Richard Pena - The Latin Side Of Jazz Guitar (2025) [Hi-Res]

Playing both electric and classical guitar, Richard Pena sizzles with his fingers through an album of rich originals the meld the flavors of Latin America and modern jazz like a creamy mojado sauce. He brings together a simpatico team of Roy McGrath/ts-ss, Jesus Colon/b, William Garcia/dr-bong and Tommy Lee Ramos/perc for percolating originals.

On acoustic guitar, he gives rich folk feelings on an artsy and luminous “Arro Con Gandule’”, delivering a table dance with Colon, Ramos and McGrath’s soprano sax on the lusty “Jibaro Steps, while a solo aria of “Sonando Con Puerto Rico” glows like a full moon over the Latin Quarter plaza.

When plugged in, his nimble fingers dance with McGrath’s tenor over the hip percussion on “Roy’s Tune” and the kinetically stop-start on the shuffling “Cup Of Joe”. There’s a gentle feel to the fragrant “Olas Y Arenas” that features Colon, while the bassist also gets the dance floor on the sensuous rhumba of “Wayne’s Grooves”. Upbeat, uptempo and up high on my playlist.