 
Cesar Rosas
On this fine solo-album debut,
it comes as no surprise to find veteran Los Lobos singer-songwriter-guitarist
Cesar Rosas revisiting the R&B, soul, roots-rock, and norteño
ingredients that made his East L.A. band's musical stew so compelling.
What's revealing is Rosas's willingness to deconstruct his Grammy-winning
band's sound back to its constituent components, making Soul
Disguise play like a loving journey across borders both musical
and national. Cesar Rosas largely eschews the slick production
values of '90s-vintage Los Lobos for considerably more grit and
funk. Here he tackles with playful abandon everything from traditional
Tex-Mex to a swampy version of Ike Turner's "You've Got
to Lose." Rosas stubs his toe only once, on the '70s-ish
acoustic utopian ballad "Better Way." Similar journeys
have been made by everyone from Steve Miller and Ry Cooder to
precliché ZZ Top; it's Rosas's excursions into Stax and
New Orleans R&B territory , along with his sharp border-music
and blues-roots sense, that makes Soul Disguise so distinct and
satisfying. --Jerry McCulley |