The legendary composer, arranger, bandleader, and double bassist Israel "Cachao" López (1918-2008) is widely regarded as one of the most prolific and influential figures in the history of Cuban music. He was co-founder of the widespread mambo style in the late 1930s and a principal proponent of the "Descarga" movement of the 1950s. Cachao's recognition as one of the most impressive Cuban musicians earned him the opportunity in 1957 to record as a leader. He and his sidemen would meet around 4 a.m., after fulfilling their professional obligations, for informal jam sessions. These sessions were called "Descargas" and combined the improvisational and informal characteristics of a jazz jam session with harmonic progressions and rhythms that are distinctly Cuban.
The album presented here, Descargas Cubanas, was the very first in a series of recorded "Descargas" and features several legends of Cuban music, including Alejandro "El Negro" Vivar, Generoso "El Tojo" Jiménez, and Tata Güines.