Product Review
Anyone who caught trombonist Papo Vázquez's At the Point, V. One in early 1999 probably needs no prodding to check out its successor, At the Point, V. Two. Volume 1 demonstrated Vázquez's talents as an inventive soloist at the same time it displayed his knack for combining elements of progressive jazz with rhythmic elements gleaned from Cuba and his Puerto Rican heritage. Volume 2 originates in the same live Bronx, New York, recording sessions and features guest stars Michael Brecker, Milton Cardona, and Andy Gonzalez, but it's Vázquez who shines brightest, with a fiery solo on "The Reverend" that makes his love for Slide Hampton plain. With all the fireworks he throws off, it's his composing and arranging skills that set Vázquez apart, especially on the deft blending of Puerto Rican rhythms and intricate horn arrangements on "Dominicana" and his Latin-funk-charged arrangement of "It's Only a Paper Moon." --Ezra Gale