May 26-June 1, 2005
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The bilingual title of Elio Villafranca's debut CD, Incantations Encantaciones (Universal Latino), is fitting given that there's as much Herbie Hancock as there is Chucho Valdes in his playing. The pianist left Cuba for Philly in 1995 (he has since made the leap to NYC), arriving with a solid knowledge of American jazz as well as the music of his native island. In the CD's liner notes, Villafranca describes one tune as an effort "to predict what Mingus or Coltrane would do if they went to Cuba," and the result is an intricate mélange of Latin rhythms, jagged horn lines, and McCoy Tyner-ish keyboard flourishes. Villafranca is best served by his own compositions, which provide a relaxed framework for his distinct style, like a bop breeze cooling fiery Cuban rhythms. He is currently working on a more straight-ahead follow-up disc, so there should be a cache of new tunes to look forward to.
Fri., May 27, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., $12, Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131.
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