Albums of perfectly syncopated Latin dance music featuring conga drums, soft-focus photography, and pictures of women in fishnet stockings are a dime a dozen. But Liberty has always managed to dress up the squarest records with very high production values. This is one such tasty confection: irresistible-looking yet non-nourishing.
Don Swan, part of Liberty's less-than-stellar stable of artists, heads an impressive lineup. Modesto Duran and Al Escobar join other Hollywood session veterans, including the trumpet section of Woody Herman's First Herd. And then there's that harp that
Swan and Liberty like so much. Hot Cha Cha has too much star power to be tepid, but no one would describe this record as "hot." ~ Tony Wilds