Recorded at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center just before the pandemic struck, this album was intended, as its title suggests, to highlight the Latin, hard bop and Puerto Rican mix that has been central to the music scene in New York since the 1940s. Sepúlveda has had plenty of experience, playing in the band of his cousin Eddie Palmieri, and it's evident in the confident swagger of his own group here. The opening ‘Liberty’ roars into life with a vibrant solo from special guest Randy Becker swooping all over his range.

Steve Turre's feature, ‘Tales from the Wall’ opens in straightahead tempo, but relaxes into a Latin groove for the solos. But – as in Palmieri's band – there's a strong sense of humour here, and the long pauses in the intro to ‘Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White’ are held long enough to draw giggles from the crowd, who then show their enthusiasm for the eloquent flute solo of Nestor Torres, who's also urged on by grunts of encouragement from the band. All in all, this is a band that knows how to have a good time, and communicate it to a crowd, and the soloists don’t go in for grandstanding, they roll up their sleeves and get on with it. The closing ‘Peer Magic’ is a 15-minute romp that grows out of a bass guitar solo from Rodriguez, picks up tempo, and revisits Torres’ flute, before a vibrant keyboard solo accompanied by a positive arsenal of polyrhythmic percussion, plus whistles and cries, brings the band to a triumphant climax.