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Two Young Cuban Jazz Players Arrive at the Standard
Alfredo Rodríguez and Pedrito Martínez both came to the United States from Cuba, where they grew up under different circumstances. Mr. Rodríguez, a pianist, was the son of a famous singer and became a star student at a Havana conservatory.
Mr. Martínez, a percussionist and vocalist, comes from Havana’s Cayo Hueso neighborhood, where he, too, was a kind of prodigy. But he lacked the connections or means to attend music school, so he learned at the feet of respected neighborhood rumberos, or drummers. His music treats joy as a guiding ideal. The rhythms bubbling from his congas conjure the image of sweat thrashing from his body unheeded, the effort as its own reward.
For Mr. Rodríguez, the gambit is different. He is assiduous, building complex rhythmic trelliswork at breakneck speeds with a facility that’s tough to fathom. But he projects an illusion of absolute composure — that’s part of his appeal.
The two musicians played together on Mr. Rodríguez’s strong 2014 album, “The Invasion Parade,” but on Thursday, Feb. 9, and Friday, they will perform for the first time as a duo at the Jazz Standard. Catch their combustive interplay in an intimate setting. (jazzstandard.com)
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