Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A.

Add Date: January 24 

Artist: Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A.

Album: Area 52

Label: ATO

Genre: International, Latin, jazz

Comments: Rodrigo y Gabriela have expanded. On Area 52, the newest album from the Mexican duo of Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero, the band enlists the stylings of the 13-piece Cuban band appropriately named C.U.B.A. The driving acoustic guitar work laced with Cuban brass and percussion flows together to create the rather unique fusion of jazz, Latin, African and Cuban music, with traces of metal.

A cornucopia of sounds flows throughout this album and, bluntly stated, it works marvelously on some tracks and falters a bit on others. The brilliant guitar work of Rodrigo is sometimes drowned by the overwhelming horns and percussion of C.U.B.A. Flashes of Santana-esque riffs abound on tracks like "Hanuman", while Latin overtones dominate on the wonderful "Diablo Rojo". For a solid introduction, start with "Santo Domingo" and "11:11".