Most successful jazz artists will tell you that they stand on the shoulders of giants and mentors. Donald Vega is hardly shy in expressing his gratitude toward those who helped him along the way, as he makes plain on his latest release, Play It Forward. The pianist, who began classical studies in his native Nicaragua, emigrated to the U.S. in 1989, and joined his mother in Los Angeles. At the Colburn School of Performing Arts, teacher Iris Stevenson was instrumental in entering him in local youth competitions, and drummer Billy Higgins showed him great kindness by sharing his voluminous knowledge of jazz. Subsequent studies at Juilliard brought him into the orbit of Kenny Barron, who proved an important instructor. And, then, when his residence in the U.S. was in jeopardy, fellow members of the jazz community — including Quincy Jones — stepped up, writing letters on his behalf. This support of his artistry was validated several times over: In 2023 alone, his release As I Travel was nominated for a Best Latin Jazz Album Grammy and he was named a Guggenheim Fellow in composition. Vega’s deep appreciation for “teachers, elders and advocates” can be heard in the music and song titles on Play It Forward, which celebrate Stevenson and Higgins, as well as percussionist Francisco Aguabella and bassist Al McKibbon. The album’s quietly joyful title track is the perfect summation, Vega’s sparkling piano supported by a sextet of longtime colleagues — trumpeter Brandon Lee, saxophonist David DeJesus, bassist Raul Reyes, drummer Pete Van Nostrand and percussionist Carly Maldonado. Ratcheting up the intensity, Vega breaks into a romping montuno with Maldonado’s congas adding to the descarga feel.
