Ruben Gonzalez

This 2000 release feels fully settled into itself -- no surprise, given that Gonzalez was 81 years old when he assembled the all-star cast to record. The man owns this music, and with help from "Guajira" Mirabel, Anga Diaz and Eliades Ochoa, he explores every nook and cranny of it with the kind of effortless swing that only comes with a lifetime of experience.