Big Mo Life Courage Death (Alkamie)

Never judge a book by its cover/But Master P would agree that this CD mirrors a No Limit brother/That's where the similarities end/What's inside takes you for a ride around a run-of-the-mill bend/Get off the gangsta tip/T.O.'s got no Bloods & sure as Hell no Crips/'Cuz if it did blood would spill due to these beats/They best tighten & tweak 'cuz production is mad weak/Big Mo has a nice flow an' can tear it out the frame/But beats this lame won't last long in tha game. 5/10 (Lateef "Rhyme Pays" Martin)

Andrea Martin The Best of Me (Arista/BMG)

An R&B sound bordering on pop best describes this solid effort. Martin takes control of all of the writing, with the exception of the Tracey Chapman-penned "Baby Can I Hold You." She defers production duties to a slew of producers, including Wyclef Jean and Rodney Jerkins. The combinations are a success, especially the alluring "Let Me Return the Favor" and the sexy "Set It Off," featuring Queen Latifah and Organized Noize. Overall, Martin's "best" is pretty damn good. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)

Yeska Skafrocubanjazz (Aztlan/Koch)

How about that. One of the best ska albums I've heard in ages, and it's not even really a ska album. These boys from L.A. have already earned solid props in that scene, but now seem ready to work wider turf--it's the last syllable of the title that carries the load. Sure, the offbeat is there, that straightforward Jamaican rhythm, and it goes a long way toward keeping the colourful Latin complexities in check. But Yeska's secret weapon is the irreproachable playing. Solid brass, charming piano, and nothing so self-indulgent that the casual listener can't cop a comfortable ride. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Various Mas Ritmo Latino Los Ritmos Latinos (Wagram/Fusion III)

Normally, when you pick a Latin compilation that has both classics going back upwards of 40 years mixed with classics from two years back, you're simply asking for trouble. However, this double-CD set deftly assembles some of the most important and memorable artists, like Ray Barretto, Celia Cruz and Eddie Palmieri on one CD, and then complements that with a Latin house disc, featuring people like Dubtribe, Turnstyle Orchestra and Kerry Chandler. The new to the old, the old to the new. There's a lot of music here, so if you like to dance at home, I think I have just the thing for you. 8/10 (Scott C)

Ryuichi Sakamoto Love Is the Devil Original Soundtrack (Asphodel/Outside)

I for one am looking forward to the forthcoming film of English painter Francis Bacon's gloriously wretched life. Bacon's paintings were harrowing snapshots of psychic disfigurement, and Sakamoto has managed to create a commendable sonic analogy. Sheets of noise, creepy electronic flourishes and lots of stark, hollow, brooding piano build a sad and shady space littered with Bacon's "victims." A potent antidote to anyone's cheerful mood. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Eric Alexander Solid (Milestone/PolyGram)

Step right up and see where Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debby" originated! That gem, "My Conception" by Sonny Clark and others from the pens of people like Trane, Monk, Rollins, Ellington & Strayhorn, Jackie McLean and Fred Lacey are played with just the right spirit by tenorman Alexander and a great trio of John Hicks, George Mraz and Idris Muhammad. As a bonus, Joe Locke and Jim Rotondi are guests. 9/10 (Len Dobbin)