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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