Review: Alvaro Torres Trio’s ‘Mairena’

Since 2023, the Alvaro Torres trio – pianist Torres, bassist Masa Kamaguchi, and drummer Kresten Osgood – has uniquely merged the languages of post-bop, free improvisation, and Spanish folklore, including flamenco. While the group has mostly played mostly in Europe, Torres has also accumulated an impressive resume in New York as a sideman for artists including as Barry Altschul, Nasheet Waits, John Hebert, Tony Malaby, and Chris Lightcap. Mairena (Fresh Sounds New Talent, 2026) may finally bring him more to the attention of American listeners.

For it, Torres composed all of the album’s six compositions, with the sole exception being a rendition of Cole Porter’s “Everything I Love.” The album’s title references Juan de Mairena, a character created by Spanish poet Antonio Machado, who represents Spanish culture, folklore, politics, philosophy, and the complexity of embracing all these aspects, for good or for all. As Torres comments, “Almost a century later, his vision still strikes me as remarkably lucid, resonating with my own dilemmas as an artist trying to reconnect with his folklore in his own way. ” Musically, the live album is a democratic piano trio where all three voices distinctly color each track.

The bustling, angular “Llum Verda” opens, revealing the trio’s tight chemistry as they navigate tricky rhythms. The piece’s title is a tribute to Catalonia, a place Torres feels at home despite not having grown up there. He wrote the composition just before a summer tour with these musicians in mind. The piece serves as a launching point for improvisation, with adventurous soloing by all three band members, with Kamaguchi’s bass especially standing out. Osgood’s drum solo nods to flamenco in its bravado and impassioned sway.

Like “Llum Verda,” the title track is angular but moves at a slower pace, featuring start-stop rhythms at the outset. Torres’ notes embrace the beauty of the Spanish culture as the trio engages in a three-way conversation, like a circular call-and-response routine. The last section features a focused dialogue between the bassist and drummer before Torres rejoins to take it out. “Calabositio,” inspired by the tradition of flamenco singing, adopts piano figures evocative of that artform with more subtle bass and drums laying behind. 

Porter’s “Everything I Love” demonstrates the trio’s willingness to take risks in a well-known standard where hints of the melody appear only sparingly. Osgood’s drumming is both steady and inventive. He aggressively supports Torres before moving into more restrained territory behind Yamaguchi’s ranging solo and then launching her own thoughtful turn. Torres wrote “Lisbon Mood” during a visit to the city in the summer of 2025 with his former teacher and friend, Aaron Parks, to whom the ballad-like tune is also dedicated. The piece reflects a pop aesthetic with the music flowing smoothly across the tasty, sublime track.  “The Good Life” is the trio’s staple closer, one they’ve been playing since 2020. Osgood’s skittering snares draw in her bandmates as they engage in an angular approach, similar to the opening “Llum Verda,” eliciting a raucous approval from the audience.  

Across Mairena, Torres invokes strains of Paul and Carla Bley, Monk, and several Western classical composers. The meeting of these influences with flamenco makes the album a refreshing departure from the beaten path.  

‘Mairena’ is out now on Fresh Sounds New Talent. It can be purchased on Bandcamp.