Unlike the forgotten and then revived stars of the Buena Vista Social Club, these Cuban "originals" are celebrated giants in the history of son, mambo, charanga, bolero, conjunto, and descarga, the venerable Cuban jam session. From bass legend Israel López "Cachao"--father of the mambo--to piano virtuoso Alfredo Rodriguez, and conga phenomenon Carlos "Patato" Valdés, the nineteen musicians on this session are as good and deep as it gets in the powerhouse musical incubator that is Cuba. Most of them were born in the 1920s or 30s, and have spent full lives in music. Simply to list their names and those of the great acts they have worked in would fill pages.

But let's talk about the music. This historic gathering yields 12 lively, polished tracks full of easy mastery, neat arranging twists, withering solos, and the kind of freewheeling joy and grace that only comes with long years of experience. Cuban music is highly competitive, and artists do not reach and remain at this level without proving themselves night after night. Here, in remarkable consort, they do it yet again, while summarizing the dense history of modern Cuban music. Rodriguez's crisp, at times dazzling, piano outings are especially impressive. Following his solo on the stately "Danzon para los Maestros," horns bleat and cry together over a relaxed, cantering vamp, the precursor of the full-out montuno section now obligatory in any salsa arrangement. Rodriguez gets to stretch out more lyrically on the ballad "Los Dos Alfredos." "Oye mi Tumbao," one of the most frenetic and kicking tracks here, showcases brisk, call-and-response vocal work, and bristling tres rhythms. "Quiero un Sombrero" opens with a thicket of percussion right out of roots rumba, and then morphs into urbane Latin jazz.

"Cachao" opens one track bowing on his standup bass before attacking one of those fat, muscular bass lines that have defined Cuban music for decades. The song is "Cachao es Mambo," and there are other praise songs here, including one to the Buena Vista Social Club. This historic session is sure to be admired and treasured by those in the know, but it stands little chance of matching the multi-million worldwide sales figures achieved by the folksy old timers in BVSC. The magnitude of that success is one of the great cultural puzzles of the 1990s, and as we all know, lightning rarely strikes in the same place twice. Still, Los Originales certainly merits all the accolades BVSC received and more. If you love any aspect of Cuban music, this recording is sure to touch you.

Contributed by: Banning Eyre for www.afropop.org