RUBÉN GONZáLEZ

Introducing Rubén González… 8/10 20th-anniversary reissue of solo debut by buena Vista pianist extraordinaire

When Ry Cooder and Cuba’s finest had finished recording Buena Vista Social Club in Havana in 1996, a spontaneous decision was taken to use the two remaining days of pre-booked studio time to record the first solo album of the 76-year-old González’s career. His sparkling piano playing had been one of the unexpected highlights of the BVSC sessions, and so it was a felicitous decision to allow him to stretch out on nine extended tracks recorded ‘live’ sans overdubs and which showcased his extraordinary improvisational abilities. Cooder described him as the greatest solo pianist he’d heard in his life and likened his mix of classical tropes, jazz-based extemporisation and thrilling Afro-Cuban syncopation to “a cross between Thelonious Monk and Felix the Cat”. His playing is by turn light and playful and deep and dynamic. Having spent more than half a century as an accompanist, his belated solo debut turned out to be one of the most wondrous piano albums ever recorded. Extras: 6/10 An additional 11 minutes of music, including a previously unreleased six-minute jam of breathtaking fluidity, and extended versions of two other tracks that formerly appeared in edited form.