*** Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos

MUY DIVERTIDO!

(Atlantic)

Guitarist Marc Ribot launched his Cuban adventure as a way to honor the late, blind master of the tres, Arsenio Rodríguez. And the group he assembled had so much fun on tour that they decided to hit the studio once more before calling it a day. As inspired and quirky as the ensemble's 1998 debut, this set of songs features more of Ribot's own compositions and even some of his vocals, as on the decidedly downtown "Las Lomas de New Jersey," an ambivalent contemplation of the guitarist's suburban roots. On the bread-and-butter tracks, Ribot's growly, melodic guitar work leads the way through rockin' Cuban breakdowns like Rodríguez's "El Divorcio" and Ribot's own "El Gaucho Rojo." Some tracks, like "Obsesión," recall the backwoods rumba sound Ribot helped Tom Waits to perfect on Frank's Wild Years. There's nothing reverent or studious about Ribot's approach to Cuban music, and the lack of pretension is refreshing. But Ribot is also a formidable guitarist, and he dives into the Cuban zone with enough verve and passion to do himself and his Cuban heroes proud.

-- Banning Eyre