"[Washburne] offers a no-holds-barred, insider glimpse at 'how salsa was made' in New York City in the 1990s. By challenging conventional narratives about salsa's development and taking on contentious issues in its history, including drugs, violence and illegitimate business practices,Sounding Salsashould make a lot of folks look twice at a critical yet neglected moment in the industry's development. Washburne's ethnography of behind-the-scenes backstories, documented from his own vantage point on the bandstand, is the best quick read I've found on the industry's history and inner workings, supplemented by deep industry knowledge that fills in many ellipses in histories written mainly from the point of view of the consumer/ critic. While it offers musicological explanations on salsa's nuts and bolts technical aspects, such as clave, it's also an accessible guide to newcomers who may have wondered: What are those instruments? And why are all those guys wearing the same suits?" -IndyWeeks, 31st December 2008 "Washburne does a good job of chronicling the second-generation surge of the popular Latin dance music salsa in the US, which occurred in New York City in the 1990s. The author bases his discussion on an impressive ethnographic methodology and on his own involvement with salsa as a performer. He introduces the reader to the major figures in the movement, provides glimpses of the music itself, and describes the broader cultural and sociological issues that affected the art form and its practitioners. The introduction provides a good overview of the historical development of salsa in the 1960s-70s and establishes a context for the discussion that follows." Choice "[Washburne] offers a no-holds-barred, insider glimpse at 'how salsa was made' in New York City in the 1990s.

By challenging conventional narratives about salsa's development and taking on contentious issues in its history, including drugs, violence and illegitimate business practices, Sounding Salsa should make a lot of folks look twice at a critical yet neglected moment in the industry's development. Washburne's ethnography of behind-the-scenes backstories, documented from his own vantage point on the bandstand, is the best quick read I've found on the industry's history and inner workings, supplemented by deep industry knowledge that fills in many ellipses in histories written mainly from the point of view of the consumer/ critic. While it offers musicological explanations on salsa's nuts and bolts technical aspects, such as clave, it's also an accessible guide to newcomers who may have wondered: What are those instruments? And why are all those guys wearing the same suits?" IndyWeek "Washburne is a very fine and respected jazz trombonist. [Sounding Salsa] is a well-researched and assiduously documented work of history, written by an ethnomusicologist with impeccable academic credentials. It would be hard to imagine a person better qualified on the subject. His standing as a professional salsero gives him access to information denied other researchers. And he takes advantage, gleaning enough material to tell a fascinating tale. The book's most illuminating passages center on the musicians' own observations and comments, made directly to Washburne and salted liberally throughout the text.

Such intimate reflections would only have been revealed to someone who'd earned their deepest trust and respect-another musician, for instance."-Jazz Notes, Spring 2009.