If Bach had lived in Cuba...

or Beethoven had lived in Brazil, or Chopin in Louisiana...

They might have sounded like Frank French.
He is one of the best and least-recognized pianist/composers working today. In addition to mastering classical, ragtime, choro, tango, and carribean styles of piano playing, he has fused them together in some terrific compositions. Along with fellow Pianists Scott Kirby and David Thomas Roberts, he has developed a (virtually unknown but beautiful) genre of music known as Terre Verde. It is complex, but accessible; swinging and mealancholy; romantic yet contemporary; spare and full of energy.

Check out some videos of him here

or listen to some of his music here and here

Highly recommended, especially if you liked the Lionel Belasco post.

More on Frank and the other Terra Verde pianists to come. If you're interested, check out the Terra Verde label, Viridiana Production. You can hear all those guys there.

And if you like what you hear, please share this post and consider ordering some of their albums. They're some of the hardest-working and most talented contemporary musicians. And they're criminally under-exposed. Virtually all of their music is available from the links above, and all of it is worth hearing.