Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio ft Eric Harland & Ricky Rodriguez

In 1999, the multi-Grammy® Winner, pianist, and composer GONZALO RUBALCABA was selected by Piano & Keyboard Magazine as one of the great pianists of the 20th century, alongside figures such as Glenn Gould, Martha Argerich and Bill Evans. He has won three Grammys® and Four Latin Grammys, 21 Grammys nominations, he has been awarded the EMPIK Bestsellers prizes, “Palmarés”, awarded by the prestigious institution “Grand Prix De L’ACADEMIE DU JAZZ” and a “Les Victoires du Jazz”, all of which has established him as a creative force in the jazz world. In 2008 he was awarded the ASCAP Foundation “VANGUARD AWARD” for his work as a Composer and Pianist whose innovative and distinctive music is charting new directions in Jazz.

Gonzalo was born on May 27, 1963, into a musical family in Havana. His father, pianist, composer, and bandleader Guillermo Rubalcaba had also played in the orchestra of Enrique Jorrín, the creator of cha-cha-cha; his grandfather Jacobo Rubalcaba, was the composer of classic danzones, and his two brothers were also musicians. Gonzalo, a child prodigy who by the age of 6 was playing drums in his father’s orchestra, started his formal training two years later. He chose the piano as his main instrument to, as he once recalled, “just to please my mother.” He graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Havana with a degree in composition and by his mid- teens he was working as both drummer and pianist in the hotels, concert halls and jazz clubs of Havana. Following graduation, he stepped right into the life of the popular musician, touring Cuba, Europe, Africa and Asia with the fabled Orquesta Aragón and as a sideman in jazz groups and, beginning in 1984, leading his own Afro-Cuban jazz rock fusion band, “Grupo Proyecto.”

Ricardo “Ricky” Rodríguez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, where he also started his music studies. He received his Bachelor of Music in Classical Bass performance under the tutelage of professors Federico Silva and Jose García at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico in 2004. Having mastered classical music, Ricky moved to New York City to experiment and increase his musical development in different musical style: Jazz. He took private lessons with two of his bass heroes, Larry Grenadier and Scott Colley. Ricky has performed over the years with many of the giants in Latin Jazz, including performances with legendary jazz icons such as: Ray Barretto, Endel Dueño, Giovanni Hidalgo, Jerry González,
Chuchito Valdés, Tony Lujan, Erik Figueroa trio, Mandy Visoso and his orchestra, as well as memorable performances with Branford Marsalis, Danilo Pérez, David Sánchez, and Ignacio Berroa. In 2006, Ricky represented the United States alongside 150 groups that participated in a world tour known as "The Jazz Ambassadors," as part of the 2006 Jazz at Lincoln Center American Music Abroad “The Rhythm Road Program.”
Ricky has been performing and recording with internationally distinguished musicians such as: David Sánchez Quartet, Branford Marsalis, Michele Rosewoman, Miguel Zenón Quartet, Adam Rogers, Lionel Loueke, Clarence Penn, Ignacio Berroa Quartet, Dave Samuels, Dave Schnitter, Janis Siegel, Joe Locke, Marlon Simon and the Nagual Spirit, Pedrito Martínez, Mayra Casales, the Rodríguez Brothers, Osmany Paredes Quartet, Papo Vázquez and Pirates Troubadours, Donny McCaslin trio, Luis Bonilla and Trombonilla, Paoli Mejias, Ricardo Pons and Causa Común , The Pleneros de la 21, The Samuel Torres Band , Cristos Rafalides and the Manhattan Vibes, Ximo Tebar and the four lights and the Chico O' Farril Afro-Cuban Big Band and Arturo O' Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Dafnis Prieto and Michel Camilo, among many others. Ricky has performed around the world at the most important Jazz Festivals in France, Italy, Russia,
Africa, London, Almaty, Israel, South America, Turkey, Budapest and United States. He is currently touring and working with Michel Camilo Trio, Sextet and Big Band, David Sánchez Group, Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, Dafnis Prieto Quartet and Big Band, Carolina Calvache Group, Helen Sung Band, The Saturday Night Live Band, and The Global Arts Cultural Literacy & Heritage from Symphony Space. His own solo album, Ricky Rodríguez Group "Looking Beyond" is presently released by the Destiny Record Label.