100 Years of Latin Love Songs

by Scott YanowFor this CD, Paquito D'Rivera performs one number from each of the ten decades of the 20th century. The songs originated from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Even if "La Morocha" is from 1905, all of the music sounds quite modern. Bob Belden arranged the pieces for a 13-piece sting section, a rhythm section with pianist Dario Eskenazi, three acoustic guitarists, and Roberto Perera on Paraguayan harp. In addition to his alto and clarinet, D'Rivera plays soprano on five pieces. The highly enjoyable set is additionally valuable, for it features a variety of rare but superior material full of rich melodies.