Ruben Blades
Medoro Madera (with Roberto Delgado & Orquesta)
Album · Latin · 2018
Rubén Blades fully indulged his lifelong passion for the Latin jazz orchestras of the '50s and '60s with the sumptuous arrangements of 2017's retro-leaning Salsa Big Band. Much like its sprawling predecessor, Medoro Madera retains the same vintage appeal, but these new grooves are more intimate, making for a set that's heavier on slow-burn romantic ballads like the stunning "Ya No Puedo Creerlo". Yet even decades after making his debut, Blades remains a bandleader out to set dance floors ablaze, especially on the fierce Latin funk of "El Panquelero".