Tag Archives: grégoire maret

Pianist Harold López-Nussa Renovates the Cuban Tradition (at the Outpost 11/19)

Harold López-Nussa Quartet (l2r): Harold López-Nussa, Ruy Adrián López-Nussa, Luques Curtis, Grégoire Maret. Photo by Paulo Vitale.

Until recently, I was unfamiliar with award-winning Cuban pianist/composer Harold López-Nussa, and so my main interest in the appearance of his quartet at the Outpost was focused more on the phenomenal Swiss-born harmonica player Grégoire Maret, long a favorite of mine, who is a member of the quartet. Then, I heard López-Nussa’s most recent release, Timba a la Americana, and several previous releases, and now I’m as excited to see and hear him as I am to see and hear Maret. This Sunday, November 19, the equally phenomenal López-Nussa will introduce his innovative renovation of Latin jazz. Prepare to be wowed.

Continue reading →

New Releases from a Trio of Trios

  • Gilfema: Massimo Biolcati, Lionel Loueke, Ferenc Nemeth
  • Kenny Barron and Dave Holland. Photo by Sylvain Gripoix.
  • Johnathan Blake. Photo by Hans Speekenbrink.
  • Romain Collin, Bill Frisell, Grégoire Maret. Photo by Neutrø.

Jazz speaks in many dialects, or maybe it’s more accurate to say that different musical genres find it easy to apply jazz techniques to their native material. Gilfema (Lionel Loueke, Massimo Biolcati, Ferenc Nemeth) applies them to a West African musical palette; the Kenny Barron|Dave Holland Trio, Featuring Johnathan Blake, to a collection of compositions squarely in the mainstream of the American jazz tradition; Grégoire Maret, Romain Collin, and Bill Frisell, to a range of material in the Americana songbook. In sum, we have three outstanding trios offering three satisfying new recordings across a range of sensibilities.

Continue reading →