I have never been to Cuba, nor have I been to Los Angeles, but with the new CD, "Cuba L.A.," I can transport myself either place in no time. Within minutes of popping in this CD, I can feel like I've escaped my present existence and suddenly appeared sitting in a Havana nightclub somewhere, and the only things missing are a shot of espresso and a rich, flavorful Cuban cigar.

Cuban music is rich in heritage and tradition, and Los Angeles has always featured a strong Cuban music legacy. The group, or project as they call it, "Cuba L.A.," was founded by flautist Danilo Lozano, whose father Rolando Lozano is a famous Cuban jazz flute pioneer, to celebrate and bring attention to both the heritage of Cuban music itself, and it's strong presence in Los Angeles.

The songs themselves represent a wide variety of styles of music. There
are Cuban jazz standards, dance music in both the charanga and rumba style, and even a dash of Cuban pop. However, the main goal of the band, and of the album, was to breathe new life into the songs that the musicians grew up with, and to ensure that the legacy of Cuban music continues.

Many of the songs tell a musical story and this is true of the first song
on the album, "El Dulcerito Llego," which literally translates to "The Sweets Vendor Is Here." This song is based around the rhythms of the band's three percussionists, and features a fiery interplay between trumpeters Harry Kim and Raymundo Olivera. This flows into the bouncy melody of "El Manisero," or "The Peanut Vendor." "El Manisero" features some virtuoso violin work by Ilmar Gavilan, accompanied by the dance-happy piano work of Alberto Salas.

The first of the real dance numbers on the album is "Pare Cochero" ("Coach Driver, Stop!"). This song is done in the Charanga dance style, a style which was big in the 1950's, during the time of the cha-cha-cha. A well-known song in Cuba, "Almendra," follows. This is a percussion-filled piece that features both congas and tumbadoras. The percussion serves to support and guide the flute and piano that also play a big part in the song.

"Son De La Loma" ("They Are From The Hills") treats the listener to
traditional Cuban dance jazz, with the various instruments taking turns on improvisational solos. This is followed by "Cuba Linda" ("Beautiful Cuba"), which was originally composed as a means of remembering what Cuba was like before the 1960's and the age of Castro. This is a smooth, silky rumba, and is, as much as any song on the album, a tribute to a country that the musicians feel, despite it's turmoil, is a place they are happy and proud to call home.

Other songs include the street-carnival styled "Mama Inez," the salsaesque "Baradanga," the tribal "Siboney" and the Afro-Cuban sounds of "Bruca Manigua." The album closes with Sandunga-Madinga-Mondongo." According to the liner notes, the title is a tribute to the three composers that are credited with laying the foundations of the Cuban jazz style of descarga ("discharge"), which is basically a jam session. This ten-minute plus opus features long
improvisational jams by all the musicians, and is one of the more interesting tracks on the album. As with a lot of the Cuban jazz, this song relies heavily on the percussion section to keep it moving and to tie the various themes presented together.

This album, to me, was an enjoyable find, and one I would not have picked up on my own. I have never really been exposed to Cuban music per se, and realize now that I've missed out on a real musical treat for many years. I look forward to listening to this album many times over, and playing it for guests when I entertain, to give my parties more of an exotic feel. I can only hope that next time I'm sent a CD like this to review that my editors also throw in a good Monte Cristo cigar to help me complete the experience.