If Latin jazz is your thing, Yuliesky Gonzalez 'Cubanero' will definitely be up your street!
Having a father and grandfather who also played the same wind instrument, the Cuban trumpeter from Camagüey, a city in central Cuba, was destined for a career in music. At the age of ten, Yuliesky enrolled at the Camagüey conservatory, graduating nine years later.
During his military service he formed a first wind quintet and not much later started to share the stage with Cuban greats like Omara Portuondo, Felix Valoy, Changuito and Alexander Abreu, with whom he toured the world.
In search of new musical horizons, Gonzalez moved to Europe in 2010, where, after a short stay in the French capital, he ended up in Berlin, joining the lineup of the Berlin Big Band. Personal projects like Cubanaché and Kind of Cuban followed, and since 2015 Yuliesky has played with Danish television orchestra, The Antonelli Orchestra.
With 'Cubanero' he now finally presents his first solo album. In most tracks Yuliesky's trumpet is of course given a leading role, but there's also room for excellent solos by, among others, percussionist Isan Torres (opener 'Very Nice'), guitarist Bjarne Roupé ('Reflections', 'Miles Across'), saxophonist Tomas Franck ('Reflections') and pianist Norman Peplow ('En Cada Amanecer', 'Love Theme From A Dream'). In the odd song (the excellent 'Santisimo', closing track 'Timba Berlin-Habana', perhaps the most Cuban and "commercial" sounding song from the track list) apart from his signature trumpet, Gonzalez' voice can also be heard.
Instant Latin-jazz classic by a natural born trumpeter!