Nothing feels boxed in on this latest from pianist Alfredo Rodríguez. And you get that same restless stylistic sense of exploration in a contemporary domain you also gain from a Jon Batiste album. Inspired by the city of Miami, guests include singers Alana Sinkëy and Cimafunk while the band that tend sympathetically to the twists and turns of Rodríguez' exhilarating piano lines are guitarist Juanma Montoya, bassist Yarel Hernandez, drummer Michael Olivera, percussionist Marcelo Woloski, trumpeter Carlos Sarduy who stands out in some heartfelt pastoral passages, altoist Regis Molina and trombonist Denis Cuni. You don't need to place this necessarily on a jazz shelf as there are lots of crossover elements and maybe in that latter side to the record it loses us a bit. But the well picked tunes include a lively cover of Juan Luis Guerra’s 'La Bilirrubina', a perky take on classical staple Beethoven's 'Für Elise' and plenty of optimism thrown in for good measure on an album that never takes itself too seriously. Out today

Alfredo Rodríguez, photo: via Bandcamp