With all the uncertainty surrounding the relationship between the North and its Latin American neighbours, some musicians are offering their own defiant micro-responses. The 35-year-old Havana-born Harold López-Nussa is one such contributor; his musical mission is to build bridges between the US and Cuba. He believes in the very close, natural bond between the cultures, though it's something the current US administration might find hard to comprehend. The pianist-composer is from a Cuban musical dynasty (brother Adrian is on percussion) and has a high pedigree having played folkloric music in the bands of Omara Portuondo among others. He also featured on the all-star project Ninety Miles, with Christian Scott, Stefon Harris and David Sanchez, recorded in Havana in 2010. This is his second CD as a solo artist for the Mack Avenue label, following El Viaje in 2016, and it includes the pianist's compositions as well as covers of tunes by Ernesto Lecuona and Bebo Valdez. There's a contemporary twist to originals with something of The Bad Plus about ‘Conga Total/El Cumbanchero’; ‘Cimarrón’ has classical piano flourishes (he's been a guest of the Cuba National Symphony Orchestra) rubbing up against post-hip hop grooves, and he reinvigorates the salsa-orientated closer ‘Mi Son Cerra’o’ with his darkly inventive solos. Inspired by the great Chucho Valdez, López-Nussa prefers effervescent spontaneity to exhibitions of technical bravado. An enjoyable contemporary perspective on African-American Cuban musical cultures.