Cachao ahora si! (2004)

Bassist Israel "Cachao" Lopez put mambo as well as the jazzy jam sessions known as descargas on the map. The Miami-based actor/percussionist Andy Garcia resurrected him from obscurity with the popular Master Sessions recordings in the 1990s. This CD and DVD, recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, is Cachao's fourth collaboration with Garcia. The ageless bandleader's deep arco and pizzicato basslines anchor an all-star group, which includes salsa trombonist Jimmy Bosch, timbalero Orestes Vilato, and tresguitarist Neslon Gonzalez. They lay down the Afro-Cuban rhythms that range from the changui to the rumba. "Mambo Cambio de Swing" links Havana to Harlem, while "Guajira Clasica" marries Bartokian style with the Cuban countryside. "Queja Africana/Protesta Abakua" is laced with Justo Almario's Coltrane-tinged saxophone and completes the transcultural influences of this great musician.