Jane Bunnett & Hilario Durán release Duets CD
Hilario Durán and Jane Bunnett team up for duet album

When two of the most acclaimed modern explorers of Cuban music combine their prodigious talents on the music they love, musical magic happens. That is demonstrated in truly enchanting fashion on Cuban Rhapsody, the debut duet recording by Jane Bunnett and Hilario Durán.

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By J. D. Considine - www.theglobeandmail.com - June 10, 2011

Some albums are aimed at connoisseurs, with subtleties only an expert could appreciate; others are meant for the masses, with an appeal so obvious anyone with ears can hear it. Cuban Rhapsody is that rare recording that manages to be both. A collection of classic Cuban tunes, it finds pianist Duran and flautist/soprano saxophonist Bunnett performing with the sort of finesse and authority you’d expect from two musicians who’ve spent decades studying Cuba’s musical traditions. But along with that insight comes a joy and vitality that makes the dance element of these songs immediately infectious, and the melodic content utterly irresistible.

Jane Bunnett & Hilario Durán/Cuban Rhapsody
By Karl Stark - www.philly.com - June 5, 2011

Soprano saxophonist and flutist Jane Bunnett joins with pianist Hilario Durán on what is likely to be one of the top recordings of the year. Their duets cover compositions from the 19th century to the 1960s; that means they are romantic and unspoiled. Bunnett comes by her love of Cuban music honestly. She's Canadian, and compensates by having a 25-year obsession with the island's amazing vibe. Durán is a much-lionized native Cubano whose Latin Jazz Big Band is a going concern, and their duets are just the lightest thing going. The two wend through the Cuban canon with such deftness that you find yourself yearning for a mojito. Duran is a subtle cat who continually lands on intriguing stuff. Bunnett revels in the lightness of being that results.

Cuban Rhapsody: Jane Bunnett & Hilario Durán
By C. J. Bond - www.jazmusic.com - June 4, 2011

"Cuban Rhapsody" represents much more than an exploration of Cuban classical music. It is a story of a passionate, enduring love affair between two gifted musicians and the music they adore ; it is about the power of an art form to transcend artificial boundaries and make itself timeless; it is about the deep respect two artists have for each other's talent and the selfless contributions each has made to give voice to the traditions and joy of a music that consumes them; it is about the 'food' of love: Music...