Ry Cooder Buena Vista Social Club by Jay Nottingham Warner Bros! If you think you have pretty good taste in music, you should read this. If you've ever found yourself digging Latin music, read on. I got into Bossa Nova a few years ago, but it took a while for me to love it. I grew up listening to my parents' Cat Stevens, Elton John, and Neil Diamond records -- oh yeah, and some Kenny Rogers, too -- so it wasn't a given that I would head out to Waxie Maxie and buy Brazilian folk music. But damn it, once I was exposed to it and gave it a chance, I became obsessed. So I was at Plan 9 the other day and the guy next to me was listening to Dizzy Gillespie and I asked him if it was Latin-esque. He said no, then asked me if I had heard Buena Vista Social Club. I told him I hadn't, and he told me I had to get it because it is awesome. I pretended to be interested in what he was saying and assured him that I would check it out. He left, came back and handed it to me. I looked at it and said, "Why not, my mom won't mind that I'm spending her money" (note to self: don't write a check for four CD's and assume you have enough money in your account). Anyway, I got home and threw it into the CD player, just as you will ... The first thing you hear are some hard-hitting minor chords with bongos and maracas keeping the rhythm. The sound is unbelievable, and when the vocals start, a tingle comes over your body. Unless you speak Spanish, you have no idea what they are singing about -- but it doesn't matter; the music is so deep, rich, and natural that you can just imagine them for yourself. Every song has a good mix of vocals and solos. The musicians are perfectly in sync, and the feel is just there, man! Ry Cooder, a great guitarist who has worked with hundreds of brilliant musicians, travelled down to Havana last year to record an album. He knew of some musicians to work with, but not many. While preparing to do this record, he asked some guys if they knew of anyone who sang boleros, and they responded with, "Yeah, Ibrahim. He's out on the street, bring him in." The whole album bursts with spontaneity and inventiveness; on many of the songs the vocalists improvise their lyrics. Most of the musicians are over fifty years old and have never played music outside of Cuba. The music is untainted by American influence, and Cooder just plays along while the magic is created. So, if you fancy Latin music or want to open your ears to something new, go get this album. If you go to Plan 9 and aren't hit in the face with its power right away (like a bottle of Coldcock), buy it, listen to it, and trust me you'll learn to love it. I love it, and to think: it was only a few years back that I was jumping around in my living room, strumming a tennis racket to my main man Elton John, with my parents were telling me to settle down because I might make the record skip.

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