The first thing you should know is that, yes, "Copacabana" is the
Barry Manilow song, which gives some idea of the crossover vibe of this album. The second is that the song is still a bit sickly sweet, of course, but
Pucho and his latest set of
Latin Soul Brothers do a fair job with it, with flutists
Mike Turre and
Ed Pazant acquitting themselves particularly well. Other oddball covers abound as well, from a sax-led version of
Johnny Mercer's "Laura" that has little notable Latin content to a swinging version of
Eddie Harris' soul-jazz classic "Cold Duck Time." However, most of the tracks are fairly solid originals, mostly by
Pucho himself, given perhaps too-slick treatment by producer
Bobby Matos. The songs aren't bad, but the performances sound needlessly restrained. Most of the album lacks the fire and soul of
Pucho's earlier albums, making
Caliente con Soul a somewhat misleadingly titled disappointment.