#LaPetiteHeure by... RICARDO IZQUIERDO & SERGIO CRUZ

Musicians don’t choose one another; they recognise one another. Ricardo Izquierdo and Sergio Gruz know each other; they recognised one another. The duo’s project, *Raices en Acuerdo*, celebrates their roots. The saxophonist of Cuban origin and the pianist of Argentine origin draw on their respective musical roots. Whether it’s ‘Drume negrita’, that Cuban nursery rhyme, ‘Llora’, ‘Cartas de amor que se queman’ or ‘La trunca norte’ – immortalised by Mercedes Sosa – these Cuban songs, steeped in gentle nostalgia, sing of the joys and disappointments of love and pierce the heart. Or take ‘Soledad’, that nocturne bathed in the dark light of melancholy by the master of tango, Astor Piazzolla: Ricardo Izquierdo and Sergio Gruz have chosen to focus on the spirit rather than the letter of the music in their reinterpretation. This lively Argentine duo possesses a power that is self-evident. Listening, breathing as one, collective inspiration – there is a shared understanding, a deep rapport, even a fusion of intentions and gestures that brings the music to a fever pitch. 
Franck Medoni (Jazz Magazine)