When Ry Cooder went to Cuba in 1996 to collect top musicians from the island's pre-Castro musical heyday for a collaborative album, he could not have anticipated the phenomenal success of the final product. The BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB went on to win a Grammy and become the top-selling world music album of all time. When the musicians who participated on the album appeared together on stage at New York City's Carnegie Hall in 1998, it was an event celebrating not only Cooder's vision but the glory of Cuba's golden age of music. This two-disc set, complete with lavish packaging and beautifully mixed sound, provides an aural document of the experience. Featuring the talents of such masters as Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez, Eliades Ochoa, and Compay Segundo, the band gives stirring live renditions of album favorites "Chan Chan," "El Quartro de Tula," and "Dos Gardenias," among others. The kinetic performances and rapturous audience response will make listeners feel they're actually sitting in Carnegie Hall, participating in the historic occasion.

• Genre: World Music
• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 11/07/2008