Los Hombres Calientes: Los Hombres Calientes

Percussionist Bill Summers, trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, and drummer Jason Marsalis are the core of this New Orleans-based group playing in a style which could be described as Afro-world jazz. With Summers, of Headhunters fame, onboard, rhythm looms large throughout the disc whether it be on exciting originals such as “Victor el Rojo” named for the band’s excellent pianist Victor “Red” Atkins or even on the quieter moments of standards like “After You’re Gone.” Mayfield’s trumpet is the “voice” of the unit and is often the one to bring a tune home to jazz. Bassist David Pulphus and percussionist Yvette Bostic-Summers round out the already powerful rhythms of the Summers/Marsalis team. This debut album was released just over two months after Los Hombres’ first gig, a prestigious beginning hearkening an even brighter future.

Originally Published July 1, 1999