Oct 23, 2024 10:10 AM
In Memoriam: Claire Daly, 1958–2024
Claire Daly often signed her correspondences with “Love and Low Notes.”
The baritone saxophonist, who died Oct.…
On March 11, when the U.S. State Department advised Americans to “reconsider” international travel in response to the emergent COVID-19 crisis, Alfredo Rodríguez was in Istanbul for a concert, midway through an extensive tour with bassist Richard Bona and percussionist Pedrito Martinez. The trio canceled its remaining engagements and the musicians headed for their respective homes. For Havana-born Rodríguez, this entailed flying to Madrid to join his girlfriend and their infant daughter, Aria. In July, the family relocated to Miami.
Rodríguez—who moved from Cuba to the States in 2009 and landed a contract with Quincy Jones’ management company—has adjusted psychologically. “I feel we should try to adapt to situations and take advantage of the opportunities they offer,” he said. “I was scheduled to be on the road and missing a lot of Aria’s growth. So, despite the economics and not playing for people, being able to be with her is a blessing.”
In addition to teaching online for multiple universities, composing music for films and his various duos, Rodríguez also is focusing on two prospective recording projects. One involves the videos he’s recently posted on social media with his working trio, which plays on the 2018 release, The Little Dream (Mack Avenue). “We’re transforming covers, music that people know, into timba, the popular music of Cuba,” he said.
He developed intimacy with the Cuban canon during formative years. The son of an eminent singer who hosted a popular TV variety show, Rodríguez was a child prodigy who also focused on the Euroclassical canon.
During his teens, he heard Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert, spurring an ongoing passion for deploying abundant technique toward tabula rasa expression. Early on, he also developed studio discipline, playing piano and serving as music director for his father’s TV show, collaborating with numerous world-class Cuban stars.
Rodríguez is adamant that his admixture of high precision and intuition will continue to infuse his music. “I’ve looked to be global for a long time,” he explained. “I like music that is involved with all regions. Even though I can’t travel, technology gives me the tools to go online and listen to music from everywhere. You can observe culture, and incorporate so many good things into your life.” DB
This story originally was published in the November 2020 issue of DownBeat. Subscribe here.
Oct 23, 2024 10:10 AM
Claire Daly often signed her correspondences with “Love and Low Notes.”
The baritone saxophonist, who died Oct.…
Nov 5, 2024 1:00 AM
Quincy Delight Jones Jr., musician, bandleader, composer and producer, died in his home in Bel Air, California, on…
Nov 19, 2024 12:57 PM
Powerhouse jazz drummer and bandleader Roy Haynes died Tuesday in Nassau County, New York. He was 99. One of the few…
Nov 7, 2024 2:17 PM
In the aftermath of World War II, the deprivations felt throughout the United Kingdom were particularly acute in John…
Nov 12, 2024 12:12 PM
Alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, the final surviving member of the original Art Blakey quintet that in 1954 introduced…