Luis Muñoz

This glistening, sensuous journey of an album reflects both the sophistication and directness of a world-class composer. Luis Muñoz was born in Costa Rica, but he has made Santa Barbara his home for several decades now, and the music on Luz, his latest and best recording, transcends categories, uniting Latin, jazz, and even touches of classical in nine original compositions, each of which stands as a remarkable achievement. Play the blindfold game with this one, and your friends are likely to produce a litany of truly great artists — “Is it Miles Davis? Wayne Shorter? Or Gilberto Gil?” No. It’s Luis Muñoz, and one day, at least among music lovers, that name ought to be remembered just as well.