You want some Latin love in your life? Here are a pair of two disc sets that will get your salsa simmering.
Ed Calles writes and orchestrates all of the music on Mamblue, and there is tons of exciting rhythms and solos by Arturo Sandoval/tp, Kemuel Roig/p and Calle himself. “Arepa Bop” is an Afro-Cuban cooker in the vein of Dizzy Gillespie’s seminal big band, and “Rice & Beans” will get your feet flying on the dance floor. Calles’ tenor along with Jason Carder’s trumpet get a workout on “Urban Island” and Federico Brito takes you on a violin ride on “Mambo Wambo.” No time to mellow out here!
Calle plays reeds, flute and keyboards along with Federico Britos/vio, Jose Negroni/p, Nomar Negroni/dr and Josh Allen/b on this extroverted collection of machismo madness. Leonard Bernstein’s “America” is a blast, and you might get insomnia on “Night and Day.” A bacchanal avalanche is found on “Caravan” and “My Favorite Things” takes you to Calle 8 instead of the Alps. The originals by Negroni and Calle are wonderfully extroverted affairs, custom made for Cruise Night.