Review: Gary Nunez & Plena Libre - 'Plena al Salsero Live in Monterrey, Mexico'

Gary Nunez and Plena Libre are back with their first live album recorded in Monterrey, Mexico in 2007. The larger, expanded band adds a little salsa, cumbia and merengue to the always dominant plena. A live album is always risky, because who knows if the group is really going to be 'on' that night; there's no doubt that the group was not just on but electric with 14 tracks that come close to ripping your head off with their superb musicianship, innovative improvization and high energy performance.

One of the reasons a more general audience is becoming more familiar with these musical genres is Gary Nunez and his band, Plena Libre. With 12 album to their credit, including 4 Grammy nominations, Plena Libre has done the world a favor by promoting a vibrant Puerto Rican tradition and reintroducing it to the world.

Plena al Salsero takes their familiar music and ups it a notch, infusing their trademark music with cumbia, merengue, salsa and whatever other rhythms move the spirit. They've also added some of Puerto Rico's top players to the group, including Nunez' son Luis Gabriel (on pandero) to the mix.

Nunez has resisted a live album until now and, although he'd been thinking about it, had no plans to do so when asked to perform in 2007 at the World Forum of Cultures and Education Festival, organized by UNESCO, in Monterrey, Mexico. But the band was hot, the moment was at hand and - lucky for us - a recording crew was available.

Because Plena Libre just screams through these tracks! The instrumentals are blazing, the band inspired. 10 of the songs are from previous recordings and 6 newly composed numbers add something new to the mix.

With the energy that comes from playing live, there are some surprises with jazz improvizational passages, blaring horns and always tight percussion keeping focus on that compelling beat.

I wish I had been at that concert! But this masterful album is a great compensation prize.