There's never been any question about pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba's talent, which is substantial. It's his stylistic sprawl and occasional lapses of taste that have held him back--at least for those who saw him as a potentially great jazz player when he first emerged from Cuba in the early '90s. Leading a revamped version of his New Cuban Quartet, including famed drummer Ignacio Berroa, Rubalcaba sets out to revisit and remake originals from his past, along with two Cuban traditionals and one Hilario Gonzalez compostion. With his bold rhythmic statements on acoustic piano, expansive narrative lines, and knowing dips into tradition, Paseo can be a compelling exercise, but as ever, Rubalcaba sacrifices his edge when indulging his fusion-oriented side with electric keyboards, funk forays, and watery soprano saxophone solos by Luis Felipe Lamoglia. He delights you with Monk-kissed classicism on a jaunty solo-acoustic rendering of Gonzalez's "Preludia en Conga # 1" before fatback bass and electric keys take you down the less rewarding path of his original "Homage to Hilario." --Lloyd Sachs
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