RON CARTER - Mr. Bow Tie (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Bassist Ron Carter varies the personnel often enough to keep one's interest throughout this CD. Carter, who contributed six of the ten compositions (which alternate with four familiar standards) takes his share of bass solos but also showcases pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba (who is pretty restrained throughout) on the opening "Mr. Bow-Tie" and allocates a generous amount of solo space on some selections to trumpeter Edwin Russell (inspired by Miles Davis but possessing his own fire) and Javon Jackson, who often sounds like a close relative of Joe Henderson. Rubalcaba sits out on four of Carter's originals, making the group occasionally a pianoless quartet/quintet (depending on whether percussionist Steve Kroon is present). All of the music is straightahead and the playing is consistently colorful. This is an impressive effort that is easily recommended. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Mr. Bow-Tie 7:07
Ron Carter
2     Well, You Needn't 6:43
Thelonious Monk
3     Fill in the Blanks 7:06
Ron Carter
4     I Thought About You 7:32
James Van Heusen / Johnny Mercer
5     Nearly 8:55
Ron Carter
6     Cut and Paste 4:45
Ron Carter
7     Stablemates 6:54
Benny Golson
8     Wait for the Beep 3:52
Ron Carter
9     M.S.R.P. 6:29
Ron Carter
10     St. Thomas 5:27
Sonny Rollins
Credits :
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Lewis Nash
Percussion – Steve Kroon (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 6 to 10)
Piano – Gonzalo Rubalcaba (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10)
Saxophone [Tenor] – Javon Jackson (faixas: 2 to 10)
Trumpet – Edwin Russel (faixas: 2 to 10)

ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM - Antonio Carlos Jobim And Friends (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Jobim made his last Brazilian concert appearance -- and the penultimate one of his life -- at this warm, star-studded affair in which American jazz musicians jetted down to the Free Jazz Festival in São Paulo to pay effusive homage. The miracle is how easily the jazzers were able to capture the yearning essence of Jobim's idiom without really compromising their own distinct styles. Thus, Joe Henderson welds his trademark unpredictable flurries into the cool tenor sax bossa nova tradition, Shirley Horn does "Once I Loved" in her own inimitable manner that matches the mood of the song perfectly, Jon Hendricks' scatting fits the samba like a glove. The pianists go somewhat outside the idiom -- Herbie Hancock's modern complexity, Gonzalo Rubalcaba's technical fireworks laced with Afro-Cuban salsa -- but they stay within their orbits around the Jobim sun. The composer himself only appears on the last four tracks -- he sounds weary and ill -- yet he radiates his gentle warmth and spirit throughout the evening. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist:
1    Prelude 8:27
Piano – Herbie Hancock
2    Ela E Carioca 6:21
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Harvey Mason
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano – Herbie Hancock
3    The Boy From Ipanema 2:40
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Harvey Mason
Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano – Shirley Horn
Vocals – Shirley Horn
4    Once I Loved 5:28
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Harvey Mason
Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves
Keyboards – Herbie Hancock
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano – Shirley Horn
Vocals – Shirley Horn
5    O Grande Amor 9:26
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Harvey Mason
Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves, Paulo Jobim
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano – Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Saxophone – Joe Henderson
6    No More Blues 5:21
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Harvey Mason
Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Vocals – Jon Hendricks
7    Agua De Beber 6:02
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Harvey Mason
Keyboards – Herbie Hancock
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano – Gonzalo Rubalcaba
8    A Felicidade 4:55
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Vocals – Gal Costa
9    Se Todos Fossem Iguais A Voce 5:04
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Harvey Mason
Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves, Paulo Jobim
Keyboards – Herbie Hancock
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Vocals – Gal Costa
10    Luiza 3:27
Piano, vocals – Antonio Carlos Jobim
11    Wave 4:23
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Harvey Mason
Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves, Paulo Jobim
Keyboards – Herbie Hancock
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano – Antonio Carlos Jobim, Herbie Hancock
12    Cominhos Cruzados 4:28
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Harvey Mason
Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves, Paulo Jobim
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano – Antonio Carlos Jobim
Vocals – Gal Costa
13    Finale: The Girl From Ipanema 7:54
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Harvey Mason
Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves, Paulo Jobim
Keyboards – Herbie Hancock
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano – Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Saxophone – Joe Henderson
Vocals – Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gal Costa, Jon Hendricks 

GONZALO RUBALCABA TRIO - Supernova (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For those who prefer their Latin jazz to lean a bit more heavily to the jazz side, Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba ranks among the best of the modern composer/arrangers, with a style that pays tribute to the African, Caribbean, and European influences of his native country while updating them for today's jazz audience. Though nowhere near as traditional as, say, Buena Vista Social Club, Supernova is far more true to his Cuban heritage than anything he's recorded before, with compositions that run the gamut from cool and smooth to blazing hot. The opening "Supernova 1," for instance, unveils a complex, syncopated theme, then allows each member of the trio to strut their stuff before breaking it all down with dazzling stop-start time signatures that shift constantly. "El Cadete Constitucional" -- a stately walk composed by Rubalcaba's grandfather a century ago, then rewritten as a silly children's song ("Be kind to your web-footed friends...") -- is reinvented with a funky strut in its step, while straightforward ballads like "Alma Mia" help to show the nimble pianist's emotive range. This is a wonderful album of varying moods and textures, establishing Rubalcaba as one of the finest jazz artists of his generation. Bret Love   
Tracklist  :
1 Supernova 1 6:24
2 El Cadete Constitucional (The Constitutional Cadet) 7:09
Guest, Congas – Robert Quintero 
Guest, Timbales, Guiro – Luis Quintero
Written-By – Jacobo Rubalcaba
3 Alma Mia (Soul Of Mine) 6:02
Written-By – Maria Grever
4 La Voz Del Centro (The Voice In Between) 6:40
5 El Manicero (The Peanut Vendor) 8:29
Guest, Congas – Robert Quintero 
Guest, Timbales, Guiro – Luis Quintero
Written-By – Moises Simon 
6 Supernova 2 6:11
7 Otra Mirada (Another View) 5:41
8 The Hard One (Trio Version) 7:03
9 Oren (Pray) 4:44
Guest, Rainstick – Jim Anderson
Percussion – Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Credits
Double Bass – Carlos Henriquez
Drums, Rainstick – Ignacio Berroa
Piano, Keyboards – Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Written-By – Gonzalo Rubalcaba (tracks: 1,4,6,7,8,9)

GONZALO RUBALCABA & CUBAN QUARTET – Antíguo (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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
Tracklist :
 1 Opening 0:17
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
 2 Circuito III 8:45
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
 3 Ellioko 11:25
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
 4 Desierto 6:38
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
 5 Intermitencia 8:05
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
 6 Coral Negro 9:55
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
 7 Circuito IV 8:53
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
 8 Oddi Lobbe 6:58
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
 9 Eshun Agwe 7:43
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
 10 Homenaje 4:26
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
 11 Closing 0:18
Gonzalo Rubalcaba

GONZALO RUBALCABA – Mi Gran Pasión (1987-2008) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Featured on this CD is Gonzalo Rubalcaba's Grupo Projecto, a Cuban septet with trumpeter Reinaldo Meliani, Rafael Carrasco on tenor and flute, trumpeter Lazaro Cruz, bassist Felipe Cabbera, drummer Horacio Hernandez, and percussionist Roberto Vizcaino. Rubalcaba pays tribute to the music of his father's era, in the style that was popular in Cuba in the 1950s. Five of the six selections are by the artist, but he often quotes extensively from the music of the time period, plus, on "Recordando a Tschaikowsky," classical themes. The colorful arrangements, three skillful horns, and Rubalcaba's creative playing make this a particularly delightful release. Scott Yanow

Tracklist :
1 Recordando A Tschaikowsky 5:57
2 Mi Gran Pasion 7:40
3 Concierto En Varsovia 6:57
4 Preludio Proyecto Latino 3:54
5 Principe Nino 6:14
6 Cuatro Veinte 9:47

Credits :

Bass – Felipe Cabrera
Composed By, Arranged By – Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Drums – Horacio Hernandez
Flute, Tenor Saxophone [Tenorsaxophone] – Rafael Carrasco
Grand Piano [Steinway], Keyboards – Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Percussion [Percussions] – Roberto Vizcaino
Trumpet – Reinaldo Melian
Trumpet, Flugelhorn [Flügelhorn] – Lazaro Cruz

AL DI MEOLA – Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody (2011) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Al Di Meola has enjoyed an impressively long career as a recording artist. The guitar virtuoso was only 22 when he recorded his first album as a leader, Land of the Midnight Sun, back in 1976 (although he had joined Chick Corea's Return to Forever at 19), and a 56-year-old Di Meola was still going strong when 2011 arrived. Di Meola's playing has evolved along the way; the shredding, intensity, speed, and pyrotechnics of his early albums were replaced by a more lyrical and introspective approach that shows some awareness of Pat Metheny yet is distinctively Al Di Meola. But one thing about the guitarist that hasn't changed is his affection for world music, which was a major influence on early albums such as Land of the Midnight Sun, Elegant Gypsy, and Casino, and is also a strong influence on his 2011 release Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody. This excellent album is jazz-rock fusion, but it is also world jazz; Di Meola maintains a decidedly international perspective throughout the CD, incorporating everything from Argentinian tango to Spanish flamenco to Middle Eastern and North African music. Afro-Cuban salsa is also part of the equation, and two of Di Meola's guests are people with definite Latin credentials: bassist Charlie Haden (let's not forget Haden's Revolution Music Orchestra of the '60s and '70s, or the boleros he played on 2000's Nocturne), and Havana-born pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The Afro-Cuban influence is especially strong on "Gumbiero" and "Destination: Gonzalo," although "Gumbiero" also incorporates flamenco and tango elements. Most of the material on Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody was composed by Di Meola himself, but two exceptions are the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields" and Harold Arlen's "Over the Rainbow." And Di Meola, behaving like the jazz improviser that he is, genuinely interprets those well-known popular songs and brings something personal to the table instead of playing the type of lame, note-for-note covers that smooth jazz (which Di Meola has adamantly stayed away from) is infamous for. Granted, Di Meola is by no means a jazz purist or a straight-ahead bebopper; he never claimed to be Barney Kessel or Tal Farlow, but his mentality is very much an improviser's mentality, and that mentality serves him consistently well on Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody. Alex Henderson

Tracklist :

1. Siberiana 8:28

2. Paramour's Lullaby 7:45

3. Mawazine Part1 2:07

4. Michelangelo's 7th Child 7:30

5. Gumbiero 6:18

6. Brave New World 1:54

7. Full Frontal Contrapuntal 4:52

8. That Way Before 3:06

9. Fireflies 4:01

10. Destination Gonzalo 5:16

11. Bona 6:00

12. Radical Rhapsody 5:02

13. Strawberry Fields 4:09

14. Mawazine Part2 2:54

15. Over the Rainbow 3:04

World Sinfonia is :

Al Di Meola - acoustic and electric guitars,percussion,keyboards

Fausto beccalossi - accordion

Kevin Seddiki - 2nd guitar parts

Gumbi Ortiz - percussion

Peter Kaszas - drums,percussion

Victor Miranda - acoustic upright baby bass

Special Guests :

Charlie Haden - acoustic bass on tracks 13,15

Peter Erskine - drums on tracks 4,10,12,

Gonzalo Rubalcaba - piano on tracks 5,10,12,13

Barry Miles - string arrangements,additional keyboards

Mino Cinelu - percussion on tracks 3,4,13,14

Hungary's Sturcz String Quartet :

Gabor Csonka - violin

Viktor Uhrin - violin

Gergely Kuklis - violin

Gyula Benk - viola

Andreas Strurcz - cello

CHARLIE HADEN | GONZALO RUBALCABA – Tokyo Adagio (2015) SHM-CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Despite the 26-year gap in our ages, he never treated me as an inferior in any sense. We had each other s confidence. We could talk about politics, life, family, business. Spending so much time with him, I learned not only about music, but also about being. Our connection was about love, for the music and for our families, and for each other. web

Tracklist :

1. En La Orilla Del Mundo (9:05)

Martin Rojas

2. My Love And I (11:55)

Johnny Mercer / David Raksin

3. When Will The Blues Leave (8:30)

Ornette Coleman

4. Sandino (5:47)

Charlie Haden

5. Solamente Una Vez (9:13)

Agustín Lara

6. Transparence (7:19)

Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Total Time: 51:45
Credits :
Bass – Charlie Haden
Piano – Gonzalo Rubalcaba