For those unaware, bass player, composer, producer, and educator, Mauricio J Rodriguez is one of the finest musicians of his generation in Cuba.

He was a member of Fervet Opus jazz quartet, one of the most important Latin jazz bands in Cuba in the 80’s, touring around the world to many festivals and concert including The Havana Latin Jazz Festival, Jamboree, Bratislava, Spain, and Moscow, among others.

In 1994 he moved to Venezuela with the string quintet Union under a contract with the Venezuelan Cultural Ministry to participate in the Youth Symphony System as a professor and consultant.

For more than six years he taught at the Aragua Conservatory and was the Master of the Aragua’s Symphony Orchestra double bass section.

In 2001 he moved to the USA where his performance was well received in the music community inviting him to perform with different bands and ensembles, among them are Nestor Torres, Marty Morell, Guisando Caliente Latin Jazz, Renesito Avich, Daniel Giron Trio, Tomasito Cruz, and Fusion Beat, among others.

His degrees include a Master of Music Performance from University of South Florida and studies at the University of Miami in Jazz Studio Writing.

Rodriguez SAYS: After many years of attempting to find a personal voice that could describe my approach to expressing my influences and development as a musician, I have arrived with this production, Luz. Fortunately, friendship came in my support, and I am fortunate to have had Vicente Viloria as a co-producer, who also brought four original songs to this production.

Many thanks to all my friends and colleagues musicians for contributing to this project with their talent and musicianship. I am very honored.

However, there is no music if it will not satisfy the most critical factor from the formula, you, the listener.

My greatest wish is to please you with the music presented in this album, and I hope you will have an enjoyable experience listening to it.

1. Casualty
2. Monday
3. Es el Amor
4. Tuesday
5. Claudia
6. Luz
7. Wednesday
8. Danzon No. 1 Opus 1 con Chá
9. My Funny Valentine
10. Vocalize

On an album that resonates as a cohesive body of work rather than a collection of songs, Rodriguez opens with the ornate, late night gossamer of Casualty and the uptempo hipsway of Monday and follows those up with the stunningly ambient Es el Amor, the gently frenetic Tuesday and then we get the sweepingly magnificent Claudia.

Up next is the soulful title track itself Luz which is in turn followed by the ornamented piano stylings of Wednesday, the subtle dancefloor swirl found within the passionate embrace of Danzon No. 1 Opus 1 con Chá, the album rounding out on their rendition of a signature song, My Funny Valentine, closing on the upbeat and free flowing majesty of Vocalize.

Mauricio J Rodriguez Project - Casualty (Official Music Video)

Mauricio J Rodriguez Project - Luz (Official Music Video)

Official Purchase Links

www.mauriciojrodriguez.com

Mauricio J Rodriguez @ Facebook

Mauricio J Rodriguez @ Instagram