It's ironic that Youssou N'Dour coproduced Specialist in All Styles. After all, it was the emergence of N'Dour's upbeat mbalax music in the early '80s that hurried the passing of Orchestra Baobab, which had been the most popular band in Senegal for 10 years. Baobab's Afro-Latin blend was unique, but it sounded like fond memory next to the in-your-face mbalax. Following up the reissue in 2002 of the legendary 1982 album Pirates Choice, Baobab has returned to active duty after a 15-year hiatus. Specialist features many of the original members and recaptures the classic sound. The band revives great older Baobab songs like "On Verra Ça" and "Ndongoy Daara," brings in a few folk tunes, and rounds out the album with strong new material. "Homage A Tonton Ferrer" is a rollicking vocal tour de force featuring Cuba's Ibrahim Ferrer and N'Dour. Moreover, the band is tight throughout, with fantastic solos coming from guitarist Barthelemy Attisso and saxophonist Issa Cissoko. --Tad Hendrickson