On their second effort, Los Hombres Calientes exchange bassists (David Pulphus for Edwin Livingston), and Ronald Markham shows up on Hammond B-3 and keyboards. The record, a 71-minute, 18-cut musical treatise, features a much larger complement of vocalists and percussionists, and even a string quartet on three selections. Hombres Calientes, Vol. 2 also draws from a larger palette of Latin rhythms. The Yoruban chants on the trio of tunes near the end of the recording are most convincing -- "Alabi Oyo E," "Suite Obatala," and "Vamos a la Cima," all composed by percussionist Bill Summers, burst with emotional discourse. "Cuban Suite," penned by trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, moves from a slow rhumba (featuring cascading piano by Victor Atkins, III) to a classical, church-like montuno figure and, finally, to a much hotter comparsa with rollicking trumpet, piano, and simmering percussion. "A Comer y a Descargar" is an out-and-out jam, with Mayfield leading the charge. "Fongo Sunk," a piece from drummer Jason Marsalis, is a no-frills piano/percussion workout. There's also a hot take on the old Roberta Flack hit "Feel Like Makin' Love." Of the many remaining cuts, "Rasta Renegade" is a reggae number with organ and group vocals; "Blues de Enredo" is a Brazilian festival samba; "Young Lovers at First Sight/Tangeaux-Zon" is a tango with the Louisiana Philharmonic String Quartet; "Daydreamer" is a bossa nova with Atkins' piano omnipresent; and "Comparsa N.O." combines an Afro-Cuban section and a Professor Longhair-like gumbo blues shuffle. The CD ends rather unceremoniously, with the always-vapid "Chameleon" slapped onto George Clinton's "We Want the Funk." More might not necessarily be better for this group, but the overall result is quite enjoyable -- some bumps in the road, but a competent music presentation nonetheless. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
Bill Summer (Percussion), Bill Summer (Shekere), Bill Summer (Timbales), Yvette Summers (Vocals), Bill Summer (Bongos), Brian Maratea (Engineer), Phillip Manuel (Vocals), Derwin "Big D" Perkins (Vocals (Background)), Irvin Mayfield (Trumpet), Ronald Markham (Organ (Hammond)), Yvette Summers (Agogo), Yvette Summers (Claves), Bill Summer (Cabasa), Parker Dinkins (Mastering), Amy Thiaville (Vocals), Increase Mather (Vocals), Bill Summer (Vocals), Victor Atkins (Piano), Jason Marsalis (Producer), Cornell Williams (Bass), Yvette Summers (Shekere), Bill Summer (Nyabinghi Drums), Bill Summers (Producer), Derwin "Big D" Perkins (Guitar), Cornell Williams (Vocals (Background)), Bill Summer (Surdo), Jorge Alabe (Percussion), Rachel Jordan (Vocals), Fredy Omar (Vocals), Karen Marks (Cello), Manuel Lander (Vocals), Mark Samuels (Executive Producer), Jeff Strout (Photography), Edwin Livingston (Bass), Curtis "Fitz" Williams (Engineer), Ronald Markham (Drums), Manuel Lander (Vocals (Background)), Bill Summer (Pandeiro), Diana Thornton (Design), Yvette Summers (Guiro), Bill Summer (Quica), Yvette Summers (Bells), Yvette Summers (Percussion), Bill Summer (Bata), Cotton Mather (Vocals), Bill Summer (Producer), Mashonda D. Thomas (Vocals (Background)), Bill Summer (Conga), Bruce Owen (Viola), Jason Marsalis (Drums), Irvin Mayfield (Producer), Ronald Markham (Keyboards), Curtis Pierre (Percussion)
