Created as a benefit project for Artists' Project Earth, an organization devoted to protecting the environment, reversing climate change, and tendering disaster relief, this compilation pairs Western pop... read more

Created as a benefit project for Artists' Project Earth, an organization devoted to protecting the environment, reversing climate change, and tendering disaster relief, this compilation pairs Western pop stars (U2, Sting, Artic Monkeys, et al) and their hits with all-new arrangements performed by members of Cuba's Buena Vista Social Club plus other Havana-based talent. The overall effect is of a well-meaning but not entirely simpatico mutual admiration society. Coldplay's "Clocks" is a good example; the lead vocal is coolly lethargic, engulfing the spiky crags of the rhythm section like syrup on a waffle. But then, most of the singers sound strangely unconnected to the frisky 1-2-3/1-2 of the clavé beat. The contrast between the two groups of players could have been bracing, and to many ears it perhaps will be, but most of the time, they seem to transmitting from parallel universes. Not surprisingly, the best tracks are those in which hometown icons are left to do what they do best. But the late, great Ibrahim Ferrer's marvelous interpretation of "As Time Goes By" (his final recording) and Omara Portuondo's wistful yet powerful cover of "Killing Me Softly" only serve to further showcase what's amiss with the rest of the album. --Christina Roden (hide)

Three discs into her acclaimed solo career, it's a no-brainer that the Brazilian pop charms of Bebel Gilberto will conjure a slew of beach-inspired adjectives. "Refreshing," "wind-swept" and... read more

Three discs into her acclaimed solo career, it's a no-brainer that the Brazilian pop charms of Bebel Gilberto will conjure a slew of beach-inspired adjectives. "Refreshing," "wind-swept" and "sun-kissed" spring to mind. Momento continues Gilberto's trend of crafting sultry scenes of afternoon delight via tunes that both adhere to traditions and sound ultra-modern. But she also mixes things up a bit in the process. Gilberto's sensual delivery--featured here in English and in Portuguese--hovers in and around each song, more an extension of the rhythms than the showpiece. Make no mistake, though: Gilberto's vocal work is a thing of beauty. She again blends bossa nova, samba, pop and electronica flourishes, but no one genre overpowers any other. Liliting guitars give way to pulsing percussion and horns, which crash against loops and samples. Gilberto coos amid the catchy club flavor of "Bring Back the Love," and the moonlit "Close to You" recalls Sade. The daughter of Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto even tackles Cole Porter's "Night and Day," recasting it as a hushed moment of bossa loveliness. And the title track is a collage of sonic secrets and memories. Perfect for a patio brunch--or an evening under the stars. --Joey Guerra (hide)

Originally released in March 1964, this collaboration between saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist João Gilberto came at seemingly the end of the bossa nova craze Getz himself had... read more

Originally released in March 1964, this collaboration between saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist João Gilberto came at seemingly the end of the bossa nova craze Getz himself had sparked in 1962 with Jazz Samba, his release with American guitarist Charlie Byrd. Jazz Samba remains the only jazz album to reach number one in the pop charts. In fact, the story goes that Getz had to push for the release of Getz/Gilberto since the company did not want to compete with its own hit; it was a good thing he did. Getz/Gilberto, which featured composer Antonio Carlos Jobim on piano, not only yielded the hit "Girl from Ipanema" (sung by Astrud Gilberto, the guitarist's wife, who had no professional experience) but also "Corcovado" ("Quiet Night")--an instant standard, and the definitive version of "Desafinado." Getz/Gilberto spent 96 weeks in the charts and won four Grammys. It remains one of those rare cases in popular music where commercial success matches artistic merit. Bossa nova's "cool" aesthetic--with its understated rhythms, rich harmonies, and slightly detached delivery--had been influenced, in part, by cool jazz. Gilberto in particular was a Stan Getz fan. Getz, with his lyricism, the bittersweet longing in his sound, and his restrained but strong swing, was the perfect fit. His lines, at once decisive and evanescent, focus the rest of the group's performance without overpowering. A classic. --Fernando Gonzalez (hide)

Ry Cooder's name has helped bring attention to this session, but it's the veteran Cuban son musicians who make this album really special. Reminiscent of Ellington in its... read more

Ry Cooder's name has helped bring attention to this session, but it's the veteran Cuban son musicians who make this album really special. Reminiscent of Ellington in its scope and sense of hushed romanticism, Buena Vista Social Club is that rare meld of quietude and intensity; while the players sound laid-back, they're putting forth very alive music, a reminder that aging doesn't mean taking to bed. Barbarito Torres's laoud solo on "El Cuarto de Tula" is both more blinding and more tasteful than any guitar showcase on any recent rock album; a quote from "Stormy Weather" and some very distinct parallels to Hawaiian styles remind us of why it's called "world music." --Rickey Wright (hide)

Pianist Keiko Matsui, a favorite among smooth jazz and crossover fans for her elegant melodic style, breaks new ground on several fronts with Moyo. Having split with her... read more

Pianist Keiko Matsui, a favorite among smooth jazz and crossover fans for her elegant melodic style, breaks new ground on several fronts with Moyo. Having split with her husband Kazu Matsui, who produced her previous albums, she produced it herself, for a new label (Shout Factory), and recorded much of it in South Africa (as well as Japan, New York, California, and Colorado). Moyo has a high special-guest quotient: trumpeter Hugh Masekela, saxophonists Paul Taylor and Gerald Albright, and singer-bassist Richard Bona are featured. But the clean and sometimes spare arrangements allow the personal nature of the writing to come through. When Matsui trusts in the forceful lyricism of her playing, as on the title track (Swahili for "Heart and Soul"), she makes the strongest impression. But even when she employs synthesizer and soprano sax sweetening, the songs maintain their honest expression. The rhythmic thrust of South African-derived songs such as "After the Rain" may well open her up to a new audience. --Lloyd Sachs (hide)

Among producers, his name remains the simile of choice. If some hotshot studio whiz emerges in, say, hip-hop, he's inevitably labeled "the Phil Spector of rap." That's quite... read more

Among producers, his name remains the simile of choice. If some hotshot studio whiz emerges in, say, hip-hop, he's inevitably labeled "the Phil Spector of rap." That's quite a statement given that decades have passed since this boy from the Bronx remodeled rock & roll to suit his own visions of grandeur. The story of the girl-group auteur is a fascinating one. Spector composed a No. 1 hit at 17 (the Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is to Love Him," its title inspired by the inscription on his father's tombstone). By 19 he was head of A&R for Atlantic Records. By the time he was 22, he'd founded his own label (Philles) and was churning out Wall of Sound hits at an unprecedented clip, beginning with the Crystals' "He's a Rebel." The four-disc Back to Mono befits its singular subject in both presentation (the richly annotated booklet includes a piece by Tom Wolfe) and content (60 songs cut between 1958 and 1969, plus the entire classic Yuletide LP A Christmas Gift for You). --Steven Stolder (hide)

Paolo Conte is a completely original talent, and his leathery, life-weary face on the cover is the first clue to the evocative music of this poet, painter, musician,... read more

Paolo Conte is a completely original talent, and his leathery, life-weary face on the cover is the first clue to the evocative music of this poet, painter, musician, and lawyer from Asti in northern Italy. Observations on the tide of human existence deftly rendered in vividly poetic lines that startle with their originality are highlighted in smoky vignettes of '40s jazz- and tango-inflected tunes, teetering between Cabaret, The Circus, and 42nd Street. Conte's unfiltered raspy voice is the perfect vehicle for his poignant view of the foibles of adult life mused from the corner barstool, admiring women whose "pungent smells [beckon] him like an old-fashioned grocery, its doors flung open to the spring outside." The music is a treat in itself, but the real gold is to be found in his lyrics, and luckily translations are in the liner notes. --Derek Rath (hide)

The party line on most Windham Hill products seems to be that it's either the greatest stuff since wave machines, or that it all sounds alike. On a... read more

The party line on most Windham Hill products seems to be that it's either the greatest stuff since wave machines, or that it all sounds alike. On a Starry Night, with its collection of world songs and reputable artists such as Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, the Turtle Island String Quartet, and others, does lean toward a seamlessly understated, homogeneous quality that is broken only occasionally by Bobby McFerrin's piece and a couple of others. That said, there can hardly be a more mellow or sonorous album of kid's music anywhere. Starry Night could calm a nursery with no nurses; why, it could even soothe the pained yelps at the dog pound--and turn a freeway full of bumper-to-bumper sour pusses into pussycats. Effective? You've heard of mind control, haven't you? --Martin Keller (hide)

A mixture of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz style come together on Latin Jazz, a lively collection of songs by masters of the genre. The artists featured on Latin... read more

A mixture of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz style come together on Latin Jazz, a lively collection of songs by masters of the genre.

The artists featured on Latin Jazz represent an honored cast of musicians ranging from early pioneers of the genre to those who have helped it remain a viable force for more than 60 years. Machito, a contemporary of Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington, was a pioneering bandleader who helped deepen the bond between Afro-Cuban music and American jazz. His classic track "Congo Mulence" opens the album and features fellow jazz legend Cannonball Adderley. Other legendary figures on the album include Tito Puente, whose mastery of the timbales combined with old-fashioned showmanship kept his music fresh and relevant over the years, and Eddie Palmieri, whose piano techniques put him in the same league as jazz legends Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner. He teams here with Brian Lynch on "Guajira Dubois," a game of musical tag between Palmieri's piano and Lynch's trumpet.

The driving rhythm behind most Latin jazz comes from its powerful percussion, and Latin Jazz showcases some of the finest in this field. Master conguero (congo player) Poncho Sanchez leads one of the most popular Latin jazz groups in the world. His seasoned ensemble contribute the cool energy of "El Sabroson", while Ray Barretto covers the classic "Summertime." Considered the "godfather of Latin jazz," Barretto was the first Latino to have a Latin hit on the American Billboard Charts.

Other luminaries on the album include Hilton Ruiz, a former child prodigy who appeared at Carnegie Hall at the age of 8, Chocolate Armenteros, the legendary Cuban trumpet player, and Manny Oquendo & Libre, who represent a multigenerational dynasty of Latin music. Icelandic double-bassist Tómas R. Einarsson, and New York icon Chico Alvarez round out the collection. (hide)

La Llave De Mi Corazon finds tropical music troubadour Juan Luis Guerra returning to the secular sounds that have made him an enduring, endearing performer. His last disc,... read more

La Llave De Mi Corazon finds tropical music troubadour Juan Luis Guerra returning to the secular sounds that have made him an enduring, endearing performer. His last disc, 2004's Para Ti, was a cautiously received--if still joyous--collection of spiritual tunes. La Llave De Mi Corazon centers on romance and love, themes that better suit Guerra's blend of salsa, merengue and other assorted tropical rhythms. The cutesy title track is featured in English and in Spanish, though it's doubtful Guerra will engage in any serious crossover work anytime soon. Better is "Something Good," a silky, simmering duet with smoky-voiced Chiara Civello. Guerra's own rich, expressive delivery is always a treat. He's emotive without oversinging, particularly during the lilting "A La Vera" and "Solo Tengo Ojos Para Ti." Standout "Si Tu No Bailas Conmigo" is a simple, gorgeous ode to amor that soars on glittering imagery and a gently shuffling beat. "If you don't dance with me, I prefer not to dance," Guerra confesses to a lover. It's an irresistible invitation. --Joey Guerra (hide)