Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Dongfeng Liu - China Afro Cuba (2024)

I’ve been a sucker for piano duet albums going back to the boogie stride summits of Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson. This one between Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Dongeng Liu is special in that it combines sounds of their respective homelands, focusing on traditional themes, all coalescing into a jazzy treat. Chinese folk tunes such as “Jasmine Flower” and “Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water” mix gentle melodies with dramatic yearnings, whle the two get coy and tender as they exchange ideas on “The Moon Represents My Heart”. The four hands get a bit funky and take a deep groove on “Kangding Love Song” while there’s a dash of blues on “Colorful Clouds Chasing The Moon”. The one jazz standard, “Gloria’s Steps”, is given a clever dissecting, with the two coaxing each other on to rich waters.

This album proves beyond doubt how music is a universal language, with no translation needed.~ By George W. Harris

Gonzalo Rubalcaba: piano; Dongfeng Liu: piano.