Articles by Luis T. Martinez

Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Avatar

by Luis T. Martinez
June 6, 2008

Having matured and no longer needing to prove his chops to others or himself, pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba has turned his attention to ensembling and orchestration, and in no other work is this more evident than Avatar. Only after multiple listens does it become clear how the compositions are driving the improvisations and not the other way around, and how the Cuban-born pianist/composer manages a wonderful balance between freedom, interpretation, and restraint, between composition, orchestration, and the soloing of his band ...

Interpreters & Music Makers

by Luis T. Martinez
June 12, 2005

In jazz some are interpreters, others makers of music.

Art Tatum and Ahmad Jamal are prime examples of the former. Either can take a standard and remake it, make it sound as if new, giving that old song a facelift - a sort of keeping the old new and up-to-date. In this, they are similar to the classical pianists whose main objective lies in interpreting the great works of the classical repertoire. This is their way of making ...