Back From Havana

Back From Havana

• Back From Havana
• Latin Music
• Mambo
• Jack Costanzo

Jack "Mr. Bongo" Costanzo helped build an awareness of Afro-Cuban music back in the 1940s and '50s, recording albums on his own and as a featured sideman with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Nat King Cole, and Cal Tjader. But all this history won't prepare listeners for <I>Back from Havana</I>, Costanzo's first album in 25 years. In a genre known for its energy, the San Diego-based leader and his musicians must have needed a shower after recording tracks like "Descarga.com," "La La La," "Mantequilla," and "Quimbara." While Costanzo rips through this 15-song session as if he's been saving up for years for this recording date, new singer Marilu shines whenever she steps up to the mic with her passionate but melodic style. On the jazz tip, the group favors hard-bop cornerstones, with Davis's "Milestones," Nat Adderley's "Jive Samba" and "Work Song," and Sonny Rollins's "Airegin" bringing Costanzo's band to the brink of fever. This is a stunning album that will knock out the most veteran of Afro-Cuban music fans. <I>--Tad Hendrickson</I>