Johnny Blas: Mambo 2000

There are five trombonists on this release by conguero/percussionist Johnny Blas. But if you’re thinking Libre, don’t. It’s more a cross of Rumba Club with Poncho Sanchez. A West Coast sound with more heat in the percussion-Blas’s New York roots? Pianist Mark Gutierrez has guitar solos on three numbers, the best of these on “Como Asi.” Other strong numbers include the wild and wooly “Es la Verdad,” composed by Gutierrez, and Tito Puente’s “Picadillo.”

Originally Published January 1, 1999