But when you fall in love with a chart—when you feel the son montuno in your bones—buy the original. Support the arrangers who keep the clave alive.
For the aspiring pianist trying to nail that signature montuno or the young trombonist searching for the perfect mambo lick, salsa music is a thrilling, complex beast. It’s a dialogue between the piano, the bass, the horns, and the percussion. But finding the architectural blueprints for these conversations—the (sheet music)—has historically been a nightmare.
Now go lock in that clave. ¡A gozar!