Throughout his life and career, Christian Howes has thrived on venturing outside of his comfort zone. HeÂ’s taken the violin into the relatively unexplored territory of modern jazz, combining classical training with soulful expressiveness; heÂ’s emerged from hardships and challenges with an ever-stronger, more individual voice; and heÂ’s been on the vanguard of digital-age entrepreneurship with his online classes and virtual string orchestra. On his third release for Resonance Records, Southern Exposure, Howes takes another unexpected turn, this time into the realm of Latin music, exploring a diverse range of repertoire from Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, and Spain. His chief companion for the journey is French accordion master Richard Galliano; both are buoyed by the smoking rhythm section of pianist Josh Nelson, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Lewis Nash.