Category Archives: Jazz

Harold López-Nussa: from classical music to jazz, with unpretentious virtuosity

03 Wednesday May 2017

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Cuba seems to produce pianists the way Brazil produces soccer players.
The quality and quantity of jazz pianists from Cuba, all seemingly raised in the most exacting classical school yet all seemingly just as fluent in the popular and jazz traditions, is just astonishing.
Consider Cuban jazz pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa, 34. He was born, and grew up, surrounded by music. His father, Ruy Francisco López-Nussa is a well-known drummer, his uncle Ernán, is an influential pianist, composer and arranger, founder of the groups Afrocuba and Cuarto Espacio and his late mother, Mayra Torres, was a piano teacher and a critical influence on his playing and outlook. “90% of what I am today I owe to my mother,” he once said. “When I was a child she was always on my side. She taught me the piano and also […] to know that it’s not the end of the world to make a mistake. That’s something you have to learn as well.”

López-Nussa and his trio, featuring his younger brother Adrián Ruy López-Nussa on drums and Julio César González on bass, play at the Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center on the Nova Southeastern University campus, presented by South Florida Jazz, Saturday at 8 p.m.

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Out And About. Omar Sosa, Paolo Fresu and Trilok Gurtu tell stories

01 Monday May 2017

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Omar Sosa, Paolo Fresu and Trilok Gurtu at the : Wertheim Performing Arts Center, FIU’s School of Music, Saturday.

Beautiful performance by the Omar Sosa, Paolo Fresu and Trilok Gurtu trio closing the 4th annual Miami International Jazz Fest, at FIU, Saturday. It seems redundant to speak of a very musical performance, but given that it was such a relief from the standard instrumental Olympics and that there was a lot of intense listening, use of dynamics and respect for space, sound and silence on stage, I´d say the point needs to be made. It was a truly musical performance.

At times, it was like overhearing a conversation between smart, well informed people: the subject almost didn’t matter; the thinking, what they had to say about whatever they decided to address and how they made their arguments, was enough. Saturday, Sosa & Co. could’ve played “Happy Birthday” for all that mattered. They probably would’ve made it interesting too.

There were no fixed roles. Instead, they took turns proposing themes, moods and tempos. On one piece, Fresu, on flugelhorn, just held a note throughout as Sosa bobbed and weaved around it, poking and retreating under Gurtu’s watchful eye. On another piece, Sosa and Gurtu engaged on a dialogue of vocal percussion, Gurtu drawing from the elaborate rhythmic patterns of Indian music; Sosa prodding and responding with bursts of Afro-Cuban rumba. Every piece told a story.By each song’s end you had a sense that you had been somewhere.

The trio doesn´t have a recording, but Sosa and Fresu have two as a duo, Alma (2012) and Eros (2016), both featuring Brazilian cellist and arranger Jaques Morelenbaum as a guest. Worth looking for them.

The evening started with a delightful set, running from Ellington and Basie to hip-hop, by the Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble, from Ft. Lauderdale.

This big band from Dillard High School, directed by Christopher Dorsey, was celebrating having been picked among the top 15 high school jazz bands in North America — and for a good reason. I wonder what the old masters would’ve made of high schoolers playing their books with such proficiency, grace and aplomb.

Being selected for the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival in New York City has become a bit of a habit for the Dillard High School Jazz Band. This is the seventh time it’s a finalist.(This is the 22nd edition of the annual event)If you heard them Saturday, you’d know why.

The event takes place at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s home, Frederick P. Rose Hall, on May 11. Congrats and good luck.

Looking ahead to a weekend of music — and back to the week that was

24 Monday Apr 2017

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If you can manage to be in more than one place at a time and you happen to live in Miami these days, congratulations, next weekend is made for you. The rest of us, mere mortals, if we like music, we’ll have to make some hard choices. Below, a few lines on Omar Sosa, James “Blood” Ulmer and Sammy Figueroa, all appearing in the area this weekend. (Also, DJ Le Spam and the Spam Allstars, another personal favorite, present Trans-Oceanic, their 10-years-in-the-making new recording, at the North Beach Bandshell, Saturday. More on that later.)

So, for your consideration …

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