Bridges is the debut album from the combined talents of distinctive British jazz pianist Robert Mitchell and Cuban violin virtuoso Omar Puente. It features eight tunes: four written by Robert, two by Omar, and one a piece from Abalardo Valdez and Grammy award winning Chucho Valdez. The pair met six years ago in London. Robert, impressed on hearing the Cuban's ten-piece Raices Cubanas band, invited Omar to join his group, Panacea, on stage for a series of live performances and to guest on its first CD. This duo collaboration is a relatively recent development but has already included several UK performances as well as visits to Morocco and Belgium, and a celebrated performance at the Havana International Jazz Festival, captured on a 45-minute documentary screened in Cuba. 

"It's an obvious challenge" says Robert, "just violin and piano filling the stage for a two-set show - but it's exciting!  It's an honour to play with Omar, and our similarities (classical music, jazz) work equally as well as our differences (Latin
music)".