THE LAST REPRISE

The second set of the El puente concert consists of six modernized versions of the biggest hits from the peak of Manolín's mid-90's reign as the King of Cuban Pop, with various new musical structures blended in along the way, including El puente itself. Manolín is at his best in the second set, marshalling the crowd's energy and putting the powerhouse band through its paces like a Formula One racecar. The second disc reminds me in some ways of the legendary live Miles Davis' album "Four and More". Each is played by a tightly-knit group of the most spectacular musicians of their chosen style, playing very familiar material at blazing fast tempos. Songs like Somos lo que hay, Me pasé de copas and La bola have become to the Manolín band what "Four", "Walkin' and "Seven Steps to Heaven" were to Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams -- arrangements that they know inside out which serve as launching pads to allow them to stretch the rhythmic and emotional limits of their instruments and musical ideas to higher and higher levels of intensity.