March 7, 2019
Antiguo is different than most Gonzalo Rubalcaba records. The pianist spends a lot of time exploring synthesizers. Some of the music (particularly “Eshun Agwe”) is memorable but at other times the results are merely haunting mood music. Rubalcaba and his longtime quartet (trumpeter Reynaldo Melian, bassist Felipe Cabrera, and drummer Julio Barreto) are joined in spots by the voices of Maridalia Hernandez and Lazaro Ros, percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo, and violinist Dagoberto Gonzalez. The influence of Chick Corea is strong in some of the selections as it is in the sound of Rubalcaba’s synthesizers. Not essential but worth a few listens. ~ Scott Yanow
