Kemuel Roig - LYDIALIEBMAN.COM

3Discovery
Release date: July 17, 2026
Label: Life In Music

Kemuel Roig brings a clear architectural vision to the piano trio format on 3Discovery,a record that captures the full scope of his musicality while showcasing the natural chemistry of this seasoned ensemble. The album documents three days of recording in Miami in February 2026 with bassist Samuel Burgos and drummer Juan Armando Diaz, both Cuban-trained musicians who settled in the Miami area, as they navigate eight Roig originals and three arrangements of works by Cuban composers.

The vitality of this project did not go unnoticed. Pianist Michel Camilo, a longtime friend and admirer who contributes to the album's liner notes, offers an assessment that captures the essence of what Roig achieves here: "His contemporary approach to jazz harmonies and idiom breathes fresh life into the tradition, while the tight, empathetic interactions within his trio create a dynamic conversation that constantly surprises and delights."

Roig describes the album's central ambition as finding a balance between improvisational complexity and physical pleasure: "I wanted to record an album with a lot of improvisation, a lot of jazz, a lot of virtuosic ideas, and a lot of arrangements. But also I wanted it to be somehow easy enough for people to dance, tap their feet, and have fun." To that end, the music draws on a wide range of Cuban rhythmic styles, from conga to mambo, cha-cha-cha and danzón, with several tracks incorporating piano tumbao patterns designed to pull the listener into the groove.

The program opens with "Reflejos," whose pianissimo chord clusters and bass counter-melody evoke both visual reflection and the trace of past musical influences. "Conga Jazz" takes its inspiration from the street carnival tradition of Santiago de Cuba, building toward extended improvised dialogue between piano and bass. The standard "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás," suggested by producer Gary Galimidi, receives a reharmonized gospel treatment framed as a danzón and cha-cha-cha, with Burgos contributing an arco bass solo that conjures the atmosphere of a jazz café in old Havana. "Philotimo," dedicated to Galimidi and written in 7/4, takes its title from a Greek word encompassing honor, integrity and love for others, and was composed overnight after the first day of tracking.

Track six, "Freedom," is the album's fusion piece, driven by rock-influenced harmonic ideas and Afro-Cuban piano tumbao. Galimidi appears on guitar. Roig's arrangement of Emiliano Salvador's "Angélica" reflects his deep admiration for Salvador, whom he considers "one of the greatest Cuban piano players that ever lived, and a huge influence on me as a composer." "El Secreto de sus Ojos," written in C-sharp minor and built on altered chords and diminished progressions, is described by Roig as a love poem that "transmits the feeling of standing before a special person, looking into their eyes without needing to say anything." "Vida" channels the pianistic influence of Chucho Valdés in an ebullient mambo-esque celebration. The Cuban bolero "Realidad y Fantasía" is rendered entirely without a vocalist, relying on melodic sensitivity and Diaz's cymbal work to carry the emotional weight of its lyrics. "Opus" arrived at a Brazilian flavor through rehearsal experimentation before folding back into its Cuban roots, with Burgos switching to electric bass. The album closes with "JD's World," a track built around a drum solo from Diaz over a conga-like vamp, fading out rather than stopping, offering, as Galimidi suggested, a sense of gentle closure.

Though Roig, Burgos and Diaz had each played with one another in separate contexts, 3Discovery marks the first time all three performed together. After two weeks of rehearsal, Roig recalls being surprised by how naturally the unit clicked. Burgos, whom Roig first encountered at a Miami jam session three years ago, brings the full command of both American jazz vocabulary and Cuban rhythmic tradition that made Roig recognize him immediately as an exceptional collaborator.

Across its eleven tracks, 3Discovery presents Roig as both a custodian of Cuban musical tradition and a fluent voice in contemporary jazz, equally at home in the complexity of extended harmony and the infectious pull of a dance rhythm. The album is a demonstration of what happens when rigorous preparation meets genuine spontaneity, and when three musicians with deep, overlapping vocabularies find themselves in the same room for the first time. As Roig puts it, "This album is all about celebrating life, celebrating the world, what unites us all, the love for one another, and always having fun." That spirit, grounded in craft and animated by joy, is what makes 3Discovery a landmark statement.

Genesis
Release date: August 14, 2020

After 8 years touring with the illustrious trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, pianist and composer Kemuel Roig steps out with Genesis. His fifth recording and debut jazz outing, Genesis features the Cuban virtuoso alongside Randy Brecker, Chris Potter, Ed Calle, Alain Perez, Julio Padron, Joel Hernandez, Milton Sesenton and Mercy Brass.

Genesis is a highly personal recording for Kemuel Roig, who came to the United States at 12 years old in 2002 from Camaguey, Cuba. Many years in the making, the project is Roig’s personal reflection of this relocation. “Genesis demonstrates the journey of my life thus far and is a testimony to a life spent learning about the music that I love and respect deeply: jazz.” The album title is meant to be taken literally, as the album showcases Roig’s Cuban roots and traditions.

While Genesis is Roig’s first official jazz recording, he is far from a newcomer on the scene. Over the course of his 18 years in Miami, Roig has established himself as a first-call pianist and arranger whose resume boasts recording sessions and live dates with Al Di Meola, Isaac Delgado, Brian Lynch, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Aymee Nuviola, among others. After releasing four previous works that were well received in New Age and Christian music circles, Genesis is his most fully realized project to date.

Upon listening to Genesis, listeners are treated to nearly a biography of Roig, who penned seven of the ten compositions. Randy Brecker makes a guest appearance on “Conversation”, one of Roig’s most well-loved songs and one that he frequently features in his live performances. “Kendrick (Blessed Child)” is a tender Bolero written almost immediately after the birth of Roig’s son. “Midnight Impromptu” is a dazzling interlude to “Cafe con Leche”, an ode to his native land. Beginning as a Cha-Cha-Cha, this catchy earworm develops into a Son with a piano tumbao.

Many of Roig’s compositions are inspired by christianity. The title track, “Genesis 41 (Recurring Dream)”, was inspired by Joseph, the “dreamer whose dreams always has special messages from God”, while the cinematic “All For You” is Roig’s personal dedication to God featuring orchestrator Milton Sesenton. “The Prayer” features vocalist Joel Hernandez and is Roig’s closing dedication to God.

Roig carefully selected the three non original songs; each of which represent a pivotal part of his musical development. “All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm”, features Latin GRAMMY winning tenor saxophonist Ed Calle and the powerful sounds of Mercy Brass. Roig fondly remembers the first time he heard Bud Powell perform this Walter Jurmann tune: “I was fascinated by how Mr. Powell performed this musical jewel, and I was fixated by his phrasing and the shape of his chords in the left hand. I ran to the piano to transcribe it immediately.” Roig pays tribute to his musical hero with this selection, reimagining the tune as an Afro-Cuban exploration.

“Pare Cochero” is a direct reference to his Cuban roots as it is a classic composition that is universally known by Cubans everywhere. Featuring iconic Cuban trumpeter Julio Padro, singer Alain Perez and again, Mercy Brass, “Pare Cochero” demonstrates the danzon and evolves through son cubano, a style that comes from a blend of Spanish and African origin to the modern edge of Timba. Roig’s treatment of “Inner Urge” features Chris Potter and is performed on Genesis in an Afro-Cuban 6/8 feel.

On Genesis, Kemuel Roig not only pays tribute to God, but to the many musical heroes that have helped him along the way. “I honor the musicians I have been blessed to meet in person and am grateful for those I have spent innumerable hours listening to and analyzing over the years. This project is for you.”