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Amazon.com Recorded in Los Angeles as a tribute to the late pioneering Cuban American DJ Emilio Vandenedes, the Caravana Cubana crew invites comparisons with Ry Cooder's Buena Vista Social Club franchise insofar as it brings together such Cuban musical veterans as pianist Jesus "Chucho" Valdés and 83-year-old singer Pio Leyva with young upstarts like trombonist Jimmy Bosch and conguero Miguel Anga Diaz. But it's a more lively project than the suavely dignified BVSC records thanks mainly to a ferocious percussion section that maintains a sizzling flame under material ranging from traditional Santeria ceremonial music to the head-spinning drumming of "Una Rumba con Dos Tres" to a handful of jazzier jams kicked off by former members of Dizzy Gillespie's legendary 1940s Latin jazz band. --Richard Gehr