A spicy brew of American, African, Latin, and Caribbean music, expertly played by musicians who clearly love what they're doing, is served up by Los Hombres Calientes on Live at the House of Blues, recorded in New Orleans ... more »in 2003. This is not a superstar band; the best (maybe only) known member is percussionist/co-leader Bill Summers, who for years was a member of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters group. But these fellows are all good, especially trumpeter/co-leader Irvin Mayfield (who may lack the high-note virtuosity of Arturo Sandoval, but is still a brilliant player with a strong grounding in American jazz) and pianist Victor Atkins (a master of the octave chording style common to Latin jazz); and the fact that all of the musicians are Americans detracts not at all from their skill at playing (or singing, often in Spanish) Cuban and other strains of Latin music. A long, rhythmically intricate arrangement of the Dizzy Gillespie standard "A Night in Tunisia" is a highlight, but pretty much every track from this 67-minute gig is likely to put a smile on your face and some rhythm in your feet. Extra features include footage of the band recording in Cuba, Trinidad, and Haiti. --Sam Graham« less