...is Moreno (Brasil) by Sílvia Pérez Cruz.
Studio:
Carlos Montfort: violin Marta Roma: cello Bori Albero: double bass
Hamilton de Holanda: mandolin, backing vocals Jota.pê: palmas, backing vocals Marta Roma: cello, backing vocals Renata Neves: violin, backing vocals Pedro Moraes, Alberto Pérez: double bass Lorenzo Gasconcelos: tambor Paula Raya, Paloma Ronai, Camila Costa: backing vocals Iara Cassano, Jefferson Bilisco: dancers Suelinda Corsino, Lola Cruz: actresses |
...is Cançó No. 6 (Canción No. 6) by the Catalan composer Federico Mompou, from the cycle Cançons i danses. Originally written for piano, it was a favourite encore of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli. This song appears in the 1976 film Cría Cuervos by Carlos Saura. I liked the classical guitar version as played by the Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe in the recent (12 December 2025) Tiny Desk Concert.
...is Pablo de Sarasate's masterpiece Zigeunerweisen (Aires gitanos) performed by María Dueñas (violin) and Robert Kulek (piano).
...is Danzón n.º 2 by Arturo Márquez, as interpreted by the great Yuja Wang.
Remembering the great late Eddie Palmieri (15 December 1936 — 6 August 2025) with Revolt/La Libertad Lógico, the opening track of his classic 1971 album Vamonos Pa'l Monte. Here is a solo piano version of La Libertad from Palmieri's Tiny Desk Concert (26 August 2016).
...is Adagio in G minor by Remo Giazotto (not by Albinoni!) as performed by María López (hurdy-gurdy, piano). This composition appears on the Galician multi-instrumentalist's new album Daydreaming.
...is Pequeña Fuga y Mambo by the Rayko León quintet and Carlos Alemán. This song appears on the Canarian pianist's 2021 album En clave de rumBach.
Osvaldo Hernández: timbales Rayko León: piano Wichy López: trumpet, flugelhorn Fofi Lusson: double bass Alberto Valdés: congas, güiro |
...is majestic Finisterrae by Amaya López-Carromero aka Maud the Moth, from the Edinburgh-based pianist and singer-songwriter's album Orphnē. Tonight I had a pleasure to see Amaya performing live at Teatro CASYC, Santander.
...is Promesa by Eliane Correa & La Evolución, from the London-based pianist-led band's 2022 album Signo de fuego. Read more here.
...is Thuon Mok Loga from Omar Sosa's new album An East African Journey.
Olith Ratego: vocals, nyatiti Steve Argüelles: drums Christophe Minck: double bass Alan Sousa: percussion |
The Yellow Nimbus, featuring Paco de Lucía, was composed by Chick Corea and appeared on his 1982 album Touchstone. Today, I came across the earlier version, recorded by the classic Paco de Lucía Sextet with Corea as a guest artist live on 25 July 1981 at the Live Under the Sky festival and released (when? by whom? — not clear) as a two-CD set.
Ramón de Algeciras: flamenco guitar Carles Benavent: bass guitar Pepe de Lucía: vocals Jorge Pardo: flute, saxophone Rubem Dantas: percussion Chick Corea: piano |
...is Niño Mudo by Sílvia Pérez Cruz and Marco Mezquida, from their new album MA. Live In Tokyo.
...is Alpha Women featuring Zara McFarlane. This song appears on [MJU:ZIK], the new album by Ariadna Castellanos and Ed is Dead.
...is Río de la Pila, a dedication to a legendary santanderino street, by a flamenco pianist Jairo León, from his new album Sensillo y Diferente. (I can't tell exactly why this street is legendary, but I'm sure it is. It has this legendary feel about it.) León is playing on 5 December in Conservatorio Jesús de Monasterio, Paseo del General Dávila 85, Santander.
A few days ago, I saw on Spanish TV a program featuring the pianist, percussionist and composer Laura de los Ángeles and was completely blown away. Watch her live performance of Vida, recorded back in 2008, and see why.
...is Paco de Lucía's theme La Barrosa as performed by Ariadna Castellanos.
I never heard of jazz pianist and composer Ariadna Castellanos until I saw her on Spanish TV earlier this week. And now I want to share her music with you: Volar por volar by Ariadna Castellanos and Juan Debel.
Bebo Valdés, Cuban jazz piano legend, died today aged 94.
Obsesión, a bolero by the Puerto Rican composer Pedro Flores Córdova. Bebo Valdés, piano; Dieguito El Cigala, vocals; Javier Colina, bass; Israel Porrina "Piraña", cajon; El Niño Josele, guitar.
On Bibisa, Cuban jazz pianist Roberto Fonseca meets Mali singer Fatoumata Diawara. This beautiful song appears on Fonseca's latest album, Yo.
