Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Legendary Pianist and Composer CHUCHO VALDES Embarks on Chucho’s Steps 2012 Tour with Philadelphia Performance Jan. 26

DECEMBER 28, 2011

“Chucho Valdés, the pianist who is the dean of Latin jazz… has never been anything less than impressive when he has played in New York, showing magnificent power, clarity and speed in his playing.” –New York Times

Presented in association with Artistas y Músicos Latino Americanos 

Preeminent pianist and composer Chucho Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers embark on U.S. tour in January and February 2012 with Philadelphia performance at the Merriam Theater on January 26, 2012 at 7:30pm. The Philadelphia performance features performances from the Grammy Award winning album, Chucho’s Steps, with special guests Danilo Pérez Trio performing an opening set.  In his first solo project since 2003’s New Conception, Valdés once again speaks through his distinctive and extraordinary compositions and arrangements, reflecting his personal and creative evolution.

Chucho’s Steps 2012 Tour includes Chucho Valdés (piano), Juan Carlos Rojas Castro (drums), Lázaro Rivero Alarcón (bass): Yaroldy Abreu Robles (percussion); Carlos Manuel Miyares Hernandez (tenor saxophone), Reinaldo Melián Álvarez (trumpet), Dreiser Durruthy Bambolé  as voice leader and drums bata (on “Yansa”); Baira Fermina Ramirez, Yemi Menocal, Lázaro Rivero Alarcón, Yaroldy Abreu Robles, as Chorus (on “Yansa”).

Tickets for Chucho Valdés and the Afro Cuban Messengers are available at $20 to $50, and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office located on Broad and Spruce streets, Philadelphia, Pa. (open daily from 10am to 6pm, later on performance evenings).                                                     

Born in Quivicán, Cuba, in 1941, Chucho Valdés is one of Cuba’s most famous pianists, bandleaders, composers and arrangers. Having began his music training with his father, famed pianist Bebo Valdés, when he was 3 years old, Chucho’s style melds his diverse experiences and skills: classical, jazz, bop, Cuban and swing, all combined by his virtuosic dexterity on the piano. Perhaps best known for founding the influential Latin jazz band IRAKERE in 1972, Valdés continues to develop unique works of art, generating ideas for a change of style, orchestral format and concept, which nonetheless end up characteristically reflecting pure Chucho.

While exploring his own growth, Valdés, joined by the Afro-Cuban Messengers, pays tribute to those that have influenced him and aided his musical development. For example, the title track, a tribute to John Coltrane and his masterpiece Giant Steps, rounds off the harmonic structure in 50 bars without repetition. The improvisation and variations heard in this track create the illusion of a concert or suite, while exhibiting the virtuosity of Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers. The upbeat and funky opening track, "Zawinul’s Mambo," pays homage to Austrian keyboardist and composer, Joe Zawinul, whom Valdés cites as an integral inspiration to the development of his composition and technique.

“New Orleans,” a tribute to the musicians of New Orleans, specifically the Marsalis family, is a walk through the history of the “birthplace of jazz” beginning with Jelly Roll Morton’s transformation of ragtime to jazz.

In the opening notes of “Yansa,” Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers deftly evoke Yoruba mythology’s “Queen of the Wind and Storms.” In conjuring this powerful Goddess, Valdés juxtaposes the powerful cacophony of violent storms with the melodic resolution found in the call and response of a chorus.  His interpretation of this classic deity weaves the clave rhythm in and out of the composition in a very non-traditional manner, providing a fresh modern insight to an ancient religious belief.

“Julian,” a bluesy lullaby dedicated to Chucho’s youngest son, is a melodic tune ranging from the lyrical to the playful. The beautiful melody, along with the saxophone and trumpet solos, contributes to the wonder of simplicity inspired by father-son tenderness.

Chucho’s illustrious career has garnered him 8 Grammy wins and 17 nominations over the past three decades. His most recent wins, a 2010 Grammy and a 2009 Latin Grammy for the record Juntos para Siempre, saw him collaborate with his father, Bebo Valdés, a major player on the Cuban jazz scene in his own right. Chucho Valdés has recorded over eighty CD’s and performed with everybody who is somebody in the world of jazz, from Herbie Hancock and Dizzy Gillespie, to Wynton Marsalis and Chick Corea. His reputation as one of the greatest living Cuban jazz pianists has earned him appearances on the greatest stages in music, including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center and The Hollywood Bowl. 

Born in Panama in 1965, Danilo Pérez began studying at the National Conservatory in Panama at the young age of 10. After earning a degree in electronics, Pérez changed his major to music, eventually attending the Berklee College of Music.  Notably, Pérez has received three Grammy nominations, is the president and founder of the Panama Jazz Festival and the first jazz musician to ever perform with the Panamanian Symphony Orchestra. In 1994, his album release, The Journey, won the Jazziz Critics Choice Award. Pérez is currently a faculty member of the New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music.  Pérez also serves as artistic advisor of the Kimmel Center’s Jazz Up Close series, which this season honors Philadelphia Jazz Legends, as part of the Kimmel Center’s 10th Anniversary Celebration.  Additionally,  he is an active member in various communities, serving as an ambassador of goodwill for UNICEF and cultural ambassador of Panama.

AMLA, a North Philadelphia non-profit organization,  promotes the development, dissemination, and understanding of Latin music in the Philadelphia area and beyond. AMLA's programs are directed mainly to Latino youth, families, and community members, but are open to all students, families, musicians, dancers, and aficionados of Latin American music and culture. By teaching and inspiring love for and disciplined knowledge of Latin music and dance, AMLA helps build bridges between frequently divided racial and ethnic communities.

 

Kimmel Center, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization, owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio and the Merck Arts Education Center. Kimmel Center, Inc. also manages the Academy of Music, owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, and the University of the Arts Merriam Theater. Kimmel Center, Inc.’s mission is to operate a world class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience which includes providing arts in education, community outreach and a rich diversity of programming. The 2011/2012 season is sponsored by Citi. For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org.

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