FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
GRAMMY® NOMINEE AND GUGGENHEIM FELLLOW
CATEGORY
BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM
Donald Vega
"Play It Forward"
BEST JAZZ PERFORMANCE
"Into the Unknown"
BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTAL, OR A CAPPELLA
"La Flor y El Toro"
Embedded Files
"[Vega] is writing about work he did, with people he knew, and the band plays it like men who have been told the stories. Praise due, then. A record built out of gratitude and delivered with real muscle." — Steve Williams, UK Vibe
“An erudite, well-knit suite of 10 originals, each one telling its own story.” — Ted Panken, DownBeat
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"Ron Carter calls [Vega] the next piano voice,"
— Gary Walker, WBGO
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"His solo is exquisite...he makes it look so easy. Ten tracks, one thank-you note. He’s playing it forward."
— Tim Larsen, JazzViews
ALBUM INFO
Artist: Donald Vega
Album Name: Play It Forward
All songs composed and arranged by Donald Vega
Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Donald Vega expertly weaves Latin, jazz, and classical influences throughout Play It Forward–celebrating the power of mentorship and the ways communities share stories, traditions, and wisdom across generations.
Play It Forward was inspired by those early years of Vega learning jazz from Billy Higgins at Leimert Park and performing in Los Angeles with Francisco Aguabella and Al McKibbon. Those experiences became the bedrock of Vega's own musical voice, honoring tradition while speaking with unmistakable originality.
As always, Vega writes from melody outward, wanting listeners to hum and sing his tunes–his goal is to create music that can be enjoyed across generations. Around those melodies, he layers Afro-Cuban rhythms, montuno figures, batá-inflected percussion, jazz harmony, and classical form–effortlessly blending tradition with innovation.
Deeply rooted in tradition yet unmistakably his own, Play It Forward is Donald Vega's joyful celebration of community, creativity, and the enduring power of music to connect generations.
PERSONNEL:
DONALD VEGA - piano
CARLY MALDONADO - percussion (1-5, 7-10)
RAUL REYES BUENO - bass
PETE VAN NOSTRAND - drums
BRANDON LEE - trumpet (1, 5-9) & flugelhorn (2-4)
DAVID DEJESUS - alto saxophone (1, 5-9), tenor saxophone (4), & flute (2-3)
TRACKS:
Para Aguabella (5:19)
La Flor y El Toro (5:08)
Into the Unknown (5:39)
Habla Conmigo (5:22)
McKibbon’s Bugalú (5:19)
Smilin’ Billy (5:19)
On Your Shoulders We Stand (5:13)
The Road to Happiness (4:25)
Play It Forward (4:09)
A Hymn for Iris (2:03)
"This gorgeous Latin jazz album is a solid find. All of the songs are composed and arranged by Donald, a pianist known best for playing most recently with bassist Ron Carter. There isn’t a bad track on the album. The music is terrific and the sextet’s playing is superb. In a fair world, this one would receive a Latin Grammy."
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