Almost five years since his last release "El Avion De la Salsa", trombonist Jimmy Bosch delivers his second CD on his own JRGR label and its a gem. "El Embajador" is back and he's once again showing us the beauty and depth of Latin music, featuring not just salsa but also Cuban comparsa/mozambique, cha cha cha, bolero, rumba and a touch of latin jazz. This is a mature CD of a man who knows where he came from and where he is going! Who else but Jimmy Bosch would open his CD with a blazing up-tempo rumba-jazz workout? Most artists bury these kind of compositions in the middle of the CD or at the end. However, Jimmy Bosch is not like "most artists", and thats why "Bailalo Si Te Atreves" opens the CD. It slaps you in the face and says "hey you! listen!". As a counter to this, check the beautiful bolero (ballad) "Te Adoro Mami", and in particular the heartfelt lyrics about his love for his mother who has been ill in recent times. As always, Jimmy's songs represent his life, relationships, experiences - he bares his soul to the world, as all true artists do, and this makes his music and lyrics all the more powerful. 

For salseros and dancers, there are three very strong salsa numbers featuring two new young singers, Willito Otero and Johanna Castaneda. Willito is just 24 years old but sings lead on "Maracayero" and "Cuantas Veces" like a seasoned salsa veteran. Johanna is featured on "Mujeres Mandan", a tribute to women singers in salsa today. All three tracks swing effortlessly and feature plenty of space for solos, both vocal and intrumental. Needless to say, they all went straight into my DJ sets immediately. The remaining tracks are not aimed for the dancefloor and thats a good thing. Most times you buy a salsa CD and from ten tracks two or maybe three are great. Jimmy simply puts three killer salsa tracks on this CD and then shows us a wider spectrum of Afro-Latin music. "Quedate" is a furiously fast Cuban mozambique/comparsa, a percussion and brass storm with a carnival flavour. "Foreclosure" is an extended jazzy cha cha cha with fantastic sax, flute, piano, conga, bass and trombone solos. Everyone gets to stretch out. Pushing the "experimental" flavour to extreme, the final track "Alma Compartido" is a unique but soulful double bass and trombone duet with veteran bassist Ruben Rodriguez on the acoustic instrument as opposed to his usual baby Ampeg electric upright bass. 

Credit to Jimmy for gathering together the cream of New York's salsa musicians, many friends who he has worked with over the years. People like George Delgado (timbales), Edwin Sanchez (piano), Mitch Frohman (sax/flute), Jose Tavares/Ruben Rodriguez (bass), Johnny Rodriguez (bongo), Jeff Lederer/Pete Brainin (saxes), Raul Agraz (trumpet), Joe Fiedler (trombone) and Marco Bermudez (coro). A fine team topped off by the two new young singers mentioned earlier makes this first Jimmy Bosch CD in five years well worth the wait. It is also an adventurous CD, showing us the full spectrum of Afro-Latin music from Cuba and Puerto Rico, not just another release packed with ten vocal salsa tracks. In that sense, it truly represents the man who concieved and produced it. Jimmy Bosch - thanks a million for keeping the torch burning for real salsa dura and continuously educating us on the broader elements of Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican music.

DJ Lubi Jovanovic
http://www.myspace.com/djlubi
CD compiler: Fania Records/Nascente Records/Freestyle Records