Tiempo Libre: Joaquin "El Kid" Diaz (vocals); Luis "Rosca" Beltran (tenor saxophone); Cristobal Ferrer Garcia (trumpet); Jorge Gomez (keyboards, background vocals); Tebelio "Tony" Fonte (electric bass, background vocals); Leandro Gonzalez (congas, background vocals); Hilario Bell (timbales, percussion).
Arranger: Jorge Gomez .
Good music has long been adaptable into styles that the composer would have never envisioned. The Cuban group Tiempo Libre takes the Baroque music of Johann Sebastian Bach and transforms it by blending elements of various Cuban styles and vocals into a unique blend. "Tu Conga Bach" is adapted from "Fugue in C Minor" and transformed into an energetic street party that could get everyone on their feet. The musicianship is tight throughout the session, with the addition of two guests. The masterful Paquito D'Rivera plays alto sax in the warm rendition of "Air on a G String," recast as a soft bolero and retaining its romantic quality, switching to clarinet for the infectious "Baqueto con Bajo" (inspired by the "Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major"). Yosvanny Terry, a rising star in Cuban jazz, appears on alto sax in the driving rendition of "Minuet in G." The only thing that may disappoint some listeners is the presence of a synthesizer, which stays mostly in the background but remains an unsatisfactory substitute for acoustic piano. ~ Ken Dryden minimize