Chucho Valdés & The Jazz Messenger’s | Chucho’s Steps (Avail Now)

Legendary Pianist And Composer Chucho Valdés Newest Release “Chucho’s
Steps” With The Afro Cuban Messengers; First Extensive National Tour In
7 Years

LEGENDARY PIANIST AND COMPOSER CHUCHO VALDÉS NEWEST RELEASE CHUCHO’S STEPS WITH THE AFRO CUBAN MESSENGERS

FIRST EXTENSIVE NATIONAL TOUR IN SEVEN YEARS

“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

Chucho
Valdés’ newest release, Chucho’s Steps, is as much of a discovery for
the preeminent pianist as for his audience. In his first solo project
since 2003’s New Conceptions, Valdés speaks through his distinctive and
extraordinary compositions and arrangements, reflecting upon his own
evolution throughout the previous years.

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,
that 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, contribute to the wonder of simplicity inspired by father-son
tenderness.

Valdés’ new album Chucho’s Steps with the Afro-Cuban
Messengers, which will extensively tour the USA in October 2010, marks
Chucho’s return to the US for the first time in 7 years. Full tour dates
below.

Chucho’s illustrious career has garnered him 7 Grammy
wins and 16 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.

Chucho’s Steps

Chucho Valdés/ Piano
Juan Carlos Rojas Castro / Drums
Lázaro Rivero Alarcón / Bass
Yaroldy Abreu Robles / Percussion
Carlos Manuel Miyares Hernandez / Tenor Saxophone (except “Begin To Be Good”)
Reinaldo Melián Álvarez / Trumpet (except “Danzon”)
Dreiser Durruthy Bambolé—/ Voice Leader & Drums Bata (on “Yansa”)
Baira Fermina Ramirez, Yemi Menocal, Lázaro Rivero Alarcón, Yaroldy Abreu Robles / Chorus (on “Yansa”)

CHUCHO VALDÉS CHUCHO’S STEPS TOUR DATES
October 9 Urbana, IL Tryon Festival Theatre @ Krannert Center
October 10 Chicago, IL Orchestra Hall @ Symphony Center
October 11 San Francisco, CA San Francisco Jazz Festival @Herbst Theatre
October 14 Irvine, CA Irvine Barclay Theatre
October 16 Los Angeles, CA The Luckman Theatre @California State University
October 18 Wilmington, DE Grand Opera House
October 19 Amherst, MA Fine Arts Center Concert Hall @ University of Massachusetts at Amherst
October 20 Utica, NY Stanley Theatre
October 22 & 23 New York, NY Allen Room @ Jazz at Lincoln Center
October 24 Burlington, VT Flynn Theatre
October 26 Hanover, NH Spaulding Auditorium @ Hopkins Center— Dartmouth College
October 28 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
October 30 Washington, DC The Warner Center
November 1 New York, NY Village Vanguard