H2O

Francisco Aguabella's IH2O/I, originally released on the Olm label in 1986 and long out of print, is the kind of forgotten gem that all too often stays that way. So Latin-jazz fans should thank their lucky stars that Cubop has seen fit to reissue it in all its fiery glory. IH2O/I is a white-hot recording that showcases precisely why Aguabella, a master percussionist who was born in Matanzas, Cuba, and who has been a driving force in Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban music since his U.S. arrival in 1957, is a certified living legend. Bristling with tight salsa arrangements that spotlight Aguabella's topnotch ensemble (including Nengue Hernandez on timbales and vocals and trombonist Dan Weinstein, who's also appeared with Aguabella to great effect on 1999's iAgua de Cuba/i), IH2O/I still leaves plenty of room for Aguabella to shine. "Wood Place" intertwines a delicious piano imontuno/i with some thrilling interplay between Aguabella's congas and the horn section, "Nena" boasts some tricky unison vocal work from Hernandez, Aguabella, and Orlando Lopez, and "Danzonette" presents Aguabella's riveting take on the classic Cuban idanzon/i style. About the only quibble with IH2O/I is its woeful lack of information in the packaging--surely not Cubop's fault, as the album was licensed from a small, fly-by-night label, but missed nonetheless. Still, as anyone who hears this will agree, that's a minor point: the music here is enough. I--Ezra Gale/I