Mon Oct 12
Kemuel Roig - Solo Piano - Recording Release - Cuban Jazz Series
7PM / $25 | $7 Fees Get Tickets
Kemuel Roig
Both Sides Now is an intimate solo piano concert by award-winning Cuban-American pianist and composer Kemuel Roig, where timeless songs are transformed through improvisation, storytelling, and deeply personal expression. Drawing from the music of Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, Armando Manzanero, Michel Legrand, Billie Holiday, Consuelo Velázquez, Agustín Lara, Jimmy Rowles, and others, Roig reimagines beloved melodies with elegance, freedom, and emotional depth. Rather than presenting traditional arrangements, each performance unfolds organically, guided by feeling, memory, and the spontaneity of the moment. Rooted in his classical training, Afro-Cuban heritage, and modern jazz language, Roig creates a musical experience where melody, harmony, silence, and improvisation coexist with complete freedom. In addition to selections from Both Sides Now, Roig performs original compositions and music by celebrated Cuban composers including Abelardo Valdés, Marcelino Guerra, and Gonzalo Roig. The result is a deeply immersive concert experience that transcends genre and invites audiences into a world of lyricism, warmth, reflection, and authentic human connection.
Cuban-American pianist, composer, and educator Kemuel Roig has emerged as one of the most compelling and distinctive voices in contemporary jazz, captivating audiences with a rare combination of virtuosic artistry, emotional depth, and rhythmic sophistication. A DownBeat Student Music Award recipient whose performances and recordings have appeared on Grammy Award-winning projects, Roig is recognized for his masterful fusion of Afro-Cuban roots, classical refinement, and modern jazz language.
Praised by Chucho Valdés as “the Superman of the piano,” Roig has performed and recorded with internationally acclaimed jazz artists including Arturo Sandoval, Al Di Meola, Randy Brecker, Chris Potter, Ed Calle, and Brian Lynch. Legendary pianist Michel Camilo described Roig as possessing “a nimble, luminous touch and astonishing facility at the keyboard,” while acclaimed jazz journalist Ted Panken praised his trio recording 3Discovery as “as strong a piano trio recording as I’ve heard in the 2020s.”
Roig has developed an artistic voice that moves effortlessly between explosive rhythmic energy and profound lyrical intimacy. His performances are marked by fearless improvisation, expressive freedom, and a profound connection with audiences, whether through the electrifying interplay of his Afro-Cuban jazz trio or the emotional transparency of his solo piano performances.
In 2026, Roig released two highly acclaimed and contrasting projects that further established the breadth of his artistry. Both Sides Now revealed an intimate and deeply expressive side of his artistry through reimagined repertoire, while 3Discovery showcased his bold, contemporary approach to the piano trio tradition through a program centered primarily on original compositions by Roig. Blending Afro-Cuban rhythms, modern jazz harmony, fearless improvisation, and virtuosic interplay, the project presents a vibrant and exhilarating concert experience rooted in Roig’s expansive compositional voice and artistic vision.
Whether appearing as a solo pianist or leading his trio, Kemuel Roig brings audiences into a world where virtuosity, emotion, storytelling, and rhythmic vitality converge with elegance, authenticity, and soul, establishing him as a singular voice on today’s jazz stage.
7PM / $25 | $7 Fees Get Tickets
1. Final sale, no refunds, not transferable.
2. $15 food/beverage minimum per person not included in ticket price.
3. Seating first come at the door. Doors open 6 PM & 8:45 PM respectively Monday thru Saturday, and 4:30 PM & 7:15 PM Sundays.
4. No Photography or Recording of any kind during the performance.
5. Keep conversation to a minimum during the performance.