There's a hang-back emptiness in these songs that evokes not a rendering, but a waiting, as if the biggest component of understanding is attention. The songs oscillate between silence and communication. But that would be trading a formulaic kind of talent for the intrepid spark that once launched his career. When bassist Charlie Haden caught the performance, he was so amazed that he arranged for the pianist to appear at key jazz festivals, and thus Rubalcaba went on the map. Gonzalo Rubalcaba performs at the San Jose Jazz Festival on Sunday, Aug. 13, at noon on the Southwest Airlines Main Stage in the Plaza de Cesar Chavez, Market and San Carlos streets, San Jose.
Admission is free.
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