Record Rack

*** Various artists, “Y Sigue Siendo el Rey,” BMG. A tacky concept with unexpectedly beautiful results. As a tribute to Jose Alfredo Jimenez, a marvelous composer of rancheras who died 25 years ago, a handful of Latin stars recorded “duets” with recordings of the late musician. Some are awkward (Julio Iglesias doing “El Rey”), but others, notably Rocio Durcal and Vicente Fernandez, together with the new, poppish arrangements, bring a new understanding of the sheer magic of Jimenez’s compositions.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.