Gustavo Dudamel, the still-not-30 Venezuelan conductor is living up to his hype. After a couple of remarkably successful recordings of music by Mahler and Beethoven, he and his Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela now turn their attention to music of Latin America (with a bow to Leonard Bernstein’s Mambo from West Side Story) and the result is absolutely joyful. The emphasis, as you might guess, is on dance and rhythm, although there are some introspective moments as well. Revueltas' angular, somewhat sinister "Sensemayá" fascinates, while Estevez' "Mediodia en el Liano" is like a poem to Venezuelan nature. "Danzon no. 2" begins in a relaxed, reflective manner, but composer Arturo Marquez surprises with growing, passionate dance rhythms. This isn’t a "dance party" CD, it's a collection of infectious, exciting, energetic pieces that happen to be dances as well. Dudamel’s SBYO obviously love this music and offer it up in sizzling performances. Some of this music was written for festivals, and you can feel the enthusiasm. Bernstein's "Mambo," will, in fact, make you want to mambo – you can practically see the orchestra members dancing. In short, this recording is unique and vastly entertaining. -- Robert Levine