The much in-demand percussionist Cyro Baptista brings an unusual mix of joyfulness and virtuosity to most any project he's a part of. A master of the rhythms and instruments of his native Brazil, he has applied that spirit and tradition to the work of Laurie Anderson, Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, John Zorn and many others. His own projects have varied from interpretations of Villa Lobos to the street party energy of Beat the Donkey, a divide he seems to cross with his excellent project, Banquet of the Spirits.

The second Banquet record isn't so much a band as an association of the various musicians from across the Americas with whom Baptista has worked with, used in varying configurations with a surprising level of continuity. A rotating band including guitarists Kevin Breit and Romero Lubambo, reed player Anat Cohen, cellist Erik Friedlander and Shanir Blumenkranz on oud, along with electronics from Ikue Mori and Peter Scherrer and a battery of percussionists, plays an unusual mixture of elements. Brazilian rhythms mix with Andean melodies and spaghetti western motifs, but the music at all times sounds like the East Village / Rio style Baptista has crafted over the years. The playing is strong and the production warm throughout, and if at times it rings a bit of world cafe, some surprising moments rise to the surface. Baptista's jaw harp heard against Mori's laptop doesn't sound quite like anything except those two enigmatic voices, and his duet with Friedlander is two minutes of discovery. If anything, the best (or at least most adventurous) tracks fly by too quickly. The eleven tracks are a bit of a blurred story-line across the disc's 45-minute playing time, and the recurring titular theme adds to the cinematic feel. Baptista is slowly stepping up to the composer bar, and it's an encouraging direction to see him go.

Cyro Baptista's Banquet of the Spirits: Infinito Is On Sale at Squidco!