Roberto Fonseca: Tiny Desk Concert

Felix Contreras | February 5, 2025 In Cuba, pianists explore the wonderful rhythms of the island with their own percussive sense of melody. From the very first song in Roberto Fonseca’s Tiny Desk, we’re reminded of the Afro-Cuban jazz tradition’s long history: Not only do we get a driving foundation but also the kinds of horn lines that have sounded since the 1940s when Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz improvisation bumped into each other. The best always make it look easy. These band members, in particular, look like they could do this in their sleep. But there is a slight shift in the musical personality of this performance when the band strips down to a quartet: Fonseca's mastery of the instrument fuels the fiery finale. SET LIST “Yanim” “Baila Mulata” “Aggua” MUSICIANS Roberto Fonseca: piano Ruly Herrera: drums Sam Burgos: bass Christian Ortiz: baritone saxophone Thommy Lowry Garcia Rojas: trumpet Carlos Averhoff Jr.: tenor saxophone Degnis Bofill: percussion TINY DESK TEAM Producer: Felix Contreras Director/Editor: Kara Frame Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Zayrha Rodriguez Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer Photographer: Michael Zamora Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Lars Gotrich Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins #tinydesk #nprmusic #robertofonseca