Israel "Cachao" Lopez

It's a veritable Afro-Cuban jazz bonanza: 39 legendary jam sessions (descargas) collected together for the first time and featuring the biggest names in Cuban music, led by Cuba's premier bassist, Israel "Cachao" Lopez. Recorded between 1957 and 1961, these tracks capture the spirit and spontaneity of the pre-salsa period, when mambo (which Cachao helped create) was king and the grooves were utterly joyful. Cachao purposely kept the solos short, but near the end of this collection the musicians get to stretch their wings a bit.