Legendary composer, arranger, band leader and double bassist Israel “Cachao” Lpez (1918-2008) is universally recognized as one of the most prolific and influential figures in the history of Cuban music. He was a co-founder of the widely popular mambo style in the late 1930’s, and a primary exponent of the “descarga” movement of the 1950’s. Cachao’s recognition as one of the most formidable Cuban musicians helped him to get the chance to record as a leader in 1957. He and his sidemen got together for informal jam sessions at around 4 a.m., after fulfilling their professional obligations. These sessions were known as “descargas”, combining the improvisational and informal characteristics of a jazz jam session with harmonic progressions and rhythms distinctly Cuban. The album Descargas Cubanas, presented here, marked the very first in a series of recorded “descargas,” and includes several legends of Cuban music, such as Alejandro “El Negro” Vivar, Generoso “El Tojo” Jimnez, and Tata Gines.