| Jazz |
It begins like a love letter to smooth jazz in its purest form, the kind of opening track that wraps you in velvet harmonies and silky guitar lines. But as the record unfolds, Jorge Garcia’s latest work pivots into a broader, more adventurous soundscape: a world-jazz odyssey tinged with Cuban inflections. It feels, in many ways, like leafing through the pages of Garcia’s personal diary, a collection of his ideas, his heritage, his passions, and the result is undeniably pleasing. Yet, as he himself admits, the road to curating these tracks was anything but simple.
The selection is telling: songs from artists whose music has left a deep and lasting mark across continents, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Procol Harum, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, and Jimi Hendrix. This is not a playlist assembled casually; it’s an homage to legends.
And yet, Garcia’s greatest artistic strength may not lie in his own compositions, but in the decades he has spent lending his guitar to the voices of others. His résumé reads like a roll call of giants: Tony Bennett, Patti Page, Andrea Bocelli, and Bucky Pizzarelli. He has recorded and performed with Richie Cole, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Israel “Cachao” López, and Federico Britos. It’s this deep collaborative history that gives this album its character. Rather than a showcase of groundbreaking songwriting, it plays as an extended demonstration of Garcia’s command of the instrument, precise notes cascading under his fingertips like raindrops on a warm summer night. For guitar lovers, this alone will be worth the listen.
Here, Garcia takes the role of interpreter, reimagining songs he has long cherished and giving his guitar the starring role. He frames it with violins that seem to drift from another century, adding a layer of nostalgia. To understand the choice, you have to know the history: in his native Cuba, much of this music was once banned. These were songs heard in whispers, passed hand to hand, played behind closed doors. That secrecy, and the longing it fostered, helped shape Garcia’s vision of his art.
For me, the album’s world-music elements were certainly intriguing, but I struggled to connect with it beyond its technical brilliance. At times, the playing felt more like a demonstration than a journey. The most jarring moment came with his rendition of Piece of My Heart, I couldn’t make it past forty seconds, and I didn’t try again.
Still, there is no denying the craftsmanship here. For younger generations of aspiring jazz guitarists, this album could be an inspiring study in technique. And for Jorge Garcia, it stands as both a tribute to his influences and a statement of his own musical identity, shaped in exile, polished in collaboration, and carried forward by the precision of his hands.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, August 9th 2025
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Tracklist :
Still Crossing
Kashmir
Tiny Dancer
Whiter Shade Of Pale
Piece Of My Heart
Both Sides Now
Little Wing