Discovery: Live at Montreux

• Artist: Gonzalo Rubalcaba
• Rating:
• Release Date: July 15, 1990
• Total Time: 53:10
• Type: Live, Instrumental
• Genre: Jazz

Review

One of the most exciting major-label debuts during the 1990s was Gonzalo Rubalcaba's Discovery, a trio date at the 1990 Montreux Jazz Festival with bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Paul Motian. Haden had discovered the young pianist during an appearance in Cuba several years earlier and was surprised at his level of development considering his extremely limited access to hearing jazz greats on record or in person. Rubalcaba's spellbinding take of Thelonious Monk's "Well You Needn't" only begins to hint at his virtuosity; in an up-tempo setting he segues from bop into Latin with flashes of the avant-garde in a breathtaking performance. The young man also contributed the lovely ballad "Velas," the alternately intense and playful piano solo "Prologo Comienzo," as well as a captivating tribute to his young son, "Joao." Both Haden and Motian provide strong support for Rubalcaba, who didn't just rest on the laurels of this highly recommended CD but followed up with several more top-notch CDs for Blue Note during the remainder of the decade. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Well, You Needn't	Thelonious Monk	Gonzalo Rubalcaba	(8:47)
Velas	Gonzalo Rubalcaba	Gonzalo Rubalcaba	(6:10)
Prologo Comienzo	Gonzalo Rubalcaba	Gonzalo Rubalcaba	(5:09)
First Song	Charlie Haden	Gonzalo Rubalcaba	(9:40)
Once Around the Park	Paul Motian	Gonzalo Rubalcaba	(5:46)
Joao	Gonzalo Rubalcaba	Gonzalo Rubalcaba	(6:50)
All the Things You Are	Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II	Gonzalo Rubalcaba	(11:38)

Credits

Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Piano), Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Main Performer), Charlie Haden (Bass), Charlie Haden (Producer), Paul Motian (Drums), David Richards (Engineer)