Pianists Hilario Durán, Melvis Santa and Alfredo Rodríguez discuss with host Felix Contreras onstage at The Kennedy Middle in Washington, D.C.

Jati Lindsay/Courtesy of The Kennedy Middle

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Jati Lindsay/Courtesy of The Kennedy Middle

Pianists Hilario Durán, Melvis Santa and Alfredo Rodríguez discuss with host Felix Contreras onstage at The Kennedy Middle in Washington, D.C.

Jati Lindsay/Courtesy of The Kennedy Middle

Palm timber and sandy seashores had been within the air on a cold December night time as we gathered for NPR’s annual A Jazz Piano Christmas live performance on the John F. Kennedy Middle for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

This yr, the annual vacation live performance featured an all-Cuban program with veteran Hilario Durán, vocalist/pianist Melvis Santa and former Jazz Piano Christmas younger expertise, Alfredo Rodríguez.

Whereas now residing in several elements of the world, every introduced their Cuban roots to a set of conventional vacation tunes and a few different songs that mirrored their connections to Afro-Cuban tradition and jazz.

From cha-cha-cha’s to ho-ho-ho’s, the entire live performance is a vacation deal with with a definite, danceable groove.

SET LIST

Hilario Durán

• Medley: “Carol of the Bells”https://www.npr.org/”What Baby is This?”
• “O Holy Evening”
• “O Christmas Tree”

Melvis Santa

• “Dibule oñí” (Merceditas Valdés)
• “Descarga pa’ Celeste” (Melvis Santa)
• “Santa Child” (Philip Springer, Joan Javits)

Alfredo Rodríguez

• “El Güije” (Alfredo Rodríguez)
• “Silent Evening”
• “Jingle Bells”