Cuban Masters -Los Originales

The brainchild of trombone man and longtime Cuban music great Juan Pablo Torres, Los Originales are a group of some of Latin jazz's funkiest players doing what they do best. Famed percussionists Francisco Aguabella, Francisco de los Reyes, and Carlos 'Patato' Valdes swing en clave like few on earth are capable. When joined by the oft-underappreciated pianist Alfredo 'Alfredito' Valdes, Jr., and the father of mambo himself, Orlando 'Cachao' Lopez, the rhythm section exudes an unmatchable confidence and sense of elegance. Whether in a gutsy, machismo-laced mambo or a suave and elegant danzon, los Originales prove their claim to the name. To be sure, Cuban Masters: Los Originales is a fantastic project. It would be nice to see what these musician's musicians could come up with if they were not scrambling to feed the foreign market's voracious hunger for nostalgia cubana. Here are some of the Masters: Israel Lopez 'Cachao' Jose Antonio Fajardo Chocolate Armenteros Alfredo Rodriguez 'Patato' Valdez Francisco Aguabella Juanito Marquez Pucho Escalante Amauri 'Riverside' Adalberto 'Trompetica' Lara Onelio Perez Rafael 'Tata' Palau Rudy Calzado Alfredo Valdes, Jr. Hector Casanova Jesus Caunedo Walfredo De Los Reyes Feliciano Gomez 'Pachu' Directed By: Juan Pablo Torres.