Bosch’s aptly named “hard salsa” pulls no punches. The vocal/choral strains of salsa are rendered here with fervor as well as wit. The trumpet work of Felix “Junior” Vega rages wonderfully over the ensemble as the dynamic builds through each piece. As one might expect, the rhythm section is superb, giving Bosch and his colleagues solid foundations for “hitch and go” arrangements, that at first offer little sense of the propulsive momentum they can generate. Finally, though, it is Bosch’s trombone that brings out the character of the music: hot, yes, but not heavy, worldly and knowing, and ultimately engaging. The band’s reading of Wayne Shorter’s “Speak No Evil” is one more clue as to the fluidity of exchange between the current components and antecedents of our culture that have given us jazz.
Jimmy Bosch: Salsa Dura
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