This album is the culmination of a personal and musical journey, born from my curiosity and deep reflection on what it means to be a Latin jazz guitarist. It is an exploration of how Afro-Caribbean elementsclave, montunos, tumbaos, rhythms, and melodiescan be woven into the essence of jazz guitar. The result is a dialogue between tradition and innovation, a fusion between the harmonic sophistication of jazz and the rhythmic soul of Afro-Caribbean music.

The central question of this project was simple yet profound: What could the Latin side of jazz guitar sound like? Each piece is an answer, demonstrating how the guitar can occupy an equal place with the piano, the cuatro, or the tres in the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic drive of a band.

This journey began when I left my homeland of Puerto Rico and moved to Chicago in 2022. Moving away from home for the first time allowed me to see my cultural identity from a new perspective. Surrounded by a mosaic of cultures and musical traditions in Chicago, I felt a calling to reconnect with my roots, rethinking what it means to be Puerto Rican and how my identity could shine through my music.

My fascination with Afro-Caribbean rhythms and their intersection with jazz became a fundamental pillar of this project. Throughout this process, I learned to develop montunos on the guitar and discovered new ways to merge the rhythmic vitality of my heritage with the harmonic language of jazz.

Songs

1. Roys Tune – 6:34

2. Cup Of Joe – 5:30

3. Waynes Groove – 7:04

4. Jbaro Steps – 7:25

5. Soando Con Puerto Rico (Bobby Cap) – 3:41

6. Olas Y Arenas (Sylvia Rexach) – 8:25

7. Central Park Ave – 7:03

8. Arro Con Gandule – 6:59

Musicians

Richard Pea – Classic & Electric Guitar

Roy McGrath – Tenor & Soprano Saxophone

Jess Coln – Acoustic Bass

William Garcia – Drums & Bongo

Tommy Lee Ramos – Congas, Giros, Barriles