Trumpeter-bandleader Marina Garza is driven! Originally from San Antonio, Texas, she leads the potent Orquesta d'Soul in the SF Bay Area where she's made her home since the 1990s. As they ably demonstrate on Money, Money, this is a Latino alternative band with strong salsa and funk leanings propelled by a giffed cast ot resident musicians.

    Garza sings lead on her original song Power of Love, which cruises on a nicely paved New Orleans/Havana-style groove. The title track is a soul-rock guajira with Liza Jimenez and Nikki O'Shaughnessy, the other lead singers in the band, on chorus. We get introduced to Liza on Cafe Por La Manana. It starts with a beautiful, slow Mexican ranchera that features Garza playing mariachi style. Then it takes a sharp turn into a Latino ska beat that further spins into a Cuban timba vibe before it almost skids to a stop with a dramatic Lola Beltran-like ending.

    While the album consists of mostly original material, they do their takes on Donna Summers' Bad Girls and Roy Orbison's Llorando/Crying. They even do the intro to the Broadway musical Cabaret before going into Mi Amor. From there it's an ODS party all the way with merry maker Marina Garza leading the parade and conga line with a "Gabriela" style trumpet! (JV)