With his latest production, North By Northeast, vibraphonist Steve Pouchie may not be scaling Mount Rushmore or dashing about in a gray suit, evading cops and deadly crop dusters, but he and his players nonetheless generate the same breathtaking brand of excitement and unpredictability that characterizes the motion picture classic made famous by Alfred Hitchcock. I had gotten as far as the title track, composed by Pouchie and co-arranged with keyboard artist Adan Pérez, when I just had to stop and listen—because I had become completely captivated. North By Northeast is not one of those formulaic albums that merely offers standards along with not very memorable originals punctuated by an overlay of Latin percussion. Pouchie’s production is brimming with authenticity and originality. It respects and celebrates the music’s Afro-Caribbean roots. It infuses new life into classics. It injects—when appropriate—that New York swing, that Bronx-style badness that is as hard and unforgiving as the city’s concrete. At times, it wails. And at others, it shimmers with sensuality, intertwined with a palpable sense of wistfulness and longing. The virtuosic Pouchie, who has performed in many notable New York venues throughout the years, along with his renowned players—especially Grammy nominee Wilson “Chembo” Corniel, who co-produced this album—present, in Pouchie’s words, “the different shades of Latin jazz….played with the sensitivity and precision, that only a good Latin jazz band can achieve. Each song is experimental in one way or another.” You can hear Pouchie’s new approach taken as you listen. “The Cell,” an original by Pouchie, for instance, is a very different type of Latin jazz composition, modern, simple, and danceable, with one distinct vibe melody running throughout. The “West Side Story Medley” takes two significant melodies penned by Leonard Bernstein and fuses them with sax and vibes solos, reminiscent of the music of the 50’s. “Tunisia by Day” presents a new vision to the popular “Night in Tunisia,” by “Latinizing” the number for dancers, yet retaining an explorative, jazzy edge with its solos. In contrast, Pouchie’s 6/8 arrangement of John Coltrane’s iconic “My Favorite Things” utilizes the marimba to support the melody, and features the mastery and elegance of “Chembo” Corniel on congas and batá. His sublime quinto riffing runs effortlessly throughout the song, echoing those of our legendary, departed congueros who live through their legacies. “Chembo’s” precision, playing bongó, cowbell, shekeres, and batá are brilliantly showcased on this song as well as throughout the entire production. I would be remiss not to mention the power of the drums on every track, played by one of the most in-demand, first call drummers on today’s New York scene, Diego López. In addition, all tracks feature Solo Rodriguez (bass), Adan Pérez and Sam Barrios (keyboard), young powerhouse and 2013 Latin Grammy nominee Julio Botti (sax), Jorge Maldonado (vocals), plus a host of other greats. I invite you to feel the goose bumps and experience the nostalgia as you listen to Pouchie’s new take on the late Tito Puente’s “Tus Ojos.” I implore you to feel the poignancy that Pouchie’s arrangements of “Cuban Chant” and “Triste Y Alegre” deliver. You’ll want to get up and dance to “Frenesi Cha–Cha.” And you’ll see why I find myself playing this CD over and over again. With North By Northeast, as in Hitchcock’s movie, victory is won not by a cast of all-star actors, but with our very own real life musical story tellers—Steve Pouchie, “Chembo” Corniel, and their Latin jazz players! Vicki Solá, Que Viva La Música (89.1 WFDU-FM), Salsa Warriors Radio (www.SalsaWarriors.com) and Viva La Música NY Style….Y Más (www.vickisolasalsa.com)