Live at the Blue Note

Paquito D'Rivera leads a sextet/septet of lesser-known but talented Latin and South American jazz players (his regular band of the period) on this 1999 live date. Trumpeter Diego Urcola is an up-and-coming player, pianist Dario Eskenazi has several strong solos, and guest flutist Oriente Lopez is a strong asset. Five of the seven numbers are originals by the musicians. D'Rivera sounds quite pleased by the music (as one can hear in his announcements to the audience), and his alto playing throughout is particularly strong. Modern Afro-Cuban jazz.