Here are a couple of recent arrivals you may not be familiar with . Two divergent takes of All Things Latin
Violinist Ali Bello puts together an attractively lyrical collection of material, much of which he wrote himself. He mixes and matches guitars, percussion saxes, flutes and basses to create a collage of melodious themes that range from complex and driving pieces such as the blues “Kiss” to the romantic “Amare.” Ali’s tone is warm and wondrous, able to go either electric on “Cazon” or classically flamenco with handclaps intact on “Guajira.” Lots of sensusous backbeats to drive the strings as on “In G” and “Zapateao.” This guy mixes the passion and artistry in a way that makes you beg for more.
I always get worried when I get a disc with a scantily clad women on the cover, such as this one for the band Melaza. No pun intended, but what are they covering? No big worry, as this brassy band with vocalist Renzo Padilla is filled with exciting percussion and enough salsa to douse out any fajita. Some muted brass with guitar on “Estas a Tiempo” is in contrast to the punctuated horns on “Mal Amigo” and “Inesperado Adios” while “El Fregabook” has more punctuation marks than a Shakespeare sonnet. The whole disc saunters like a seductive dancer, with “De Nueva York” guaranteed to get you hot under the collar.