Cuban-born pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa begins an exciting new chapter of his career with his Blue Note debut Timba a la Americana, an album teeming with joy and pathos that was inspired by the pianist’s recent decision to leave his Cuban homeland. Produced by Snarky Puppy bandleader Michael League, Timba a la Americana unveils a brand-new sound performed by a tight-knit band featuring harmonica virtuoso Grégoire Maret, Luques Curtis on bass, and Harold’s brother Ruy Adrián López-Nussa on drums.

Harold traces the origins of Timba a la Americana to a day during his family’s first winter after leaving Cuba to live in Toulouse, France. Harold found himself flipping through voice memos on his phone, listening to jams and fragments of song ideas he’d documented years before. These seedlings of songs ported him back to the rhythmic communication that was part of his everyday life in Cuba.

Accolades abound for Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo. In the words of jazz critic Scott Yanow “Diego has the rare ability of making everything sound beautiful.” George Benson has said “Diego is one of the greatest guitarists I’ve seen in my whole life!”  Guitar Magazine wrote of a live performance “Seemingly effortless and totally fabulous.”

Diego Figueiredo lives in, with, and for the music. Born in 1980 in Franca, São Paulo State, he began playing music at four years old. By the age of twelve he had already attracted a local following, and when he was fifteen, he was drawing huge crowds around Brazil. Diego has recorded over two dozen albums and is the winner of several competitions including The Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition, and Brazil’s VISA Prize.