Most musical nostalgia from pre-Castro Cuba centers on its glittering Havana nightlife. New York-based pianist and composer David Virelles’ 2018 album, instead, showcases the rich traditions of the country’s second-largest city, Santiago de Cuba, where he was raised in a musical family. Elders and masters of Santiago genres like chepinsón and trova invigorate the tracks of Vol. I, which also celebrates the history of Cuban big bands. Vol. II focuses on the café piano music of early 20th-century composer Antonio María Romeu, with Virelles’ agile keyboards accompanied only by wooden guiro. Virelles brought musicological rigor to this historical project, drawing on the knowledge of veteran musicians in his hometown, and putting that into context with research he conducted at university libraries in the US. He and his bandmates put equal effort into their performance, realizing this labor of love with heart, soul, and groove.