A descarga, in case you didn’t know, is an improvisation based on Cuban music themes, primarily son montuno, but also guajira, bolero, guaracha and rumba.

While Afro-Cuban jazz stereotypically suggests a large ensemble, probably including horns and call-and-response singing, with The New Latin Trio we have three seasoned specialists taking a somewhat different approach. Their (neat) idea is to combine traditional Cuban styles with contemporary ideas of classical harmony, and it works seamlessly.

The tracks don’t have titles, simply a numbered list of descargas. Restrained power is the order of the day. Hidalgo is in the engine room, supplying the insistent Latin pulse, while Chesky adds the cool, streamlined harmonic stylings, and Benitez provides the oil that keeps the whole machine purring along.

At times they sound like a conventional jazz trio, with plenty of acoustic space available for us to appreciate their formidable rhythmic chops. At other times the sound is almost skeletal, since Chesky plays few solos, and often lays out in order to give the others a free rein.

In an effort to preserve the authenticity of the original performances, David Chesky likes to record music with a minimum of post-production. He’s also a music business entrepreneur who, among other things, sells digital music in high resolution formats. The New York Descargas is therefore available in a range of hi-res audio formats.