Karles Pérez Sextet is a new project where I reflect a hard bop influence from the ’60s and ’90s. Musicians like Roy Hargrove, Cedar Walton, Benny Golson, Ralph Peterson, and Jeff “Tain” Watts, among others, have inspired me to bring this band to life. The project Scarpetta is an album that expresses the life changes I’ve experienced over recent years. To make it happen, I’ve surrounded myself with close friends who, as it happens, are also remarkable musicians. Thus, the great challenge of bringing a project like this to life has ultimately been a pleasure only comparable to savoring a delicious plate with a good piece of bread or, as our Italian neighbors would say, “Fare la Scarpetta”.