On his latest album, “Falcón in Blue,” Alejandro Falcón delivers a richly textured exploration of Afro-Cuban jazz that feels both deeply rooted in tradition and strikingly contemporary. Built around classic Cuban forms like danzón, rumba, and bolero, the album avoids the trap of nostalgia by treating these genres as living, evolving musical languages.
The opening track, “El Rey David,” was written for Falcón’s son and immediately makes an impression with its lyrical arrangement, allowing the pianist’s melodic sensibility to shine. On “Una Tarde En Puerto Padre,” the flute takes center stage to deliver a graceful danzón written during the pandemic as a tribute to the late Cuban pianist Emiliano Salvador. The arrangement balances elegance and melancholy beautifully, with subtle harmonic movement and a conversational interplay between piano and winds.
The title track, “Falcon’s Blues,” captures the album’s thesis as it leans into the Afro-Cuban tradition by energetically featuring trumpets and tenor sax. As the album progresses, “Ted in Havana” injects a livelier jazz-club energy into the record, with saxophonist Ted Nash contributing muscular improvisations that mesh naturally with the album’s Cuban pulse. “UnSon Para La Quena” brings the record to a close with a light number that hides its virtuosity in subtlety.
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The ensemble throughout the album is exceptional. Collaborators including Rachel Therrien, Roni Ben-Hur, Orlando Valle, and Maykel González help give the record its cosmopolitan character without diluting its Cuban identity. The rhythm section; Ruy López-Nussa, José Julián Moregón, and Arnulfo Guerra, provides constant momentum, moving fluidly between understated grooves and explosive rhythmic passages.
What makes Falcón in Blue particularly compelling is how confidently it bridges generations of Cuban jazz. Falcón clearly reveres the traditions that shaped him, but he refuses to preserve them in amber. Each composition contributes something distinct, whether it’s lyrical introspection, fiery percussion, or elegant ensemble interplay. For listeners who appreciate modern Latin jazz with strong melodic writing and authentic rhythmic foundations, this is one of the more rewarding releases of the year.