El Viaje

Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa, of a musical family, is well-versed in classical and jazz piano as well as with Cuban popular music. He played with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, performed with Buena Vista Social Club artists, and won awards at Montreaux Jazz Festival. Here we hear his Latin jazz renditions of his own compositions and works by Thelonious Monk, Chucho Valdés, uncle Ernán López-Nussa, Aldo López-Gavilán, and Miguel Nuñez. López-Nussa plays electronic keyboard, too, and has guest musicians on trumpet or flugelhorn, bass, percussion, and his father Ruy Francisco López-Nussa and brother Ruy Adrian López-Nussa on drums. The music is beautiful and charming. Lobo's Cha, a son ballad, has a classical music feeling — Chopin comes to mind — but the music throughout the album, with its powerful rhythms, urge the listener to dance. One track, however, Inspiración en Connecticut, is a mainstream, driving tour de force, and Oriente, with the bell-like ringing of water-filled glasses, is a gentle free jazz ballad. Some vocals are heard across the album, mainly as backing. The album itself is recorded and mixed in Havana with care, offering superb sound. Harold López-Nussa is a master among the acoustic keys, offering a variety of tunes and arrangements. I can well understand why the audience at Montreaux honored him. This is an outstanding album. 54 minutes.

Who is the new phenom from Cuba? Harold Lopez-Nussa. He's no rookie at 33 years old with more than five albums to his credit, and he is a seasoned composer and pianist who deserves the international recognition, which he will receive as a result of this CD. With both his brother and father joining him, Harold's performance is stellar on Viaje. The songs are lyrical and rhythmic with Cuban and African influences. The piano playing is blissful and beautiful, as well as harmonically satisfying. An even greater joy is seeing Harold perform in person, either in trio format with brother, Ruy, on drums, or with the Lopez-Nussa Family Band with legendary pianist and uncle, Ernan Lopez-Nussa, and father and drummer, also known as Ruy. Buy this CD, and then you will want to buy the whole catalogue.

Fabulous album. Sometimes charming, sometimes exciting. Love it.

great- wish I had discovered him earlier, pre- NPR interview!

Great Cuban Jazz.

Very nice album. Interesting and fun fusion of different musicsl styles. Harold Lopez-Nussa is an excellent pianist. I also heard a nice interview with him on NPR.

Condition was as good as new well worth the wait,

I heard a bit of this CD on NPR on my way home from teaching. Thought it would be a nice surprise gift for our daughter and son-in-law (whose parents came from Cuba). When I visited them some while later and heard the CD, I was disappointed as it was far more jazz than I expected--even if it was jazz done by a Cubano! This is simply a case of my having false expectations, but I do wish I had tried listening a bit more.