Product Review

As the dean of modern Cuban jazz pianists, Jesus "Chucho" Valdés, the founder of the supergroup, Irakere, has been wowing listeners for years with his Caribbean keyboard wizardry, which combines the power of McCoy Tyner, the brilliance of Art Tatum, and the poetry of Bill Evans. Recorded live in Manhattan, this concert date shows Valdés's pianistic gifts shining through magnificently. His musical vista crosses several frontiers: from the beautiful boleros"Besame Mucho" and "Delirio," to the clavé-rhythmed "El Manisero" and the ballad "Somewhere over the Rainbow." On this date, Chucho Valdés claims the piano literature of at least two worlds and makes a lovely, fluid portrait of it all. --Eugene Holley Jr.