Colombia-born pianist Rodriguez assembled a superb cast for his ZOHO debut which draws from Colombia, Cuba, New Orleans, and the wider Caribbean.

Ronald Rodriguez has many musical heroes. Bach and Haydn are among them, as are Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Tito Puente, and other masters who understood how structure and rhythm can work together. These influences may come from different periods and traditions, but Rodriguez hears what connects them. He is interested in form, counterpoint, clave, swing, and the many ways a musician can take something familiar and make it sound fresh. That is the central idea behind Desde La Raíz: Caribbean Connections. The title means 'from the root,' and Rodriguez starts with the music that has shaped him most deeply. He draws from Colombia, Cuba, New Orleans, the wider Caribbean, classical music, and jazz. But this album is not a survey or history lesson. It is a personal production, made by an artist who has lived with these sounds and found his own way of bringing them together.
Born in Cartagena, Colombia, Rodriguez began playing piano at age nine. He later studied at Northwestern State University of Louisiana and Louisiana State University, where he earned graduate degrees in piano performance, jazz studies, and piano pedagogy. He built considerable experience in the New Orleans music scene, performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Snug Harbor, and the New Orleans Jazz Museum. He has also appeared with the Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet, the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Randy Brecker, and many others. Rodriguez is now based in Alabama, where he serves as Assistant Professor of Piano at Samford University in Birmingham. He is a performer, educator, scholar, and bandleader, and you can hear these sides of him on this album. The arrangements are carefully considered, but the music never feels overworked. There is room for spontaneity, surprise, and personality. Maple Leaf Rag opens the album with a bold idea. Scott Joplin's famous piano piece is recast through the rhythmic relationship between ragtime, Cuban son, and New Orleans swing. Kabir Sehgal, multi Grammy winning producer.

Track Listing

• Maple Leaf Rag
• Perfidia
• Congagena
• Gin Tonic
• For Ana
• Pent Up House
• Bye Bye Blackbird
• Someday My Prince Will Come
• Love Ballade
• Danzon for Adolfo
• Desde La Raiz
• Congagena Ending

Additional Details

Label: Zoho

Genre: Jazz

Language: English

Run Time: 56 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 12/11/26

UPC: 880956260228