Bach in Havana

Tiempo Libre scores a big goal in my book with their latest album, "Bach in Havana." "Bach in Havana" features Tiempo Libre's expertise at adapting themselves and their musical style to just about any form of music; and I'm extremely impressed. What an album this is! It's far from being just classical music and it's not just Tiempo Libre--Tiempo Libre has pulls off the seemingly impossible feat of actually merging the two genres of music seamlessly; and the result is one heck of a CD! The quality of the sound on this album is excellent and I really like that artwork, too.

Whether I'm listening to "Tu Conga Bach" or a fine rendition of "Air on a G String;" I just never cease to be amazed, to say the least. I can't believe how creative they were to achieve this great an album--it's a treat for their fans. As always, Tiempo Libre plays their music spot on; they never skip a beat and the music reflects careful forethought and a level of professional craftsmanship that I...Read more

Bach's chord walks are so rich and monumental that jazz musicians the world over have been tempted at some point to build on them. The difficulty lies in how to seamlessly blend and balance the classical and jazz forms. Too little improvisation results in a merely rearranged Bach piece. Too much improvisation overwhelms his beautiful and sometimes delicate structures. As such, there are many "just right" pieces in this CD, especially on the keyboard side. There are also a few misses, both in the too little and too much categories.
All in all, this is a infectiously fun and deeply satisfying CD.

There is good stuff to listen to in this album, however after a few listens I got a little bored of it. I really loved their 2 previously Grammy nominated albums, but this Baroque meets 21st century Cuba didn't quite hit home.

I know a lot of people are raving about how great it is, and certainly it is good. But it is more music for listening only as oppossed to the norm with Cuban music, which tends to be very danceable. The percussion is still playing a lot of Cuban rhythms, but the Piano does Bach instead of Guajeos and Montunos.

So if you are more into Jazz or Classical music this might be a good fit.