Black & White – Jorge Varona, 1987

Jorge Varona is one of the pillars of Cuban music, descended from a line of renowned musicians. At the end of the 50s, the trumpeter joined Bebo Valdès, then Benny Moré, and in 73 he helped found Irakéré, of which he would remain one of the emblematic members, alongside Arturo Sandoval. However, it wasn’t until 1987 that the one and only album under his name, Black & White, came out, on which he was accompanied by Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Chucho Valdès, among others. It oscillates between Latin jazz and West Coast influences – tropical! – but sadly the adventure ended there, with Varona’s untimely death the following year.