From the Hollywood hills of Los Angeles (or Havana West as they call it) comes Carlos Navarro and his Son y Clave orchestra, a rootsy son-salsa group with lots of great rhythm and brass hooks to keep the dancers moving. Navarro, a talented timbalero and singer, states in the liner notes that “this album was made with soul, keeping the live sound of an orchestra as a must – without all the high tech perfectionism.” AMEN brother!! I am sick and tired of studio tricks, digital keyboards, pitch-perfect singers, and trite, in-organic arrangements that mess up real salsa sound. That’s not an issue here, as these guys play naturally, with the indefinable Afro-Antillean qualities of ‘afinque’ and ‘sandunga’. The opening cut, an original by the band-leader, has wonderful life-affirming lyrics that are a refreshing change from the usual romantic subject matter one seems to always encounter these days. Son y Clave’s interpretations of material by Abelardo Barroso, Jesus “El Niño” Pérez, Luis Conte and Oswaldo Farres are all stellar. Includes an excellent tribute to Arsenio Rodriguez, too. Don’t let the slightly cheesy cover fool you: this is a quality mix of Cuban and salsa, like Cubanoson or Conjunto Imagen.

Song titles include:
Que Bonito Es Vivir
Chan Chan
Tribute To Arsenio
Presentimiento
La Reyna Del Guaguanco
Como Yo Te Quiero
Africa Havana Paris
Toda Una Vida
Isla Linda
Rayito De Luna