Ruben Caban - Tales From The Trunk (2026)

Puerto Rican trombonist, composer and arranger Ruben Caban has self-released the album Tales From The Trunk (October 19, 2026). The title evokes the life of a touring musician: miles on the road, instruments packed into a car trunk, concerts and chance encounters. Caban’s career has brought him together with Frankie Valli, Jon Secada, Randy Brecker, Herbie Hancock, Arturo Sandoval, Cheo Feliciano, Oscar D’León and Paquito D’Rivera.

The album is built on jazz fusion with Latin and Caribbean rhythms. Caban acts here mainly as a composer and arranger rather than a soloist, and he is more interested in the architecture of the pieces and ensemble interplay than in virtuosic display. The recording features Brian Lynch (trumpet), Ed Calle (saxophone), Nestor Torres (flute), Agustin Conti (bass, B3 organ, composer), Tal Cohen and Kemuel Roig (keyboards), Roberto Vizcaino Jr. and Edwin Bonilla (percussion) and others. The program mixes originals (“The Trunk”, “Mission Hill”, “Ruben’s Mambo”, “Chacha’s Tune”) with reworkings of “Lotus Blossom” by Kenny Dorham, “Speak No Evil” by Wayne Shorter, “Time After Time” by Jule Styne and the bolero “Obsesión” by Pedro Flores.

The musicians play with assurance, the arrangements are carefully built and the sound is polished. The critical verdict is reserved, though: the vocabulary of contemporary fusion has long been standardized, and the Latin elements add color and movement without changing the underlying musical logic. The combination of traditions feels more like competent assembly than discovery. The album’s chief weakness is that it leaves no room to breathe: the rhythmic drive rarely subsides, the arrangements fill all available space, and energy turns into saturation. Ideas have no time to settle, and there are few contrasts or moments when the ensemble steps back to let a single melody or instrument emerge. Caban evidently understands the value of collective expression, but the urge to keep the music moving wins out over giving it direction. As a result, his experience and skill do not coalesce into a memorable personal statement: the album promises more than it delivers.

Tracklist:
01-01 Ruben Caban, Tal Cohen, David Chiverton, Agustin Conti, Roberto Vizcaino Jr - The Trunk [5:42]
01-02 Ruben Caban, Brian Lynch, Tal Cohen, David Chiverton, Agustin Conti, Roberto Vizcaino Jr - Lotus Blossom [7:23]
01-03 Ruben Caban, Kemuel Roig, Edwin Bonilla, Agustin Conti, Waldo Madera - Speak No Evil [7:31]
01-04 Ruben Caban, Tal Cohen, Agustin Conti, Ludwig Afonso, Jose "Pepe" Espinosa - Time After Time [8:21]
01-05 Ruben Caban, Agustin Conti, Tal Cohen, Ludwig Afonso, Roberto Vizcaino Jr, Jean Caze - Mission Hill [6:39]
01-06 Ruben Caban, Francisco Torres, Rafael Rocha, Angel Subero, Lino Piquero, Andy Garcia, Roberto Vizcaino Jr, Waldo Madera - Ruben's Mambo [5:06]
01-07 Ruben Caban, Brian Lynch, Ed Calle, Alex Norris, Kemuel Roig, Lino Piquero, Jose "Pepe" Espinosa, Roberto Vizcaino Jr - Obsecion [8:19]
01-08 Ruben Caban, Nestor Torres, Roberto Vizcaino Jr, David Fernandez, Pablo Gil, Ismael Vergara, Marcus Sandoval, Daniel Batista, Ramces Marcilli, Doug Michaels, Jean Caze, Austin Muthyala, Kemuel Roig, Agustin Conti, Waldo Madera - Cha Cha's Tune [5:06]