Viva Cubop!, Vol. 2: Dance the Afro-Cuban Way

The Cubop subsidiary of the Ubiquity label has since the mid-'90s been documenting some of the top Afro-Cuban jazz musicians on the scene. This sampler has a dozen selections taken from a variety of all-stars recorded primarily in the late '90s. Featured on one song apiece are percussionists Jack Constanza, Marlon Simon, Bobby Matos, Snowboy, Ray Armando, and Babatunde Lea; vibraphonist Dave Pike; trumpeter Arturo Sandoval; Afroshock and the Jazz on the Latin Side All Stars; plus two cuts from the London band Grupo X. This is a strong sampling from a significant label, with plenty of heated music included on the colorful release. ~ Scott Yanow