David Virelles presents an eagerly awaited debut album with this superb trio on Intakt Records. Born in Santiago de Cuba, the pianist and composer has established himself on the international jazz scene with his Afro-Cuban influenced keyboard artistry and has made a name for himself with numerous collaborations with artists such as Henry Threadgill, Andrew Cyrille, Chris Potter, Wadada Leo Smith, Tom Harrell, Milford Graves and Ravi Coltrane, among others. Eight of the nine compositions on Carta are penned by Virelles and all open doors to free interpretation and development. Oscillating between composition and improvisation, this trio brings together three of the most influential voices in contemporary US jazz. Carta was recorded at the legendary Rudy van Gelder Studio, and in lieu of liner notes, poet Malik Crumpler has contributed a poem inspired by the music on the album and by his conversations with the musicians.

Visual art: Alec Dempster
Graphic design: Fiona Ryan
Poem: Malik Crumpler
Photos: Ogata

All compositions by David Virelles (SongTrust/SOCAN/GEMA), except Confidencial by Enrique Bonne Castillo, arranged by David Virelles. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on May 31 and June 1, 2022. Recording engineer: Maureen Sickler. Mixed by Todd Carder at The Bunker Studio. Mastered by Alex De Turk at The Bunker Studio. Executive Producer: Florian Keller. Produced by David Virelles and Intakt Records. Intakt Records, P.O.Box, 8024 Zürich, Switzerland.