Los Hombres Calientes Vol. 2 CD

Louisiana Philharmonic String Quartet: Amy THiaville, Rachael Jordan (violin); Bruce Owen (viola); Kaaren Makas (cello).

On their second effort, Los Hombres Calientes exchange bassists (David Pulphus for Edwin Livingston), and Ronald Markham shows up on Hammond B-3 and keyboards. The record, a 71-minute, 18-cut musical treatise, features a much larger complement of vocalists and percussionists, and even a string quartet on three selections. Hombres Calientes, Vol. 2 also draws from a larger palette of Latin rhythms. The Yoruban chants on the trio of tunes near the end of the recording are most convincing -- "Alabi Oyo E," "Suite Obatala," and "Vamos a la Cima," all composed by percussionist Bill Summers, burst with emotional discourse. "Cuban Suite," penned by trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, moves from a slow rhumba (featuring cascading piano by Victor Atkins, III) to a classical, church-like montuno figure and, finally, to a much hotter comparsa with rollicking trumpet, piano, and simmering percussion. "A Comer y a Descargar" is an out-and-out jam, with Mayfield leading the charge. "Fongo Sunk," a piece from drummer Jason Marsalis, is a no-frills piano/percussion workout. There's also a hot take on the old Roberta Flack hit "Feel Like Makin' Love." Of the many remaining cuts, "Rasta Renegade" is a reggae number with organ and group vocals; "Blues de Enredo" is a Brazilian festival samba; "Young Lovers at First Sight/Tangeaux-Zon" is a tango with the Louisiana Philharmonic String Quartet; "Daydreamer" is a bossa nova with Atkins' piano omnipresent; and "Comparsa N.O." combines an Afro-Cuban section and a Professor Longhair-like gumbo blues shuffle. The CD ends rather unceremoniously, with the always-vapid "Chameleon" slapped onto George Clinton's "We Want the Funk." More might not necessarily be better for this group, but the overall result is quite enjoyable -- some bumps in the road, but a competent music presentation nonetheless. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Includes liner notes by Anthony R. Foxx.

Bill Summers,Irvin Mayfield, Jason Marsalis

Engineers: Bill Summers, Brian Maratea, Renard Poche.

Personnel: Bill Summer (vocals, congas, bongos, bata, pandeiro, shekere, surdo, timbales, percussion); Yvette Summers (vocals, agogo, claves, guiro, shekere, percussion, bells); Manuel Lander (vocals, background vocals); Cotton Mather, Fredy Omar, Amy Thiaville, Rachel Jordan, Increase Mather, Phillip Manuel (vocals); Derwin "Big D" Perkins (guitar, background vocals); Bruce Owen (viola); Karen Marks (cello); Irvin Mayfield (trumpet); Victor Atkins (piano); Ronald Markham (keyboards, drums); Jason Marsalis (drums); Jorge Alabe, Curtis Pierre (percussion); Cornell Williams, Mashonda D. Thomas (background vocals).

Recording information: Mama Yvette's.

Photographer: Jeff Strout.

Los Hombres Calientes: Bill Summers (vocals, congas, bongos, timbales, bata drums, surdo, shekere, quica, cabasa, ganza, nyabingii, hindewhu, pandeiro); Yvette Summers (vocals, clave, shekere, agogo, guiro, bell); Irvin Mayfield (trumpet); Victor Atkins (piano); Edwin Livingston (bass).

Additional personnel: Philip Manuel, Manuel Lander, Fredy Omar, Cotton Mather, Increase Mather, Alain Fernandez (vocals); Derwin Big "D" Perkins (guitar, background vocals); Ronald Markham (Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, samples); Cornell "C" Williams (bass, background vocals); Curtis Pierre, Jorge Alabe (percussion); Mashona D. Thomas (background vocals).

CMJ (11/15/99, p.28) - "...a bold fusion of Latin jazz, infectous funk grooves, intricate African ployrhythms, classic New Orleans streetbeats and well-seasoned straight-ahead jazz....a major new force in jazz."