Ricano Vol. 2 offers answers — not in words, but in the lived honesty of the music itself. It's an album that reflects growth, family, culture, and faith, all distilled into a sound that feels both timeless and urgently present.
LYDIA LIEBMAN (LLP)
"Jonathan Suazo plays with HEART, and his writing invites you to experience the album with your HEART. Brilliant playing and writing throughout, full of joy and excitement, this album is a major statement by a major artist."
WALTER SMITH III
(BLUE NOTE RECORDING ARTIST
SAXOPHONIST/COMPOSER)
FROM THE PRESS
FELIX CONTRERAS
(NPR Tiny Desk)
"From the start of his song "Heroes," we know we're not in jazz Kansas anymore, right?"
DAVE SUMNER
(Bandcamp)
"It's those moments when chanting practically lifts up a melody and sends it airborne that are the album’s high water mark. At times, this music is simply breathtaking".
JIM HYNES
(Making a Scene)
"Debuts don’t usually earn awards, but Suazo has delivered a remarkable project more than worthy of consideration. This writer is not backing off from the opening sentence. That said, this also presages a boundless future for Suazo".
GIOVANNNI RUSSONELLO
(The New York Times)
"Everything on the saxophonist and composer Jonathan Suazo’s new LP, “Ricano” — which finds him mining the intersections between his Puerto Rican and Dominican bloodlines — seems to be spilling energy out the top. This is richly built, effusively played Latin jazz, written from the heart and packed with complexity, always seeking the next level of altitude. On “Don’t Take Kindly,” as Tanicha López sings in billowy open vowel sounds and long, held tones, the ensemble’s three percussionists play around with a rhythm based in Puerto Rican bomba, while Suazo’s alto saxophone douses them in minor blues"
BEYOND THE STAGE
Jonathan has developed a sociocultural module linked to his Ricano project that has impacted more that 500 student lives from 2022 - 2023.
By sharing his cultural heritage with students through unique interactive residencies that include drum circles, open conversation, singing, and ensemble workshops, Jonathan strives to keep his afro caribbean roots alive in creative ways, while motivating other students to do the same with their own roots.
Photo & VIDEO by @alejandrinopr
A GREATER MISSION
TESTIMONIES FROM THE COMMUNITY
"RICANO gave our students the opportunity to learn more about each other's cultures
while enjoying and interacting with a new sound in Afro-Caribbean music.
Awesome experience for staff too!"
Carlos Hernandez
Founder & Executive Director
Puerto Rican Arts Alliance
(Chicago, IL)