Rafael Zaldivar - ZALDIVAR | MCBRIDE | MELA: Meeting in New York, Volume one. Special guest: Christian McBride (2026) [Hi-Res]

The New York label 577 Records, which specializes in avant-garde and experimental music, has added ZALDIVAR | MCBRIDE | MELA: Meeting in New York, Volume One to its catalogue. The release marks the label debut of pianist Rafael Zaldivar. He is joined by drummer Francisco Mela, a long-standing member of the 577 Records roster, and bassist Christian McBride, who appears as a special guest.

Zaldivar is a lyricist with a near-romantic sensibility: his playing is open yet composed, exploratory yet consistently melodic, with clear phrasing and a natural fluidity of language. Mela sets a dynamic, responsive rhythm in which energy coexists with structure, and subtle detail flows into forward propulsion. McBride, rooted in deep tradition, shows versatility beyond the straight-ahead idiom: in a freer, more exploratory setting he brings clarity, balance, and weight to the trio.

The musicians carry on a cohesive dialogue, keeping their individual voices distinct within a unified ensemble identity. The recording has been praised by the legendary Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés, who called Zaldivar’s vocabulary and expression exceptional, the trio impeccable, McBride’s bass majestic, and Mela’s playing divine, summing it all up in one word: “wonderful.”

Tracklist:
01-01 Rafael Zaldivar - I Can't Be Any Other Way [3:54]
01-02 Rafael Zaldivar - Walking With Christian [9:26]
01-03 Rafael Zaldivar - I Remember Monk [8:31]
01-04 Rafael Zaldivar - Improvisation I [1:49]
01-05 Rafael Zaldivar - Caribbu [5:12]
01-06 Rafael Zaldivar - There is Always Time to Love [9:09]
01-07 Rafael Zaldivar - Improvisation II [6:37]
01-08 Rafael Zaldivar - Axis (bonus track) [9:06]