Jesus Rubalcaba - A Mis Amigos (2003)

Considered one of the top Latin jazz pianists from Cuba, Jesús Rubalcaba (a native of Pinar del Rio) enjoyed a prosperous musical career performing with Orquesta Aragón, Chapottín y sus Estrellas, Charanga Havana All Stars, and Charanga Rubalcaba (along with his brother William and their father Guillermo). In the early 1980s, Jesús assumed the leadership of Juan Pablo Torres' former Latin jazz group, "Algo Nuevo." In recent years, he alternated his time between the "Havana All Stars" and his own jazz project "Somos Amigos," (with percussionist Imanol Ortiz and flutist J.J. Oliveros).
A Mis Amigos is the last album from this exceptional musician, who passed away soon after recording it in the summer of 2003. Eleven tracks highlight the versatility and musicianship of Rubalcaba through his original compositions Tumbando Caña and Música Para Un Teclado, plus his interpretations of the classics Watermelon Man, Claudia, Contigo Aprendí, and Contigo En La Distancia, among others.