Faces to Watch in ’96 : The Year’s in Their Hands : Well, maybe not just theirs (notice we don’t list Jim Carrey). But these artists and entertainers--some you know, some you don’t--are most likely to make some kind of splash in ’96. Ready? Everybody into the pool. : JAZZ : Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s reputation as a fiery technician preceded the Cuban pianist’s first visit to the U.S. for years. But he finally overcame his passport and visa problems in 1993, and his first Los Angeles appearance, in 1994, seemed to prove the forecasts far too accurate, in programs dominated by virtuosic keyboard work but minimal emotional range.

More recently, however--notably at the Hollywood Bowl last August--Rubalcaba, 32, has begun to reveal a multilayered improvisational vision that can be as moving as it is rhythmically thrilling. This despite the fact that his next album, recorded at his first U.S. concert, is taken from a performance that failed to balance the aggressive piano techniques of his early recordings with the quiet musical insights of his more current efforts. Nevertheless, in an arena crowded with an accomplished generation of pianists, Rubalcaba has the charisma and the energy to drive to the front of the pack.