Chucho Valdés and The Afro-Cuban Messengers come to the Staller Center Recital Hall on Sunday, January 29, at 7:00 pm. Valdés, hailed as the Dean of Latin Jazz and one of the world’s great virtuosic jazz pianists, is a multi-Grammy Award winner who has recorded more than 80 CDs during his illustrious career. He has performed with countless jazz masters including Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea, and Tito Puente.
Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers will perform pieces from the Grammy Award winning album Chucho’s Steps (Best Latin Jazz Album of 2011). Among the pieces is the title track, a tribute to Coltrane’s Giant Steps; “Zawinul’s Mambo,” an upbeat, funky homage to Austrian keyboardist/composer Joe Zawinul; and “New Orleans,” a tour through the history of jazz. 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.
Born in Cuba in 1941, the pianist, composer, arranger, band leader, and music professor began his musical life at home under the direction of his parents—his mother, Pilar Rodrigues, a singer and piano teacher, and his father, the legendary Cuban jazz pianist Bebo Valdés. Chucho Valdés has appeared on the distinguished stages of Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and The Hollywood Bowl. Audience members will appreciate his rare U.S. appearance, which includes a concert at Carnegie Hall a week before his performance at Staller Center.
Tickets for Chucho Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers are $38. Availability is limited. Call the Staller Center Box Office at 631-632-ARTS.
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