American saxophonist Joe Lovano’s roots in his homeland’s classic jazz go deep, but he’s been taking his masterful technique on longer trips lately – notably into west African music with his Cross Culture and Village Rhythms bands, and now a partnership with Havana piano phenomenon Chucho Valdés, with a vivacious Cuban rhythm section in the engine room.
On the first of two nights at Ronnie Scott’s, the quintet played some robust originals, and put inventive Cuban spins on both swing classics and Thelonious Monk quotes with lyricism and wit. Lovano prowled brusquely on tenor sax through a spiky bebop anthem, escorted at a contrastingly languid lope by Yaroldy Abreu Robles’ congas, before Valdés fired up the first of several dazzling piano fusions of diamond-bright treble runs and drum-pattern chords, and double bassist Gastón Joya flew through a seamless improvisation like a wind player’s circular breathing.
A solo piano intro of rich harmonies and torrential, Art Tatum-like embroidery prefaced a contrastingly dissonant, prodding theme like an abstract children’s song, and then a slow son rhythm sway. On two beautiful ballads, Lovano stirred his long-marinaded mix of smeary sighs and slinky long lines looping across the beat, and the group sounded like a compact version of Valdés’ famous Irakere ensemble on the upbeat Cuban-jazz sprees late in the set. In the hands of this pair, the melodic intricacies of contemporary jazz and the sensuality of Cuban dance music are fused with all the casual resourcefulness that has made Lovano and Valdés jazz world leaders for decades.
