In the past, percussionist Snowboy (a.k.a. Mark Cotgrove) took mambo, rumba, and Afro-Cuban jazz and juiced it with modern-day touches of house, hip-hop and lounge for acid jazz audiences. Here Snowboy and the Latin Section stick a little closer to the tradition, instead going for a jazzier vibe filled with Afro-Cuban rhythms and searing solos. While Cotgrove and his two percussion partners keep the music at a rhythmic boil, the three horn players skip across the top with snappy charts and brash solos that add new rhythmic layers. The secret weapon, however, is keyboardist Neil Angilley, who adds some dusty funk grooves to the proceedings with slammin" B3 and Fender Rhodes work. Another fine addition to the great Cubop catalog, Snowboy and Co. never let the party die down, and this high-energy disc is one that would make both Machito and Mongo proud. --Tad Hendrickson