Rubén González

CHANCHULLO

(World Circuit/Nonesuch)

The 82-year-old crowd-pleasing piano maestro of the Buena Vista Social Club is back with his second frontman release, and it's a zinger. The title track builds off the old "Oye como va" riff and then adds a catchy hook melody and a lengthy blast of irresistible keyboard histrionics. The way González plays with time is a joy, and the most popular Cuban outfit in the world is steady as a rock behind him, making his re-entry into the normal space-time continuum a heart-stopping affair. González is an utter ham, but even if he weren't an octogenarian with a fairy-tale past, you'd be hard pressed to hold this against him, given his technique, phrasing, and spirit. After sprawling across the first few tracks, he lets others take turns in the spotlight, notably tres man Papi Oviedo and flutist Richard Egües. Most of these 11 sones, descargas, cha cha chas, and stately danzones do not feature vocalists, but the presence of Buena Vista singing star Ibrahim Ferrer on two tracks is noteworthy, especially the one where he trades improvisations with Senegalese Cubaphile singer Cheikh Lô. The Cooders, father and son, also sit in tastefully on one track.

-- Banning Eyre