scene cannot be ignored. José Rizo, a longtime disc jockey on KJAZ, hosts Jazz on the Latin Side, an educational and informative program that features most forms of Latin jazz. In 1999 he put together a special group for a concert,
the Jazz on the Latin Side All Stars. It was such a success that
Tambolero is the group's fourth CD. Many all-stars are involved in this project, with tenor saxophonist
Justo Almario and flutist
Danilo Lozano taking solo honors. While three selections have salsa vocals, the music overall is very jazz-oriented, featuring a particularly mighty percussion section that includes
Poncho Sanchez and
Francisco Aguabella. As is true of their previous releases,
Tambolero is a constant joy. ~ Scott Yanow