Solos the Jazz Sessions

The Jazz Sessions series spotlights unaccompanied performances by some of the legends and bright young stars of the jazz world. Designed and recorded specifically for television, this Solos DVD offers viewers front row seats for an intimate and unique jazz experience. Each program features complete musical pieces, insightful interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage. Shot in stunning HDTV with multiple moving cameras and a medley of elegant cinematic lighting, it showcases an exciting and dynamic variety of jazz styles - from the blues and boogie-woogie to bebop and the experimental. In this unique program, Gonzalo Rubalcaba displays his remarkable sensitivity toward the musical traditions from which he emerged and later embraced. As one of the most important figures to emerge from Afro-Cuban jazz in the '90s, Rubalcaba is an extraordinarily versatile pianist able to blend disparate strands of Cuban and American jazz traditions into a fresh, modern whole. Born into a musical family in Havana, Rubalcaba began studying classical piano in 1971 at age eight, honing his technique for the next 12 years while playing around Havana by night. By the time he arrived on the international jazz stage in the late '80s, he was widely considered one of the great virtuosos of the music. Songs performed include: Prologo to el Manicero Supernova; Improvisation #1; Besame Mucho; Yolanda Anastasia. 50 minutes.