Charlie Haden/ Gonzalo Rubalcaba

At a time when contemporary music often chooses brashness and attention-getting hijinks as a means of self-expression, the meditative calm that Charlie Haden has dabbled in over the past few years seems as different from modern trends as it is from the bassist's own early years, when he ran with the jazz avant-garde. Now, instead of the frenzied political statements that accompanied ensembles such as his Liberation Music Orchestra, Haden's message appears steeped in a gentler, more romantic vein, as heard in the Grammy-winning Nocturne, a work that seems equally influenced by Haden's love of film noir.

Giving an air of authenticity to the boleros that serve as the musical fodder for Nocturne is Gonzalo Rubalcaba, whom Haden discovered when the Cuban pianist was only 23. Along with saxophonist David Sanchez and drummer Ignacio Berroa, Haden and Rubalcaba will offer this rare collection of Cuban and Mexican ballads to live audiences in a select few cities, as they continue to foster an enduring friendship of cross-generational and pan-cultural proportions.