Conjunto Casino

In Cuba, bands don't necessarily break up when their members retire, die, or take a leave of absence. In many cases, they simply hire new members and try to keep their basic sound. Such is the case with Conjunto Casino, one of the bands that defined Afro-Cuban music in the 1940s and 1950s. Formed in 1937, the Cuban outfit started out as Septeto Casino (or, in English, the Casino Septet) but was renamed Conjunto Casino when it became a big band. Conjunto Casino was still going strong in the late '90s; although the band has had numerous personnel changes over the years, this 1999 recording is quite faithful to its history. Montuno en Neptune #960 isn't experimental or the least bit groundbreaking -- it isn't supposed to be. You won't hear this late-'90s edition of Conjunto Casino combining salsa with rock or offering a high-tech salsa/merengue/hip-hop hybrid. What you will hear are the Afro-Cuban basics -- son, son-montuno, and guaguanco as well as guajira -- played with a lot of passion and enthusiasm. Most of the Cuban musicians who play on this album weren't even born when the original Septeto Casino was formed in 1937, although one of the featured vocalists is veteran sonero Jesús Navarro Jimenez. Montuno en Neptune #960 isn't essential; casual listeners would be better off with a collection of recordings from Casino's classic era. Nonetheless, this is a CD that die-hard fans will enjoy. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide