Dayramir Gonzalez - The Grand Concourse (2018)

THE VISION
Dayramir Gonzalez's latest album The Grand Concourse is defined by the voyage of a young artist from Havana, whose creation of musical works shines a light on the gems of traditional Cuban sentiments, contemporary Afro-Cuban jazz and the vanguard sounds of New York City. In his through-composed song "Situaciones en 12/8", the compulsive bass motif is the engine that drives the layering melodies, while "Sencillez" is a modern commentary on Cuban musical history of the late 19th century. A Tribute to Buena Vista Social Club, Mozart, and John Coltrane mixed with Dayramir's spices.

“This is an ambitious project that presents me not only as a pianist or improviser, but also as a composer, arranger, orchestrator, and bandleader. For me, making an album is always about creating a full and complete piece of art, where I have a palette of different colors to choose from and can paint all those sounds that float in my head."

THE ALBUM TITLE
The Grand Concourse is the main thoroughfare that runs through the Bronx. When I first moved to New York, I made the South Bronx my home, and it's where I created most of the songs included in this album. It was where I struggled to rise above the challenges that came with starting a new life in a city that could swallow me up in no time. But "The Grand Concourse" also has a meaning that inspires. It is the broad road that leads to new journeys. It is at the concourse where people connect in an open space and encounter the expected and unexpected. And my album is the meeting place for the world to enter that space of diverse musical experiences.

"The Grand Concourse is an album for dreaming, for falling in love and for sharing with your close ones. Cheers." ~ Dayramir Gonzalez

Tracklist:
01. Dayramir Gonzalez - Smiling
02. Dayramir Gonzalez - Moving Forward
03. Dayramir Gonzalez - Sencillez
04. Dayramir Gonzalez, Pedrito Martinez & Yosvany Terry - Iyesa Con Miel
05. Dayramir Gonzalez & String Bembe - Blood Brothers
06. Dayramir Gonzalez & Nadia Washington - Camello Tropical
07. Dayramir Gonzalez - Lovely Time with My Dear
08. Dayramir Gonzalez & Raul Pineda - Linear Patterns in Havana
09. Dayramir Gonzalez - Two Makes the Difference
10. Dayramir Gonzalez - West Coast Exchange
11. Dayramir Gonzalez - Hand in Hand, You and I
12. Dayramir Gonzalez - Situaciones en 12/8