Percussionist/vocalist Raphael Cruz has made a true world-music record with BEBOP TIMBA. Steeped in the Latin-jazz tradition, Cruz draws on numerous forms from the genre, including classic salsa rhythms, but infuses these with a progressive, globally aware sensibility that incorporates everything from ancient African song to jazz fusion. The personnel on BEBOP TIMBA, which includes Spyro Gyra guitarist Julio Fernandez, Cuban bata master Orlando "Puntilla" Rios, and former Miles Davis saxophonist Rick Margitza, reflects the album's mix-and-match, all-inclusive aesthetic.