In Cuba, son and salsa bands don't break up when important members die or retire -- they simply hire new members and keep plugging away. That's why a Cuban institution like Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñero (which was formed in 1927) was still together when the 21st Century arrived -- despite the fact that Piñero himself died in 1968. Although Irakere doesn't go as far back as Septeto Nacional -- pianist Chucho Valdes founded the band in 1973 -- it is also considered a Cuban institution and has had its share of personnel changes. When Valdes retired from Irakere in the 1990s, the person he put in charge was fellow pianist Tony Perez. From Enchantment and Timba...To Full Force Jazz, released in the U.S. in 2001, is Perez' first American release under his own name. This Latin jazz effort isn't innovative or forward-thinking, but it's inspired and memorable. Although Perez offers one vocal-oriented salsa number (Arsenio Rodriguez' "Mi China"), Enchantment is primarily an album of instrumental Latin jazz -- to be specific, hard bop and post-bop with Afro-Cuban rhythms. While the pianist (who wrote seven of the 11 selections) is lyrical and introspective on the gentle "Kay' Nay" and the thoughtful "Analógico," he is just as likely to be extroverted and hard-swinging. Exuberant performances of Willie Colon's "Jazzy" and Eddie Palmieri's "Picadillo" are the work of a musician who sounds like he grew up listening to Dizzy Gillespie, Machito, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, Poncho Sanchez, and other Latin jazz heavyweights. Is this album derivative? Absolutely. But derivative doesn't mean uninspired and, while Enchantment makes no attempt to reinvent the Afro-Cuban wheel, it is solid and enjoyable. ~ Alex Henderson