Grupo Fantasma guitarist Adrian Quesada has played a lot of places. Quesada and the band have appeared at arenas in Europe with Prince, and packed out city parks in their native Austin, but a couple weeks back they found themselves somewhere unexpected: in the hull of a C-130 cargo plane on their way to Iraq.

Recruited by the U.S. government to tour military installations in the Middle East, the Latin big band brought its euphoric and eclectic sound to an audience of eager soldiers. "There are a lot of young Latino troops out there, so they contacted us with them in mind," says Quesada. "The shows were amazing. To go all the way there and put smiles on people's faces was an unbelievable experience. We played indoors, outdoors -- we got up and played wherever we could, wherever was available."

It seems a fitting kind of jaunt for a band -- which includes Quesada, guitarist Beto Martinez, percussionists Johnny Lopez and Jose Galeano, Kino Rodriguez and Matthew Holmes, bassist Greg Gonzalez, and horn players Josh Levy and Gilbert Elorreaga -- that has made a career out of musical globe-hopping. The group will bring its multifaceted sound, from traditional Latin music to modern hip-hop and beyond, to Memphis this weekend with a show at the newly launched Levitt Shell in Overton Park.

Although they've long been hailed as a stellar live outfit, Grupo Fantasma has finally realized its potential with the release of its fourth and latest album, Sonidos Gold. Recorded in their Austin home base with a smattering of notable guests -- including famed James Brown saxophonist Maceo Parker, Fania All-Stars pianist Larry Harlow and Prince/Parliament trombonist Greg Boyer -- the disc captures the group's live energy while adding plenty of studio invention. "That's always been the challenge for us," Quesada said. "With the first record, people would say the record didn't live up to the live show. Then, we spent so much time in the studio on the second record, it was like the complete opposite of the show. On the third record, we actually did a live record. But the new album, it combines the best of both worlds."

Although they've built up a small discography already, Quesada notes that, "Sonidos Gold feels like more of a debut record. Our first three records sold more regionally and just wherever people saw us live. But very few people picked them up in stores. So this is our real introduction to the world audience," he says. "That's why it was even more important to capture our true sound."

For those who've seen Grupo Fantasma, the appeal is easy to understand. They're a dynamic Latin music outfit that can also segue seamlessly between styles and genres -- though that is a particular quality that's often overlooked. "What we do sometimes gets seen as just being traditional -- and, for sure, we do study traditional music; we feel like what the big Latin orchestras of the late-'60s and '70s did is a lost art. There aren't that many bands that still do that. To us, part of doing this was trying to keep that alive," says Quesada.

"But, at the same time, the way we all grew up -- listening to everything from rock and funk and heavy metal and hip-hop -- we interpret it slightly differently. So, at its core, it's always Latin music but we're always trying to take it somewhere else."

Beyond their own music, Grupo Fantasma has showcased its versatility, backing a host of other musicians, everyone from pop-funk icon Prince to indie rockers Spoon. "Stepping away from your own music and playing someone else's is always good for your head," says Quesada of their frequent work as a support troupe.

Quesada says the band plans a return to the studio next year but may release a stop-gap EP of remixes and alternate versions of songs from the Sonidos Gold sessions. "It's a real different take -- where we re-imagine the material in a creative way, which is great," he says. "Because, for us, that's really what it's all about."

PREVIEW

Grupo Fantasma

7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Levitt Shell at Overton Park.

The show is free. To go to the group's Web site, click here.