Elio Vilafranca

• DOUBLE CD DIGIPACK EDITION

FEATURING CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT & VINCENT HERRING

Always innovative, always keeping his unique western Cuban heritage intact and always releasing well-received albums. That said, pianist Elio’s latest is perhaps his best-to-date!

For his first ArtistShare recording, a cooperative label founded by Maria Schneider for the benefit of musicians and not the label, Villafranca recruited some heavyweights as his guests, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Freddie Hendrix, Vincent Herring and others. Crossroads in Cuba-“cuatro caminos” is much more than choosing a path to travel, it’s the point of convergence where one must make a crucial decision about which spirituality to follow.

This 2-disc set takes the listener on a journey through Elio’s life journey from his homeland of the tobacco country of Cuba to New York, learning a new language and playing with new found musicians and friends including several of his compatriots who also fled Cuba in search of new horizons.

PERSONNEL:

• Elio Villafranca – (piano)
• Cécile McLorin Salvant - (vocals)
• Mar Vilaseca - (vocals)
• Vincent Herring – (alto sax, flute, clarinet)
• Freddie Hendrix – (trumpet, flugelhorn)
• Dayna Stephens – (tenor sax, bass clarinet)
• Jonathan Kreisberg – (electric guitar)
• Domo Branch – (drums)
• Edward Pérez – (acoustic bass)
• Jonathan Troncoso – (bata drums, chorus)
• Mauricio Herrera – (bata drums, congas, chorus)
• Jason Olaine – (chorus)

• Special Guests:
• Guillermo Guillen – (Spanish guitar on CD TWO - track 2)

TRACKS:

• CD ONE:
• 01.H.B.C.
• 02.Standing By The Crossroads
• 03.Panal De Abejas
• 04.Yo Soy Lori Obá
• 05.I Belong To You
• 06.San Isidro - Part I
• 07.San Isidro - Part II

• CD TWO
• 01.Song For Freedom
• 02.Keep The Eye On The Bull
• 03.No Man's Land
• 04.Solitaria
• 05.Picture Window