As a budding country star in the mid 1990s, Texas-born Mexican American Rick Treviño always found a way to blend his Latin heritage with his country leanings, even recording many of his albums in both English and Spanish. His membership in Los Super Seven has allowed him to explore even more deeply his Mexican roots and has reminded music fans just how wonderful, versatile, and emotionally powerful a singer he is. Focusing on traditional Mexican folk music, Mi Son features many of his Los Super Seven cohorts, including Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas, David Hidalgo, and Steve Berlin (who produced). Clearly Treviño has been inspired by their penchant for experimentation, and the 10 songs (9 sung in Spanish) cut across a variety of moods. The absolutely gorgeous duets with Martha Gonzalez and Ruben Ramos and the atmospheric, ethereal "Vuelvo al Sur" prove definitively that Treviño is one of the most underappreciated ballad singers of his time, in any language. The ballads are complemented by pulsating jazzy romps, bright numbers driven by traditional Mexican stringed instruments such as tres, guitarrón, and jarana, and a poignant English-language finale. --Marc Greilsamer