Lluís Capdevila - piano
Alejandra López - double bass
Esteve Pi - drums

Standards, originals and Mompou

Pianist Lluís Capdevila returns to Café Central to present this trio for the first time, alongside Alejandra López (double bass) and Esteve Pi (drums). A meeting point where jazz standards, original compositions and a personal approach to the music of Frederic Mompou come together.

Lluís Capdevila is a pianist and composer whose career focuses on developing a distinctive voice within jazz. He has released seven albums as a leader and has presented his projects in concert halls and clubs across Spain, including his participation in AIE en Ruta 2025, with upcoming performances in New York.

Angie Sánchez - vocals, guitar
Charlie Bautista - vocals, guitar

Angie Sánchez is a multidisciplinary artist working across music, composition and visual creation. With a career developed from a very young age and after collaborating with prominent musicians on the national scene, she presents her debut album, Tiempo al tiempo.

This first release, made up of twelve songs, unfolds as a complete work that traces an emotional and personal journey. Each piece forms part of an intimate narrative in which the artist explores personal experiences and moments of transformation.

Produced by Ricky Falkner, the album stands out for its organic and carefully crafted approach, as well as for the sensitivity of its compositions. Its sound blends influences from folk, pop rock and blues, resulting in an elegant and honest proposal.

Tiempo al tiempo is born from a need for expression, turning composition into a tool to understand and communicate deep experiences. The result is a solid project that defines Angie Sánchez’s artistic identity and marks the beginning of a new stage in her career.

Adrián Costa – vocals, guitar
Gabri Casanovas - piano
Javi Geras - bass
Pascu Monge – drums

Adrián Costa, one of the most highly regarded representatives of national blues, joins harmonica player and pianist Víctor Puertas to present, for the first time at the Central, a genuine 1950s blues project. From the West Coast sound of T-Bone Walker, they will move through Chicago to plug their harmonica into a 5-watt amplifier like Little Walter, and finish with acoustic blues in the rural Mississippi style of Sonny Terry, always keeping New Orleans in mind. The audience will be able to enjoy songs from their latest live album recorded at Café Central.

Celia Carballo – vocals
Marcos Sánchez – piano
Marcos Collado – guitar
Yeray Jiménez – bass
Alberto Brenes – drums

Celia Carballo is a singer and songwriter trained in jazz, soul, and modern music, with a career of over twenty years on stage. Having started in music during childhood, she has developed her own language that combines technique, sensitivity, and improvisation, influenced by her training in Spain and France.

Throughout her career, she has performed at some of the main clubs and festivals and has collaborated with prominent musicians from the national and international scene. She has been part of various musical projects and has participated in recordings, audiovisual productions, and tours, consolidating a solid presence in the live music circuit.

She is currently presenting Fruition, her first solo work, a project that reflects the maturity of her artistic journey. The album proposes a reinterpretation of neo-soul in dialogue with jazz, funk, R&B, and pop, with a contemporary sound that retains the warmth of the 1980s and 1990s. With songs in Spanish and English, the repertoire combines melodic accessibility with expressive depth.

Her live performance, in a quintet format, stands out for its carefully designed stage presentation, solid musical execution, and strong connection with the audience. Each concert is conceived as a living experience, based on interaction, improvisation, and shared emotion.

Iván Sangüesa – piano
Fernando Sangüesa – sax
Roberto Pacheco – trombone
Javier Moreno – double bass
Gonzalo Maestre – drums

Their music combines the essence of blues, swing, funk, and Latin rhythms, appealing both to jazz lovers and to fans of other styles. The band’s main characteristic is the strong interaction with the audience during their concerts, making them part of the music at all times.

Pepe Rivero – piano
Reinier Elizarde “El Negrón” – double bass
Georvis Pico – drums

The renowned Cuban pianist Pepe Rivero, recently nominated for the Latin Grammy alongside Paquito D’Rivera for the album “La Fleur de Cayenne,” will revisit, together with Gastón Joya on double bass and Georvis Pico on drums—also Latin Grammy nominees—the most outstanding pieces from some of his recordings. These range from “Tonight Latin” to Los Boleros de Chopin, Monk en su Rumba, Quizás Quizás, Piano y Trova, Siempre en mi Corazón, dedicated to Ernesto Lecuona, and his latest work “Estampas y Raíces,” dedicated to great Spanish composers.

Compositions that draw on classical music, jazz, and, of course, Cuban music, all of which have strongly influenced his artistic career.

Rachel Reyes – vocals
David Sanz – sax
Joseph John McEvilly – piano
Tom Jackson – double bass
Andrés Freites – drums

Swinging Mad is a quintet made up of musicians from different nationalities (Argentina, Australia, Spain, and Venezuela) who share a deep admiration for the great bands that made millions of people dance during the golden age of jazz.

Through their songs, they tell a story as a journey through time, which still today continues to serve as the soundtrack to our life experiences.

Iván “Melón” Lewis – piano
Gastón Joya – double bass
Georvis Pico – drums

Iván “Melón” Lewis, a Cuban pianist, is also a composer and music producer. Throughout his career, he has performed at major international jazz festivals, sharing the stage with figures such as Bebo and Chucho Valdés, Mulgrew Miller, Bill Mobley, John Hicks, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Wynton Marsalis.

On stage, Melón combines technical precision, lyricism, and a strong ability for collective improvisation, moving away from the “Latin jazz” cliché to explore a modern, emotive, and highly personal language. Accompanied by two top-level partners on double bass and drums, each concert by the trio becomes a journey that moves from the most energetic groove to the intimacy of ballads, capturing the audience from the first piece to the last.

A regular presence in some of the most renowned jazz venues and festivals in the world, he has been nominated six times for the Latin Grammy Awards. In 2021, he received the award for Best Latin Jazz Album for Voyager. True to his Cuban roots, he appears at Café Central with his trio, one of the most consistent and distinctive projects on the current scene.

Manuel Machado – trumpet
Bobby Martínez – sax
Sergio Fernández – piano
Yandi – bass
Ramón González “El León” – drums, percussion

Trumpeter Manuel Machado and saxophonist Bobby Martínez come together on stage with Sergio Fernández on piano, Yandi on bass, and Ramón González “El León” on drums and percussion to offer a musical journey full of energy, improvisation, and flavor. With careers linked to the best of jazz and Latin music, they present a repertoire that combines original compositions with great Cuban standards. This event also marks their farewell at the Central, a special concert to celebrate music and close a chapter with the intensity that defines them.

Last night in our beloved venue.

Graduated from the Royal Conservatory Sweelinck of Amsterdam with a degree in sax and composition, holding the title of DM (Teaching Musician, Jazz Department).

As a saxophonist and clarinetist, he has performed and recorded since 1986 with:
Racalmuto, Mastretta, Los Ronaldos, Coque Malla, Miguel Malla Noneto Proyecto Birth of the Cool, Afrodisian Orchestra, Santiago de la Muela Orchestra, Alberto Sanjuan, Miguel Bosé, Fito y Fitipaldis, Virginia Maestro, Dani Martín, Zenet, Josele Santiago, SCA Big Band, MSA Big Band, Missing Stompers, Malarians, La Frontera, Jacobo Serra, Marlango, Sueño de Morfeo, Ricardo Ruipérez, Las Ruedas, and the musicals Billy Elliot and Más de cien mentiras (a musical based on the songs of Joaquín Sabina).

Between 2012 and 2016 he lived in New York City, where he performed with the Carl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra, David Murray Big Band with Macy Gray, Kenny Wessell, Lou Grassi, Kirk Knuffke, etc. During his stay, he presented live with local musicians the project Music and Cartoons, for which he composed original music for Spanish cartoons, and he composed and performed live the music for the play Lorca. Streets and Dreams, written, directed, and performed by Irene Santamaría.

He has composed the orchestral arrangements for ¿Revolución?, the latest album by Coque Malla, which were recorded by the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra. He has also composed arrangements for Coque Malla’s previous work (El último hombre en la tierra), Dani Martín, Ricardo Ruipérez, Fito Cabrales, Santero y los muchachos, and Jacobo Serra.

On April 15th, the last concert will take place at the current Café Central location. On the 16th at 5 PM, we want to give the old café the farewell it truly deserves.

We will hold a Jazz Resurrection Funeral. Customers, musicians, former staff, and friends will gather to capture all the magic, history, and positive energy that has been built into its walls—and carry it through the streets with music to the new venue at the Ateneo.

This is an open invitation—anyone who wishes to join is welcome. We will meet at the entrance of the venue at Plaza del Ángel 10. Musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments. We would be delighted to have you with us.

That same night, a new chapter will begin with concerts at Café Central Ateneo. We are committed to not leaving a single night without music.

April 16th
Time: 5 PM

Location: Outside Café Central, Plaza del Ángel 10

Free admission

First concerts of Café Central at La Cátedra del Ateneo.
Calle del Prado, 21, 28014, Madrid

Joshua Edelman - piano
Saúl Santolaria - vocals
Adrián Zarrabeitia - trombone
Loisel Machín - double bass
Richard Pacheco - congas

We are honored to kick off our Café Central programming at La Cátedra del Ateneo with the musician who has performed most frequently at our old venue. Over nearly 800 nights, he has offered a unique presence that blends elegance, sensitivity, and mastery. His fusion of the Manhattan style with Latin jazz has opened new horizons for audiences, and his intelligent, profound approach to jazz has made each concert a memorable experience.

“I have a very long love affair with Latin jazz, which I caught in my native Manhattan in the 1970s. The passion for this music has been one of the driving forces of my professional life and has led me, over decades, to an intensive schedule of recordings and concerts. After nearly forty years performing regularly on the stage of the legendary Café Central, it brings me immense joy that the Central has overcome all adversities to continue in this new location. And of course, it is an honor to inaugurate this new chapter with this band.” Joshua Edelman

First concerts of Café Central at La Cátedra del Ateneo.
Calle del Prado, 21, 28014, Madrid

Jorge Pardo - flute, sax
Jerónimo Maya - flamenco guitar
Bandolero - percussion

On this first night of Café Central at La Cátedra del Ateneo, the second concert of the evening will be led by the Jorge Pardo Trio, with a proposal that fuses flamenco and jazz.

Jorge Pardo, born in Madrid, is a benchmark as a composer and performer on flute and saxophone, and a pioneer in integrating flamenco into these instruments alongside figures such as Camarón de la Isla and Paco de Lucía. Since 1979, he has participated in landmark albums such as La leyenda del tiempo, being key in the development of “flamenco jazz.” With more than twenty albums as a leader, he was recognized as Best European Jazz Musician by the French Jazz Academy for Huellas (2013). Additionally, he received the National Music Award in 2015 and was awarded the American Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2020 for his participation in Antidote, by Chick Corea & The Spanish Heart Band.

He is accompanied by Jerónimo Maya, a guitarist of great personality and virtuosity, recognized for his ability to expand the language of flamenco, and Bandolero, a percussionist with an extensive career, noted for his energy, rhythmic precision, and stage presence, regularly collaborating with major figures and international festivals.

A concert that proposes a meeting between tradition and innovation, with three musicians exploring new sonic frontiers from flamenco.

First concerts of Café Central at La Cátedra del Ateneo.
Calle del Prado, 21, 28014, Madrid

Cecilia Krull - vocals
Carlos Sarduy - trumpet
Luis Guerra - piano
Francisco López “Loque” - double bass
Alberto Brenes - drums

First concerts of Café Central at La Cátedra del Ateneo.

Cecilia Krull has earned gold records in countries such as France and double platinum in Italy, becoming number 1 on global viral charts thanks to “My Life Is Going On,” the soundtrack of the hit series La Casa de Papel.

She is one of the most recognized singers on the national scene within the new generation of jazz musicians. Her voice, velvety and distinctive, combines talent, skill, and elegance, always leaving an unforgettable impression on those who listen to her.

On this occasion, she will delight us with a varied repertoire ranging from pure jazz to bossa nova, French chanson, and some bolero, demonstrating the versatility that characterizes this Madrid-born singer of diverse roots (France, Cuba, Germany, and Spain), for whom the most important thing is to sing songs and tell stories.

First concerts of Café Central at La Cátedra del Ateneo.
Calle del Prado, 21, 28014, Madrid

Lluís Coloma - piano
Kid Carlos - guitar
Manolo Germán - double bass
Arnau Julià - drums

25 years of music
Blues & Boogie Woogie & Jazz and more

Twenty-five years ago, Lluís Coloma began a musical journey that has taken him to the most important stages around the world within the Blues and Boogie Woogie piano scene. In addition, he has done so by creating his own personal and unique musical language.

A restless musician, he is currently in a moment of creative explosion in his career, breaking musical schemes and boundaries. A turning point, where he naturally creates pieces that sound organic and original. Compositions that evoke an epic, cinematic imagination… that take you out of conceptual thinking and transport you directly and involuntarily to a sensitive and dynamic dimension. All of them connected by the common thread of Blues and a shared rhythmic pulse, which feels driving even in slow tempos.

Captivating and danceable music, with a clear and forceful language, crafted with care and full of details, making it rich in sensations and nuances; rooted in the traditions of Blues, Boogie Woogie, Rock & Roll, Classical Music, and Country Music… which are simply the starting point for exploring new paths that lead to unexplored sonic spaces.

First concerts of Café Central at La Cátedra del Ateneo.
Calle del Prado, 21, 28014, Madrid

Sheila Blanco - vocals
Federico Lechner - piano
Tomás Merlo - double bass
José San Martín - drums

The group was born as a musical laboratory to blend the worlds of Jazz and Tango, using some traditional tangos, some iconic jazz standards, and some original compositions created from the very spirit of this fusion.

For this new project, the very special guest soloist is singer Sheila Blanco, a versatile and highly talented artist, with a strong stage presence and deep knowledge of both jazz and tango.

The result is a program that brings together classic tangos, original compositions, and jazz standards, all with an innovative range of colors, where the voice is not limited to singing the lyrics but sometimes joins the improvisational celebration as another instrument. A unique, high-quality proposal that is also suitable for all audiences.

First concerts of Café Central at La Cátedra del Ateneo.
Calle del Prado, 21, 28014, Madrid

Ulf Wakenius - guitar
Ignasi Terraza - piano
Special guest:
Reico Fujisaki - vocals

The duo formed by Ignasi Terraza and Ulf Wakenius performs the music of the legendary Canadian pianist Oscar Peterson, following the celebration of his centenary, with a project that combines original compositions with pieces from the historic Peterson-Joe Pass duo.

The connection of these two musicians with Oscar Peterson is deep and personal. Ulf Wakenius had the privilege of being part of Peterson’s group during the last decade of his career, taking his guitar to stages around the world alongside the master. For his part, Ignasi Terraza has found in Oscar Peterson an inexhaustible source of inspiration since the beginning of his career, reflecting in his style the energy, creativity, and elegance that defined the Canadian pianist.

Together, these two exceptional musicians offer a vibrant and personal reinterpretation of Oscar Peterson’s universe, celebrating his legacy with their own singular voice and keeping alive the spirit of swing and improvisation that characterized him.

A unique opportunity to relive the magic of the Peterson-Joe Pass duo through two virtuosos who have embraced his legacy and projected it into the present. The concert will also feature the talented Japanese singer Reico Fujisaki, who will add her unique voice to the evening’s repertoire.