Chucho Valdés - Fantásia Cubana

Displaying immaculate schooling and musicianship, Cuban jazz pianist Chucho Valdés goes classical. A graduate of Cuba’s legendary Orquesta de Música Moderna, Valdés is best known as the leader of the great Cuban big band Irakere. But the Bluenote recording artist clearly knows his classical repertoire, as evidenced by these fluid interpretations of Chopin, Ravel and Debussy. While those numbers are tasteful, it’s his own compositions and his takes on Cuban traditional pieces that provide the album’s real spice.