Andy Nevala – El Rumbón (The Party) (Zoho, 2025)
Virtuoso pianist, composer, and educator Andy Nevala has released El Rumbón (The Party), a tasty ten-track set that honors Afro-Cuban jazz while advancing its language. “I try to be the bridge between old and new,” Nevala says. “I want to make sure people understand where this music comes from while also pushing it forward.”
The album celebrates mostly keyboardists from diverse musical backgrounds. It opens with an Afro-Cuban 6/8 take on Stevie Wonder’s hit “Isn’t She Lovely.” Nevala’s band features bassist Andy Eulau, spectacular percussionist Frankie Quiñones, drummer Emrah Kotan, guitarist Neff Irizarry, and tenor saxophonist Carlos Averhoff Jr. All are veterans of the Latin Jazz scene.
Highlights include “Lamento Cubano,” nodding to Cuban-Spanish composer Ernesto Lecuona with piano-guitar dialogue over a son montuno; Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly” on a bembé groove; Thelonious Monk’s “Bemsha Swing” driven by songo; and Dizzy Gillespie’s classic “A Night in Tunisia” recast in 7/4 songo.
Sting’s “Fragile” lands as a bossa nova/partido alto duet, while “Garota de Ipanema” offers a relaxed, harmonically rich read with a wink to Eliane Elias. John Coltrane’s “Countdown” arrives in 5/4, showcasing Nevala’s command at the piano.
Nevala’s joyful title track, “El Rumbón (The Party),” is the project’s signature statement, moving from folkloric intimacy into a full guaguancó with elegant, complex drum breaks, driving montuno figures and dazzling piano improv.
Closer “Los Bueyes (The Oxen), arranged in guaguancó is inspired by Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s Paseo.
The recording took place at Jacksonville State University in Alabama and 800 East Studios in Atlanta. Joachim “Jochen” Becker produced alongside Nevala, with engineering by Dustin Cicero.
“I’ve been lucky to learn from some of the best musicians in the world,” Nevala shared. “Now, my job is to pass that knowledge on—through my playing, my teaching, my recordings.”
Musicians: Andy Nevala (piano, composer, arrangements), Andy Eulau (bass), Frankie Quiñones (percussion), Emrah Kotan (drums), Neff Irizarry (guitar), Carlos Averhoff Jr. (tenor saxophone)
Art direction and design by Al Gold.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
