Who would have thought that, again, cutting-edge salsa would hail not from San Juan, Havana or Miami, but from Richmond of all places?  But that’s what Bio Ritmo has done over the course of three recordings.  Now, on its latest eponymous release, the nine-piece unit moves forward by looking backward.

Longtime leader Cuban native Rene Herrera has since left the group, so they re-configured themselves under the supervision of their stalwart percussion unit – timbalero Giustino Riccio and conguero Gabo Tomasini – along with lead singer/songwriter Rei Alvarez.  The band now embraces old time “salsa clasica” while infusing its original songs with jazz arrangements and reggae, pan-Latin and samba rhythms.  After the salsa street dance of the three opening cuts, the album takes a turn toward Latin fusion with “Atrevete” that features Simmons’ 70s-jazz Fender Rhodes work.  Another, “Fabula,” begins with salsa energy and ends with a samba sizzle and “Para Los Romperos,” is driven by the tight-as-a-conga-skin horn players.