Oscar Rossignoli

Mar Adentro Oscar Rossignoli

The debut of the most talked about jazz pianist to come out of New Orleans.

Oscar Rossignoli, with origins in Honduras, has resided in New Orleans for over a decade and has released two unaccompanied solo piano recordings (Inertia and Levitations), three recordings with the trio Extended, and has lent his unmistakable touch to the efforts of a vast array of New Orleans artists. His recent trio recording, Mar Adentro, is a major step in Rossignoli’s evolution.

The trio album, which features bassist Lex Warshawsky and drummer Peter Varnado, opens in stunning fashion with some rapid virtuosic piano playing on Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona’s “Gitanerías,” a classical piece that Rossignoli proceeds to mold into modern jazz. The title cut “Mar Adentro” (literally, “the sea inside”) paints a cinematic picture, starting with an evocation of ocean waves before unfolding into a deeply, introspective performance.