Palm trees and sandy beaches were in the air on a chilly December night as we gathered for NPR's annual A Jazz Piano Christmas concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
This year, the annual holiday concert featured an all-Cuban program with veteran Hilario Durán, vocalist/pianist Melvis Santa and former Jazz Piano Christmas young talent, Alfredo Rodríguez.
While now living in different parts of the world, each brought their Cuban roots to a collection of traditional holiday tunes and a couple of other songs that reflected their connections to Afro-Cuban culture and jazz.
From cha-cha-cha's to ho-ho-ho's, the whole concert is a holiday treat with a distinct, danceable groove.
SET LIST
Hilario Durán
- Medley: "Carol of the Bells" / "What Child is This?"
- "O Holy Night"
- "O Christmas Tree"
Melvis Santa
- "Dibule oñí" (Gilberto Valdés)
- "Descarga pa' Celeste" (Melvis Santa)
- "Santa Baby" (Philip Springer, Joan Javits)
Alfredo Rodríguez
- "El Güije" (Alfredo Rodríguez)
- "Silent Night"
- "Jingle Bells"
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
