Al Madrigal Half Breed

An interracial harbinger of the great wave of Central Americans ''humping their way north,'' television and stand up stand out Al Madrigal is living proof that, while a half Mexican in a sailor suit might grow up fast, he'll also grow up funny. On his new Stand Up! Records release, ''Half Breed,'' Madrigal's charming stage manner lends itself well to his often involved and seemingly tangential stories. In the course of a joke, he may take a detour for an Armenian genocide reference wrapped in a playground tale or a discussion of housing prices and gentrification or even an instructional aside on the favored transportation of lesbians, all the while skillfully aiming for a hilarious synthesis. By quickly engaging the audience, Madrigal easily keeps their attention in these apparently stream-of-consciousness comedic anecdotes, and the wait pays off every time. Once he's wrung at least ten good laughs out of a web of jokes, it's a truly fantastic surprise when he weaves another ten call-backs into a brilliant, suave, and totally uproarious conclusion. Not only that, but listeners will come away from ''Half Breed'' armed with an array of Madrigal's hard-earned life lessons to guide them in this crazy world: good Mexican food has to be scary, being yourself is always a terrible idea, and, of course, you can't tame the wild Chiclet boy. Those who mourned the passing of ''Welcome to the Captain,'' on which Madrigal played Jesus, will be happy to know that he'll co-star in fall 2008's new series ''Gary Unmarried,'' but, while TV shows may come and go, ''Half Breed'' can always be dropped in the CD player. Pick it up now from Stand Up! Records.