Join me at 9 p.m. on Wednesday evening, Nov. 3, on KRBD in Ketchikan, Alaska, on After Hours Alaska, as I’m joined in conversation with with Havana-based pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa. This show also will air from 8-10 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 16, on KCAW in Sitka.

Harold sets out to capture that stirring sensation with an exhilarating marriage of jazz and Cuban pop music, defiantly standing up to the doubters who failed to share his radical vision. We will explore a favorite jazz venue of his: Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, in Seattle, and delve into how he made his musical dreams come true.

Harold’s music reflects the full range and richness of Cuban music, with its distinctive combination of classical, folkloric and popular elements as well as its embrace of jazz improvisation and interaction. Harold studied classical piano at the Manuel Saumell Elementary School of Music, the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory and the Instituto Superior de Artes (ISA). His career gracefully spans styles, from his recording of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Fourth Piano Concerto with Cuba’s National Symphony Orchestra to his featured role on the album Ninety Miles, playing alongside jazz stars David Sánchez, Christian Scott and Stefon Harris. His new recording, Te Lo Dije, is the ninth album in a catalogue that includes exquisite classical pieces, mesmerizing solo creations and explosive jazz trio outings.

Click here to visit Harold’s personal website.