Chuchito Valdes. Courtesy photoMUSIC News:
The Los Alamos County Summer Concert Series show at 7 p.m. tonight has been moved to Fuller Lodge. Promoter Russ Gordon wishes to give a special thanks to Dianne Marquez at the County’s Park and Recreation Department. Still a free show starring Cuba’s piano jazz maetro, Chuchito Valdes.
This week’s concert performer is Afro-Cuban piano maestro, Chuchito Valdes. The band is a trio and they’re world renowned as masters of Cuban music including Son, Danzon, Cuban Timba and Guaguanco. They play Cuban dance music and jazz.
Valdes grew up in Castro’s Cuba and now lives in Cancun, Mexico. His family is the first family of Cuban piano. Chuchito’s grandfather, Bebo Valdes was the first of the three generations of a Cuban piano jazz dynasty. His father is the incredible Chucho Valdes. These men were the Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington and Bill Evans of Cuban music, Promoter Russ Gorden said.
“They each grew up under the influences of Carribean rhythms and jazz and they all expanded the dimensions of the music,” Gordon said. “They all played Sambas and Rumbas plus the music of Bach, Brahms, Gershwin, Dizzy Gillespie and the Beatles. Chucho led a very successful Afro-Cuban band in the 80’s called Irakere. When Chucho took off to play solo, Chuchito took over the group. Now Chuchito has followed as a solo act or duo or trio. Friday, we’ll get the multi Latin Grammy nominated trio. This will be a tremendously exciting show. Please see our schedule and our list of sponsors at www.gordonssummerconcerts.com. Read more about Valdes at www.chuchitovaldes.com .”
Opening the show will be the Los Alamos Middle Schools Big Jazz Band A. The band is led by Los Alamos’ Ryan Finn and he’s thrilled to open the Summer Series that he’s been following since he was a child in the 1990s, Gordon said.
The concerts return to Ashley Pond May 26 with Deke Dickerson. Dickerson. is a wild and crazy, roots of rock and roll guitarist. Check him out at www.gordonssummerconcerts.com, www.dekedickerson.com and on youtube.
