If like me you've always wanted to go to Cuba to listen beyond the tourist servings of Son, Canción and Social Club to hear what the cutting edge of Cuban jazz has to say, Harold Lopez-Nussa and his trio are a good place to start. Classically trained but sounding as if he'd be as comfortable in the basement as the concert hall, Nussa has chops a plenty and synthesises the diverse melting pot of Cuban styles into a unified and driving celebration of the jazz trio Cubano style. With his brother Ruy on drums and the powerhouse generator of Felipe Cabrera on bass, the trio easily switches from romping left handed bass/piano unison steamroller, La Jungla, to yearning explorations of tonal colour, Herencia, from introspective pop reinterpretation, Tears In Heaven, to street march, Timbeando and make it all sound like one musical concept. Never outstaying his welcome when he stretches out in the groove yard, his classical technique enables him to add new flourishes, codas and ensemble sections that give the music a contemporary but totally rooted feel like on En el lsa where he tastily adds ensemble voices to enhance the chorus. Regularly playing in Cuban singing legend's Omara Portuondo backing band, she sings on one track, Es Mas, Te Perdono, sounding for all the world to me like a tribute to the recently passed Mercedes Sosa. The final track, the solo tribute Mama, reveals the breadth of his technique and emotional scope all fused into one beautiful rendition well beyond his years. Make no mistake, Harold is the best thing to happen to Cuban piano jazz since Gonzalo Rubalcaba and he brings a new voice full of good tunes, great improvisation, respect for the tradition, humour and cutting edge textures to make him a stayer.
Do you remember hearing Buena Vista Social Club for the first time (before it joined the ranks of Gypsy Kings overplayed musak), and wondering when someone would embody all of that spirit into something utterly brilliant, beautiful, articulate and contemporary?
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