# Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Gonzalo Rubalcaba (born May 27, 1963) is a Cuban jazz pianist and composer.

## Early life

Rubalcaba was born Gonzalo Julio González Fonseca in Havana, Cuba into a musical family. He adopted his great grandmother's name for professional use, just as did his father Guillermo Rubalcaba (born Guillermo González Camejo) and his grandfather Jacobo Rubalcaba (born Jacobo González Rubalcaba).

## Later life and career

With Orquesta Aragón, Rubalcaba toured France and Africa in 1983. He formed his own Grupo Projecto in 1985.

## Discography
### As leader/co-leader

* Mi Gran Pasion (Connector/Timba, 1987)
* Live in Havana (Pimienta, 1989)
* Giraldilla (Pimienta, 1990)
* Discovery: Live at Montreux (Blue Note, 1990)
* Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio at Montreux (Somethin' Else, 1990)
* The Blessing (Blue Note, 1991)
* Images (Blue Note, 1992)
* At Montreux (Artex, 1993)
* Suite 4 Y 20 (Blue Note, 1993)
* Diz (Blue Note, 1993)
* Rapsodia (Blue Note, 1994)
* Imagine: Live in America (Blue Note, 1994)
* Concatenacion (Egrem, 1995)
* Concierto Negro (Egrem, 1995)
* Flying Colors (Blue Note, 1997)
* Romantic (EMI, 1998)
* Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Max, 1998)
* Antiguo (Blue Note, 1998)
* Inner Voyage (Blue Note/EMI, 1999)
* Inicio (Egrem, 2001)
* Supernova (Blue Note, 2001)
* Straight Ahead (Yemaya, 2003)
* Soneros de Verdad Present Rubalcaba Pasado y Presente (Universal Music Latino/Pimienta, 2003)
* Paseo (Blue Note, 2004)
* The Trio (Angel, 2005)
* Solo (Blue Note, 2005)
* Avatar (Angel, 2008)
* Faith (5Passion, 2010)
* XXI Century (5Passion, 2011)
* Live Faith (5Passion, 2014)
* Suite Caminos (5Passion, 2015)
* Tokyo Adagio with Charlie Haden (Impulse!, 2015) – recorded in 2005
* Charlie (5Passion, 2015)
* Skyline with Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette (5Passion, 2021)
* Pédron Rubalcaba with Pierrick Pédron (mars 2023)
* Borrowed Roses (Top Stop, 2023)

### As sideman

With Ignacio Berroa
* Codes (Blue Note, 2006)
With Ron Carter
* Mr. Bow-tie (Somethin' Else, 1995)
With Juan Luis Guerra
* Bachata Rosa (Karen, 1990)
With Francisco Céspedes
* Con el Permiso de Bola (Warner Music Mexico, 2006)
With Chick Corea
* Rendezvous in New York (Stretch, 2003)
With Dave Holland
* The Monterey Quartet: Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival, 2009)
With Al Di Meola
* Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody (Concord, 2011)
* Flesh on Flesh (Telarc, 2022)
With Richard Galliano
* Love Day (Milan, 2008)
With Charlie Haden
* 1989: The Montreal Tapes: with Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Paul Motian (Verve, 1997)
* 2000: Nocturne (Verve, 2001)
* 2003: Land of the Sun (Verve, 2004)
* 2005: Tokyo Adagio (Impulse!, 2015) – live at The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan
With Katia Labèque
* Shape of My Heart (KML, 2009)
With Tony Martinez
* Habana Vive
* Mafarefun
With Pat Martino
* Think Tank
With Strat Andriotis
* Night Manager (2018) Song 21
* Cuba portal

## Awards
### Grammy Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 1995 | Rapsodia | Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group | Nominated |
| 1997 | "Agua de Beber" | Best Jazz Instrumental Solo | Nominated |
| 2000 | Antiguo | Best Latin Jazz Album | Nominated |
| 2002 | Supernova | Best Latin Jazz Album | Nominated |
| 2002 | Nocturne (as producer) | Best Latin Jazz Album | Won |
| 2002 | "Oren" | Best Instrumental Composition | Nominated |
| 2005 | Land of the Sun (as producer) | Best Latin Jazz Album | Won |
| 2016 | Suite Caminos | Best Latin Jazz Album | Nominated |
| 2021 | Viento y Tiempo - Live at Blue Note Tokyo | Best Latin Jazz Album | Nominated |
| 2022 | Skyline | Best Jazz Instrumental Album | Won |

### Billboard Music Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2002 | Supernova | Latin Jazz Album of the Year | Nominated |
| 2007 | Solo | Latin Jazz Album of the Year | Nominated |

### Latin Grammy Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2002 | Supernova | Best Latin Jazz Album | Won |
| 2005 | Paseo | Best Instrumental Album | Nominated |
| 2006 | Solo | Best Latin Jazz Album | Won |
| 2008 | Avatar | Best Instrumental Album | Nominated |
| 2022 | Live in Marciac | Best Tropical Traditional Album | Won |