Harold Lopéz-Nussa returns to Payomet, debuting new album with Blue Note Records

Harold López-Nussa, a Cuban jazz pianist and composer, returns to the Payomet Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Aug. 5, debuting his newest album “Timba La Americana.”

His latest album, set to release on Aug. 25, is his first under Blue Note Records — the famous jazz label that was home to the likes of Miles Davis, Art Blakey and John Coltrane — and tenth in his discography.

If you’re into Latin jazz, you may have heard of Harold López-Nussa before. But if you haven’t, López-Nussa is a Latin jazz pianist and composer from Havana, Cuba.

I chatted with López-Nussa over the phone to discuss his upcoming show and album.

Who is Harold Lopez-Nussa?

His mother was a piano teacher, his father was a drummer, his uncle was a jazz pianist and his grandmother could also play piano, so it was no surprise when he started studying music, given his family's talents.

“From the very beginning, I was studying in school classical music, because this is where we start in Cuba in the conservatory,” he said.

But in his early 20s, López-Nussa was on the hunt for a different genre to invigorate him and found his calling in Latin jazz.

“I was trying to play a little bit of Cuban music and jazz,” he said.  “And I (started) trying, at that point and it became a passion — jazz and all the freedom that you can feel when you're playing jazz that I didn't (find) in the classical music.”

Now, all these years later, he still feels that passion as he takes the stage night after night, describing jazz like playing an unpredictable, and therefore exciting, game.

“You don't know exactly what will happen,” he said. “It's like playing a game for me every night."

'Timba La Americana,' what’s it all about?

“Timba La Americana” was born from López-Nussa’s experience moving to France from Cuba.

The album speaks to his homesickness, yet excitement, surrounding this new chapter in his life. Songs like “Mal du Pays” — which translates from French to homesickness — express the melancholy that comes with leaving your home. Others, like “Afro en Toulouse," show his anticipation for what’s to come, giving a nod to his new home of Toulouse.

The decision to move to France was a personal one for López-Nussa as his grandmother was French and immigrated to Cuba.

“We want to connect with this kind of tradition of my (grandma’s) side and I want — I have two daughters — I want my daughters to connect with the French culture,” he said. "Beautiful country, (with) a lot of culture, with great food, of course, great wine and a lot of our conversation about jazz and about Latin jazz and Cuban music.”

Signing with Blue Note Records and creating the album

Before production began on “Timba La Americana” López-Nussa knew it would be released under Blue Note Records, as he had been talking with Don Was, the president of Blue Note, for years about being a new signing for the label.

“I got a good connection with him,” he said. “He's a musician, an active musician, so he knows how (it) is to be a musician .... When he first approached (me) to show me some interest about signing (me) I was like, ‘Wow, that's, that's a big deal.’ And it's still a big deal for me.”

The process of creating the album took about a year, beginning with a meeting in Barcelona with Was, Michael League — producer of the album and the bassist of Snarky Puppy, a jazz fusion band — and ending with the album’s release.

“We spent like two days together in Michael's house, it was great just (to) speak with those guys about music and having great food and good wine,” López-Nussa said.

Performing at Payomet

López-Nussa will celebrate a milestone in his career with an audience he's grown fond of over the years.

“(It’s) one of my favorite places because of the people,” he said. “Every time we play there, the audience is magnificent …. it's an area that I love. I love food over there. I love the beaches. The mood all around is amazing. I'm looking forward to (being) there and (playing) again.”

The love is reciprocated on the Cape, said Payomet Executive Artistic Director Kevin Rice.

“We present a lot of jazz, a lot of great jazz artists, and we have a deep appreciation (for) Harold,” Rice said. “He's one of the few instrumentalists that we've actually had a number of times, this is probably the sixth appearance here at Payomet over the last 10 or 12 years.”

It's special for Rice to be a part of this occasion given the relationship they've formed over the years. It also shows the prowess Payomet has curated, he said.

“It means that we're in good company,” Rice said. “We have a lot of artists that are at Blue Note or at Birdland — two of the great venues in New York. There's a degree of cachet or stature, being able to present someone .... It just shows that we’ve become a destination for many artists and we have a really good reputation."

As for the atmosphere, Rice said audiences can expect to be transported into a jazz club setting.

“It's just, it's a beautiful thing to walk into a room that's very attractive,” he said. “It's got a great backdrop. Baby grand piano, and there you go. It's Cuban music. Ours just lights up the room.”

López-Nussa will take the stage at the Payomet Performing Arts Center on Aug. 5. Tickets are $30 to $35 and the show starts at 7 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m. Seats are general admission. Reserve tickets and pick up at the will-call window. Be sure to arrive early to get your tickets and a good seat.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Harold Lopéz-Nussa to debut Cuban jazz album at Payomet in Truro