World of Music: Hugo Cruz and Caminos’ “Figure It Out” (Album Launch ft. Cuban Funk, Fusion, Jazz & R&B)

Photo Courtesy: Hugo Cruz

It’s the album launch of Hugo Cruz’s Figure It Out! Figure It Out is a unique and special album that Hugo has been working on since 2024. He shares, “In this musical project, I had the opportunity to work with musicians that I admire and who play a big part in the global music community.” The artists featured in this album are Pittsburgh, United States, and Cuba legends such as Roger Humphries, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, Dave Weckl, Mario Rivera, Max Leake, Luis Valiente, Enrique Lazaga, Brenae Ali, Orlando Maraca Valle, Lou Stellute, Roberto Garcia, Howie Alexander, Hugo’s father, and more. The album connects Pittsburgh’s music scene with the Cuban music scene through a series of original compositions by Hugo Cruz.   

Figure It Out presents a suite of all original music, including one funk track, two mixes of R&B and classical, two Afro-Cuban jazz compositions, three jazz tracks, and one traditional Cuban composition.

This project was funded by The Heinz Endowments. The tracks were recorded in well-known studios across Pittsburgh and Cuba, including MCG Jazz, Duquesne University, Audible Images, La Egrem, and dBega. Each track on the recording is paired with a music video of the track’s live session. Jay Dudt, a four-time Grammy winner and a Pittsburgh legend, acted as a sound engineer on the project, along with one of the best Cuban sound engineers in the business and CEO of dBega Studios, Carlos de la Bega. 

Featured Musicians:

Kelsey Jumper: vocals 

Brittany Dorazio: vocals  

JD Chaisson: trumpet

Mike Tomaro: sax

Frank Cohen: trombone 

Frank DiDiano: electric guitar

Craig Davis: keys and piano

Eli Namay: electric and acoustic Bass

Hugo Cruz: drums, compositions

About the Artist:

Hugo Alexander Cruz Machado is a Cuban-born, award-winning drummer and composer who has performed internationally, including South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, and the United States. Hugo is the leader of the jazz fusion music group Caminos, who have made appearances at Fábrica de Artes in Havana, Cuba, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival 2019, Carnegie Museum of Art, City of Asylum, Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall, Westylvania Jazz and Blues Festival, and the Monroeville Jazz Festival, among many others.

About Your Visit: 

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