Salsa dura, or hard salsa, is the old school sound of the New York barrios that's been revived as an answer to the splintering of Latin music. Happily, it sounds as good today as it did in the '60s and '70s; indeed, a few of the artists, like Eddie Palmieri, were playing in the old days. This revival hits hard indeed, making the feet twitch and the mouth smile, especially on cuts like "Naci Rumbero" from Jimmy Delgado, an old hand whose timbales burst with energy on the breaks. Jimmy Bosch, held in the highest regard as a trombonist, shines with his band on "El Embajador," a wonderfully charged piece with a firm groove and plenty of room for soloing -- a descarga, or jam, for all intents and purposes. Rounding the CD off with a salsa taken on "I Get a Kick Out of You" is a fine idea, even if it's a bit more glitzy than the rest of the material here. If you thought the golden days of salsa were a few decades in the past, what's on here will show just how wrong you are. It's still very much alive, and kicking like a mule. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide