Features Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and congas, John Stubblefield on tenor, Joe Ford on alto and soprano sax, Larry Willis on piano, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Steve Berrios on drums, bells and percussion. (Jazz, Latin) CD

Trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez cooks away nicely with his Fort Apache band – swinging in that hip mix of Latin and jazz that's always made the combo so great! This sweet set was recorded live, which gives the band lots of long, open-ended tunes on which to really open up and do their thing – rhythms cooked up beautifully by the trio of Larry Willis on piano, Andy Gonzalez on bass, and Steve Berrios on drums and percussion – topped with magnificent hork work from Jerry on trumpet, John Stubblefield on tenor, and Joe Ford on alto and soprano sax. The live setting gives the production a really classic no-nonsense feel – and titles include "Isabel The Liberator", "Today's Nights", "Elegua", "Ugly Beauty", and "Verdad Amarga". (Jazz, Latin) CD

An 80s classic from one of the hippest Latin jazz ensembles of its time – the wonderful Fort Apache band of trumpeter/percussionist Jerry Gonzalez! As with other albums from the group, the key strength here is Jerry's choice of compadres – a great lineup of jazzmen who understand both Latin rhythms and more open, expressive soloing – which really allows them to stretch way way past any sort of obvious cliches for their genre. Some of the tunes get quite modern at points – and players include John Stubblfield on tenor, Angel Papo Vasquez on trombone, Larry Willis on piano, Edgardo Miranda on guitar, and Steve Berrios, Nicky Marrero, and Milton Cardona on percussion. Titles include "Nefertiti", "Eighty One", "Siempre Junto A Ti", "Evidence", and "Jackie-ing". (Jazz, Latin) CD

Trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez doing what he's always done best – effortlessly bridging the worlds of jazz and Latin – with long tracks that rely more on the the strengths of the soloists than the rhythms to keep them moving along – even though the rhythms of the tunes are pretty darn great overall too! Jerry blows both trumpet and flugelhorn – and the set features superb tenor from John Stubblefield – plus more great work from Joe Ford on alto and soprano, and Larry Willis on piano – all given rock-solid support from Andy Gonzalez on bass and Steve Berrios on drums, marimba, and percussion. Jerry plays a bit of congas at points – and titles include "So Near So Far", "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Midnight Train", "Give It Some Thought", "Jungle Plum", and "Dance Cadaverous". (Jazz, Latin) CD