Anat Cohen & Romero Lubambo / Harold López-Nussa Duo plus Mike Rodriquez

Jazz’s international reach manifests with startling beauty on this sensational double bill featuring two nonpareil duos (and one special guest). Israeli-born, New York City-based reed star Anat Cohen’s performances have been a highlight of the Festival in recent years, and she’s often collaborated with Rio-born New Yorker Romero Lubambo, the most esteemed Brazilian jazz guitarist of his generation. Working tête-à-tête, they glean one gem after another from the riches of the Brazilian songbook, interpreting luscious melodies and alluring rhythms by composers such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Egberto Gismonte, and Moacir Santos. A regular presence at the Festival performing with NEA Jazz Master Dianne Reeves, Lubambo has contributed to hundreds of recordings since he arrived in New York in 1984. Sharing the bill with Cohen and Lubambo is the extraordinary Cuban duo of Harold López-Nussa and his younger brother, drummer Ruy López-Nussa. The elder sibling, now 39, is a conservatory-trained pianist who has fully integrated his classical training and love of the jazz continuum with his Cuban roots. An improviser of astonishing gifts, he first gained international attention when he won top honors at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Piano Competition in 2005. While touring widely with Buena Vista Social Club vocalist Omara Portuondo from 2008-2011 he launched his solo career as the leader of a superlative trio with his younger brother. He made in indelible impression among US jazz musicians via work on 2011’s Ninety Miles, the all-star Cuban/American project with trumpeter Christian Scott (aka Chief Adjuah), vibraphonist Stefon Harris, and saxophonist David Sánchez. The same year Sánchez joined forces with López-Nussa’s trio on the electrifying album El País de las Maravillas. On several pieces the duo expands to a trio with Queens-born trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, who performed at the Festival last year with Yosvany Terry and recently joined the SFJAZZ Collective.