Mairena

Many of us artists who come to New York face certain dilemmas related to our own folklore: our relationship with our roots and with the different kinds of music we’ve absorbed over the years. Forme, it’s clear that identity can evolve over time. In my case, I feel drawn to flamenco and other folk traditions in a way that differs from how I relate to European classical music—my roots—and is also distinct from my love of jazz and improvised music, which have been my greatest passion since adolescence.

Among these three worlds, I’m gradually finding my place, trying to be honest and unafraid to blend paths where clear references don’t always exist. This trio with Masa Kamaguchi, Kresten Osgood and myself began taking shape in 2023, and in the summer of 2025 we went on a nine-concert tour across Spain. The music included here was recorded at Café Berlín in Madrid (#1, 2 and 5) and at the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo in Seville, in a concert organized by Assejazz (#3, 4 and 6).

The piece that gives the album its title, Mairena, refers to Juan de Mairena, an apocryphal character created by the Spanish poet Antonio Machado. Through this alter ego, Machado reflects on politics, philosophy and, above all, on the complexity of embracing Spanish culture and folklore—with all its contradictions—from a critical perspective and with a generous dose of humor.

Almost a century later, his vision still strikes me as remarkably lucid, resonating with my own dilemmas as an artist trying to reconnect with his folklore in his own way. Other pieces on the album include Calabosito, inspired by Camarón de la Isla; Lisbon Mood, dedicated to Aaron Parks; and Llum Verda, The Good Life and Everything I Love, which reflect our passion for improvisation.

—Álvaro Torres

Tracklist

Album details