Paquito D'Rivera Reunion CD

Two of Latin jazz's most brilliant leading lights are brought together on this 2004 recording. As alumni of the groundbreaking Orquestra Cubana de Musica Moderna, bandmates in the genre-splicing fusion group Irakere, defectors from their native Cuba, and international superstars, Paquito D'Rivera and Arturo Sandoval have a lot in common, not least their synthesis of complex Cuban styles within a range of jazz idioms. REUNION finds the two joining forces once again, with a remarkable young cadre of players lending support.

The smoky, gorgeous feel of Chucho Valdes's bolero "Claudia" allows ample space for D'Rivera's dead-eye melodic sense and pure, expressive tone on the sax. A treatment of "Body & Soul" (with fluid, dancing trumpet by Sandoval) offers the only other down-tempo breather in the set. Otherwise, an intricate web of frenetic Cuban rhythms dominates, all counterpoint and syncopation, with the musicians reeling off their considerable chops throughout (guitarist Fareed Haque deserves special mention). The insanely paced take on Dizzy Gillespie's "Tanga" is incandescent, with blazing solos all around, and superhuman drumming from Mark Walker. The high-minded musicianship is undeniable here, but the Latin groove rules. In addition to REUNION's stellar artistic merits, it is a dance album extraordinaire.

Reunion was the first time that Paquito D'Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval recorded together since D'Rivera's defection in 1980; Sandoval had recently left Cuba himself. The co-leaders are joined by a superb band: pianist Danilo Perez, acoustic guitarist Fareed Haque, bassist David Finck, drummer Mark Walker, and Giovanni Hidalgo on conga. The group mostly performs originals plus a couple Chucho Valdes songs, "Body and Soul" (a showcase for Sandoval) and Dizzy Gillespie's "Tanga." Plenty of fireworks occur on this consistently heated Afro-Cuban jazz set and the co-leaders clearly inspire each other. When will they have their next reunion? Paquito D'Rivera: Cuba-born and New York-based saxophonist and clarinet player, Paquito D'Rivera has balanced a career in Latin jazz with commissions as a classical composer and appearances with symphony orchestras. Classical New Jersey wrote, "whether playing Bach or post-bop, D'Rivera's mastery of the instruments and their expressive capabilities is unquestionable". In 1965, D'Rivera became a featured soloist with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. After playing the Cuban Army Band, D'Rivera joined with pianist Chucho Valdez to found the Orchestra Cubana de Musica Moderna. D'Rivera served as the band's conductor for two years. In 1973, D'Rivera joined with eight members of the Orchestra Cubana de Musica Moderna to form a band, Irakere. The group, which fused jazz, rock, classical and traditional Cuban music, became the first post-Castro Cuban group to sign with an American record label. In 1981, D'Rivera defected from Cuba and moved to the United States. Before long, he was playing with such American musicians as Dizzy Gillespie, David Amram and Mario Bauza. According to Bauza, D'Rivera is "the only musician I know on the scene playing the real Latin jazz, all others are playing Afro-Cuban jazz". In 1988, D'Rivera was invited to become a charter member of Gillespie's fifteen-piece all-star group, the United Nations Orchestra. In 1997, D'Rivera's album, Portraits of Cuba, received a Grammy award as "Best Latin Jazz Performance." D'Rivera is artist-in-residence for the New Jersey Performing Arts Commission and artistic director in charge of jazz programming for the New Jersey Chamber Music Society.Arturo Sandoval: A blazing, technically flawless trumpeter from Cuba, Arturo Sandoval has been dazzling audiences all over the world with his supercharged tone and bop-flavored flurries way up in the trumpet's highest register. In slower numbers, he sports a golden, mellow tone on the flugelhorn, marked with a sure, subtle sense of swing. Apparently he is capable of playing anythi