The magical world of the great Cuban-American woodwind master Paquito D’Rivera continues to expand. Over his seven decades in music, D’Rivera has become engaged with musicians hailing from locations all throughout the world. His most recent release, La Fleur de Cayenne, highlights his work with an ensemble of Cuban expatriates and a Colombian vibraphonist who call Madrid, Spain home with a group they call the Madrid-New York Connection Band.

In the late 1990s, D’Rivera was enjoying a quiet evening at his New Jersey home when a car pulled up nearby. A handful of young musicians called out to him, explaining that they were Cuban musicians living in Spain who wanted to see where D’Rivera lived. That was how D’Rivera met Pepe Rivero, a pianist and composer originally from Manzanillo, thus beginning a long and fruitful musical relationship.

Rivero introduced D’Rivera to other Cubans living in Spain, including drummer Georvis Pico, percussionist Yuvisney Aguilar, and bassist Reinier “El Negrón” Elizarde. While in Spain, D’Rivera would regularly reunite with these fantastic musicians along with the Colombian vibraphonist Sebastián Laverde.

After nearly two decades of inspired collaborations, D’Rivera and the Spanish contingent have come together to form the Madrid-New York Connection Band and record their first album together, La Fleur de Cayenne.