Something is happening in the Spanish jazz scene. For a long time, people in Madrid, Barcelona and Seville tended to keep to themselves, but in recent years a whole generation of contemporary Spanish jazz musicians has gained international renown to such an extent that one can certainly speak of a movement. An elementary part of this movement: Pianist Daniel García, born in Salamancha in 1983, who has made a name for himself over the last ten years with his trio as one of the most important representatives of jazz in his home country - playing over 300 concerts across Europe and as far afield as Japan. The line-up of the band represents another special feature of the Spanish scene: many musicians from Cuba have found a second home here due to the common language - and have brought their excellent musical training and influences with them. This also applies to bassist Reinier "El Negron" and drummer Michael Olivera, who form the tight and sensitive rhythm section of the Daniel García Trio. "Wonderland" is the Daniel García Trio's third album on ACT. While the previous albums "Travesuras" (2019) and "Vía de la Plata" (2021) were still characterized by clear influences from flamenco and traditional Spanish music, García has now emancipated himself from these influences. The flamenco borrowings on "Wonderland" are more subtle and sit alongside a whole range of inspirations from modern jazz, classical music, pop and influences from the Caribbean and the Middle East. At the same time, "Wonderland" symbolizes an inner search: Daniel García quotes Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung in the liner notes: "Those who look outwards dream, those who look inwards awaken." García invites his listeners to explore their own feelings and thoughts - into "an intimate world of dreams and fears, illusions and hopes that shapes our self and helps us to understand our surroundings". In the twelve songs on the album, Daniel García traverses various inner spaces and creates a coherent narrative from them. We enter the emotional landscape with the powerful "Gates to the Lands of Wonders". This is followed by the title track, in which the Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman plays the sunny melody in unison with the bandleader. "I love his sound and his compositions," says García. "Such a creative force! I like guitarists who speak through their instrument in such a human way". The gentle "Mi Bolita", which García dedicates to his newborn nephew, and the playfully energetic "Witness the Smile" with its catchy melody show the pianist's Cuban influences - and of course those of his fellow musicians Reinier "El Negron" and Michael Olivera. "They are my brothers," enthuses García. "If I could choose two musicians from anyone in the world, I would still choose them! We are one unit." "It's hard for me to categorize my music," says García. "It feels like trying to put the sea in a box - it just overflows! I love classical music, I love Middle Eastern music, I love rock, I love singer/songwriters! Inspiration can come from anywhere. The intro to "The Gathering", for example, was inspired by a melody I heard on the streets of Salamanca." Two remarkable voices round off the album, the Madrilenian singer Verónica Ferreiro and the Catalan, New York-based singer Lau Noah. In "You and Me" she sings: "Take my hands/Now, come and dance/Time to forget the wounds/All the scars, the pain". An invitation to forget the pain in dance - and for Daniel a way to make the world a better place, if only for a moment. He says "There are so many tragedies happening around us. There is little we can do except believe in ourselves and be good to others." The power of music to improve the world may sound utopian. But the rather soft-spoken, always smiling, warm-hearted Daniel García makes you believe it. And it is worth accompanying him on his journey through his "wonderland". I believe that there is only one person who can truly and deeply know you, and that is yourself... even if that is inevitably not always the case... In the vast, mysterious expanses of our inner world lies a place we often overlook - a sanctuary untouched by the chaos of everyday life, where dreams and fears intermingle in a delicate dance. This is the realm that shapes our true selves, a place I call Wonderland. In this secret sanctuary are our deepest illusions and most passionate hopes, guiding our way through the labyrinth of life. The album "Wonderland" is an invitation to explore this inner landscape. Each track on "Wonderland" is a portal, an invitation to look into different facets of human nature. With this album, I want to take a look at our inner selves, which I see as both personal and universal. I want to reflect the complex emotions and experiences that define our inner lives; it's a challenge to face our deepest fears, nurture our dreams, question our illusions and ultimately hold on to hope. This album is not just about the music. It encourages listeners to embrace the different aspects of their inner worlds. I invite you to immerse yourself in your own inner landscape as you listen and discover the beauty and depth of your heart. This journey reminds us that within each of us exists a private sanctuary - a Wonderland - where we can find solace, clarity and a renewed sense of purpose and understanding. In this way, "Wonderland" speaks to the universal human experience from the humility of a handful of musical compositions that provide a space to search for the hidden parts of ourselves and, in doing so, perhaps give each of these songs individual meaning. I hope that with this album I can accompany you on this personal journey as we explore the wonders that lie within us all.