*** Chucho Valdes & Irakere, “Unforgettable Boleros,” Velas.

As the years go by, Cuban pianist Valdes appears more and more interested in exploring the musical patrimony of Latin America. This session of standards from the bolero repertoire is a study in lightness, feeling more like a tender caress than a passionate embrace. Leo Vera’s vocals on “Noche de Ronda” are a bit too velvety to convey the despair of Agustin Lara’s bitter lyric, but a jazzed-up version of “Piel Canela” offers swing to spare. Most important, the record illustrates the breadth of Irakere, the chameleonic group that for the last three decades has followed Valdes into every imaginable style of Afro-Cuban music.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.