MARIALY PACHECO – SPACES WITHIN

Instantly captivating piano compositions sift through a vast expanse of moods on Marialy Pacheco’s latest release, Spaces Within. The Cuban pianist and composer has a knack for flavouring her modern, jazz pieces with Latino groove, and invigorates her music through a dabbling of improvisation, most notably on Sale El Sol. Pacheco says that this album was imagined on a recent trip to Thailand and tries to capture defining moments in her life. Although listeners may not know what these moments are specifically, Pacheco’s brilliant technique translates her sways of emotion and does all the explaining. (KD)

***1/2