Alfredo Rodriguez @ The Basement
Grammy® nominated artist, Alfredo Rodríguez reflects the talents of legendary jazz pianists Keith Jarrett, Thelonious Monk, and Art Tatum. Schooled in the rigorous classical conservatories of Havana, Rodríguez’s riveting artistry is informed as much by Bach and Stravinsky as it is by his Cuban and jazz roots. He will descend on Australia for his first ever live dates this March, playing a stunning solo show at Sydney’s The Basement on Sunday 12th March.
Discovered at the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival by Quincy Jones, Cuban-born Alfredo Rodríguez has distinguished himself as the definition of jazz and improvisation without boundaries. He is the man behind the piano with fingers that seem to travel from one end of the world to the other, just within the span of the keys; his mastery of the art has earned him frequent appearances on prestigious stages around the world such as the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazz in Marciac, Umbria Jazz and Jazz A Vienne. Additionally, Rodríguez was nominated for a 2015 Grammy® in the category of Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella for the track “Guantanamera” from his 2014 release, The Invasion Parade.
Now, in Tocororo, his most recent album Rodriguez’s story is represented by the national bird of Cuba. The Tocororo is a bird that if caged, dies of sadness, reflecting not only the desire for liberty, but the necessity of it. Beyond that is the story of everything else the bird represents: freedom, travel, and cross-pollination. In Rodriguez’s case, it represents the cross pollination of his Cuban culture with all of the cultures he has experienced throughout his musical journey, thus leading him to assemble an international band, fusing the musical perspectives of Michael Olivera and Reinier Elizarde from Cuba, Ibrahim Maalouf from Lebanon, the French-Cuban duo Ibeyi, Cameroonian vocalist and bassist Richard Bona, flamenco style singer Antonio Lizana, and Indian vocalist Ganavya.
Quincy Jones expresses, “Alfredo is without a doubt one of the best young pianists I’ve ever seen and with the enormous skills that he already possesses, his potential is limitless.” Rodriguez continues to spread his music along with his message and is currently on an international tour. Don’t miss this extraordinary artist when he lands in Australia this March!
“Any pianist with training in Afro-Cuban jazz can play tender, introspective lyricism and slashing, pounding rhythms with similar ease. But to pivot back and forth between those styles with no apparent transition, the way Alfredo Rodriguezdoes is to demonstrate a whole other stratum of talent. This explains why Quincy Jonesserved as both his mentor and the producer of Rodriguez’s second album, Tocororo—lest we forget, Jones was once among the shrewdest of jazz composers, arrangers, and bandleaders.” – Washington City Paper
Who: Alfredo Rodriguez
When: Sunday the 12th March
Where: The Basement
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