Alfredo Rodrguez Trio: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Oct. 18, 2018 | Felix Contreras -- Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez gave our office audience a very quick lesson on why pianists from that island nation are so impressive: they treat the piano as the percussion instrument it is. Rodríguez immediately let fly with an intense flurry of notes that were as melodic as they were rhythmic. The mash up of European lyricism and Afro-Cuban percussion is at the heart of the Cuban piano tradition and it is very present in the first song. It wasn't long before Rodríguez dug deep into rapid-fire syncopation along with drummer Michael Olivera and guitarist/ bassist Munir Hossn. Iconic music producer/composer Quincy Jones heard Rodríguez during a performance at a European jazz festival and took him under this wing, eventually signing him to Jones' management company. When you listen to the expansive and lyrical exploration of the second song in this Tiny Desk set, “Bloom,“ it's easy to hear what captured Jones' attention. The West Africa-based Yoruba spiritual tradition, c