Veteran Los Angeles studio tuba player Jim Self has recorded on over 1,500 movie scores, and this is his thirteenth solo album. The CD’s name and title song come from the Spanish for “self” and which is also used as a greeting as in “Yo cats!” Jim Self teams with trombonist/composer/arranger Francisco Torres who produced and wrote much of the music. It’s rather unique to hear the tuba as a solo instrument within a big band context, let alone on a Latin music project. The tuba adds a fun, captivating, uplifting yet soothing low sound to these mambos, cha-cha’s, boleros and more. It’s also quite enchanting to hear Self’s mellow Fluba (a large, unique tuba-sized Flugelhorn that needs a stand to hold it up) on pieces like “Encognito” (a slow Afro-Cha-Cha) and “Morning” (a Latin jazz standard written by Clare Fischer). The low groove is not overdone that it becomes annoying. Torres’ arrangement on a composition like “Sweetest Blue” features masterful soprano sax, piano and bata drum solos in addition to a tuba part that is “up high and blended into the horn section” more like a second trombone. This charming CD draws its charismatic allure from bottom of Self’s heart and instrument.  (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)