Tradicional

At this point in her nearly 30-year career, Mexican diva Ana Gabriel could croon her grocery list and still wring ample emotion out of it, thanks to her unaffected, passionate vocal delivery. Instead, she keeps delivering timeless classics like Tradicional, the latest in a long line of albums honoring classic Mexican music. Whereas Gabriel's last disc, Dulce y Salado, melded old and new sounds, Tradicional is steeped in, well, tradition. Gabriel tackles Vicente Fernandez's "Volver, Volver" with fiery confidence, and she's equally vibrant during the oompah banda beats of "Tu y Las Nubes," the corrido strains of "Simon Blanco" and the bittersweet Christmas ranchera "Amarga Navidad." This is high-caliber stuff. Gabriel even contributes "Con Las Alas Atadas," a self-penned huapango that opens the album and fits in perfectly with Tradicional's overall sound. --Joey Guerra