Plena Libre
Evolucion
Times Square Records TSQ CD 9048

Plena Libre are touring to promote this, their eleventh album. If you get a chance, check them out because, good as the album is, they are smoking in concert. I was fortunate to catch the last set of their two-night stand at Yoshi's and wished I had gone earlier so I could have heard more. In concert the sound was a little muddy at first, but when they took it down to the percussion and vocals you got all you needed. The bandleader is the bassist Gary Nunez & four guys take turns as lead singer so there were no big ego trips. There was piano and timbales. The pianist got to solo and showed he had the chops. Two trombonists were at the back of the tiny stage and rather muffled, but you can hear them clearly on the album (along with baritone sax).

Nunez took time to explain the lyrics in English and the front men even demonstrated a traditional dance where the dancer drives the conga players. The two congueros, Gadwin Vargas and Charlie Pizarro, were outstanding. Pizarro was wearing "santeria" white (the others were all wearing red) & also took center stage with his small requinto and big pandero drums. The drumming kept the Afro-Puerto Rican roots to the fore. The title track "Evolucion" is Latin jazz but Plena is the main attraction. The best song, "Tumbao," is a runaway hit. It appears in the middle of the album and segues beautfully right out of another song, "Como son las cosas" (a Bomba-Quembe about "the little things of life: relationships, etc.," that is very catchy.) "Tumbao" starts with a loping tempo which almost suggests dub (this was fantastic in concert) and then a spiraling Plena evolves as the horns jump in. On the record there is electric guitar which is unnecessary, but it certainly gets you into the 'baila loco' mood. Though it's not listed on the back of the CD, there is a bonus eleventh track: a rollicking remix of "Tumbao" that takes us out in style. --Alastair Johnston