Te Lo Dije

“The Windmills of Your Mind”

(Mack Avenue Records)

Havana-born pianist Harold López-Nussa is among a generation of Cuban musicians who are injecting fresh vitality into the jazz world of the island and beyond. The son of drummer Ruy López-Nussa, the pianist has worked with Cuban legends Omara Portuondo and Heitor Villa-Lobos. He received an even brighter spotlight as a featured player on the all-star Ninety Miles sessions alongside headliners Stefon Harris, David Sánchez and Christian Scott. Since then, his career has soared, and the pianist continues to impress on recordings under his own name, such as 2016’s El Viaje and 2018’s Un Día Cualquiera, featuring his trio and original songs that at once embrace and transcend tradition. His upcoming release Te Lo Dije (Mack Avenue) promises to be another corker, as an advance listen to his version of Michel Legrand’s “The Windmills of Your Mind” reveals. A brisk rhythm — courtesy of bassist Julio César González and drummer-percussionist Ruy Adrían López-Nussa, the pianist’s brother — flows beneath López-Nussa’s swift reading of the familiar melody, while French accordionist Vincent Peirani teases out the chanson nature of the song. The album’s title translates to “I told you so,” and anyone who’s seen or heard the pianist perform can proudly proclaim it to the uninitiated.