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CHUCHITO VALDES QUARTET AT YOSHIS (OAKLAND)
photos by Tom Ehrlich
CHUCHITO VALDES BIOGRAPHY:
Born in Havana Cuba, Chuchito Valdés comes from one of the most distinguished musical families in Cuba He has recorded and performed piano with the world renown Cuban band, Irakere, which he led for 2 years. He has performed at festivals, clubs and concerts throughout the world: from Cuba and the Caribbean, across the United States and South America, and throughout Europe. Some of his worldwide appearances have included Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in London and Green Dolphin Street in Chicago, The Jazz Festivals of Havana, Cancun and Merida, as well as a recent festival performance in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Music Festival. His ensemble was featured at the 19th International Havana Jazz Festival, as well as at the Cancun International Jazz Festival. The band has completed a successful U.S Tour last year performing concerts from Chicago to San Francisco. On Nov. 9th 2001 his band performed at Orchestra Hall In Detroit. In 2002 he was featured with his band at the Chicago Jazz Festival, The Detroit Jazz Festival, AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival, and the Brownsville Latin-Jazz Festival in Texas.
In his youth Chuchito has studied with many Cuban masters, one being his father, the great master Cuban pianist, Chucho Valdés. Following in his father's foosteps, Chuchito is now recognized as a master at Cuban music including Latin Jazz, Mambo, Danzon, Timba and Guaguanco. He has also extensively studied classical music including harmony and composition. When he is not travelling around the world performing, Chuchito lives in Cancun, Mexico where he leads his Afro-Cuban based Latin-Jazz ensemble. His original compositions and arrangements draw on classical harmonic and structural techniques. In his performances, Chuchitos music draws on many styles including Afro-Cuban Latin Jazz, Bebop, Danzon, Cha-Cha-Cha, Son Montuno and much more.
PRESS QUOTES
Raised in Havana, Jesus Chuchito Valdés has inherited more then his father's famous name: on a recording made in Chicago last summer, he displays the hell-bent intensity and daredevil technique of the elder Valdes-qualities recognized worldwide as hallmarks of Cuban Jazz.
In terms of pure flamboyance, Chuchito Can just about match his dad: he can raise a mountain of rhythmic intensity with a driving montuno, create flutelike filigrees in his fluttering right hand figures, or stagger flashing cords at breakneck speed to build a kaleidoscopic improvisation.
But he seems just as happy to play out a lyrical danzon with unfeigned humility-to throttle back a notch, in other words, and let the music breathe.the relative spaciousness in his stle does set Chuchito apart from most of his countrymen.
~Neil Tesser - Author of the Playboy Guide to Jazz
In a sense, Valdes and his band reinvigorated age old Cuban musical forms, the venerable cha-cha-cha and mambo standards revitalized by the muscular virtuosity of a mostly younger generation of players. This was jazz improvisation of the most sophisticated kind, with arcane chord changes and unexpected bursts of dissonance at almost every turn.
~Howard Reich, - Chicago Tribune
This is a burning Afro-Cuban jazz CD. The program gives us mostly originals by Chuchito and or/ Reese, (as well as) Coltrane's Giant Steps and Tres Lindas Cubanas. The music here is simply wonderful, very articulate, strong and clean.
~Marshall Vente - Radio Host of Jazz Tropical - 90.9 FM
CARAMOOR JAZZ FESTIVAL
