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Louie Vega breaks out with an amazing solo album – still very much steeped in the soulful voice of his Masters At Work recordings, but also with a strong voice that's all his own! Of course, Louie's not alone in the proceedings – as he gets help from Blaze, Ursula Rucker, Domingo Quinones, Raul Midon, Anane, and others – all of whom come together with Louie in one of the most joyous albums we've heard in years! The set's a real celebration of life and groove – filled with the optimistic, almost-global spirit of work in the New York/Spiritual Life mode – breaking down boundaries, cultures, and colors with a sunny approach that makes everything right in the world – not just in a club at 2am, but waking up the next day, imbued with a fresh outlook on life. Wonderful stuff, and with tracks that include "Brand New Day", "Jungle Fever", "A Better Day", "Tu Y Yo", "Summer Night In Spanish Harlem", "Nos Vida", "Africa/Brasil", "Quimbombo", "Canto Para Chango", and "Sunshine". CD

A great tribute to Lalo's classic years with Dizzy Gillespie – performed by himself and the WDR Big Band, with players that include Jon Faddis, Paquito D'Rivera, Alex Acuna, and Markus Stockhausen. Faddis handles most of the trumpet parts, and with a style that's different enough from Diz to open the work up nicely – yet still hearken back to the sweet and Latinesque style of the early 60s Gillespie group that included Schifrin. Titles include "Blues", "Panamerica", "Africana", "Tocata", and "Bachianas Brasileiras No 5". CD

Not the same Maria Rita that rose to international fame in the past decade or so – but an earlier, much more obscure singer with a nicely rootsy vibe – one whose presence in the Brazilian music scene is maybe more welcome to our ears than her famous later namesake! The album came out at the end of the 80s, but has a sound that feels more like the experimental generation of MPB in the 70s – some moments that have the brashness of Gal Costa around her India album, other moments of gentleness that recall the sensitive soul of Joyce, and maybe a few slight touches of the deeper drama of Maria Bethania – and yet, like all of those artists, this Maria Rita is very much her own person – as can easily be heard by the lack of pop production or commercial efforts on this very unique album. Titles include "Cantico Brasileiro No 1", "Cancao Da Gaora", "Lamento Africano/Rictus", "A Cidade", "Melodia De Veludo", and "Trilhas". CD