Dafnis Prieto Trio to perform at the Vermont Jazz Center
Release Date: Thursday, February 26th 2009
Dafnis Prieto Trio to perform at the VermontJazzCenter on March 14th at 8:00 PM
Press Release written by Eugene Uman
On Saturday, March 14th at 8:00, the VermontJazzCenter welcomes three Cuban virtuosos to the stage. Each of the musicians in this trio has been heralded as a major player, responsible for advancements in the development of Latin Jazz. The leader of the group is drummer, Dafnis Prieto who has been claimed as “… easily the most impressive young drummer to come on the jazz scene during the past decade” (All About Jazz). Prieto has chosen his long-time collaborators, pianist, Manuel Valera and bassist Charles Flores to join him; each individual brings a deep knowledge of Cuban styles, blazing technique and a thorough understanding of jazz styles and history.
The great Latin pianist, composer and band-leader, Eddie Palmieri says Prieto “comprehends the two most incredibly difficultrhythmic genres,” meaning that he has mastered both the authentic swing feel of jazz and the precise grooves of Latin popular music. Prieto internalizes and utilizes influences from around the world and easily moves between styles and rhythms with mercurial ease. In short, he is impossible to categorize. Because of Dafnis’ Zen-like ability to realize that the needs of the music trump the pigeonholes of style, he is a welcome collaborator amongst musicians expressing a broad range of styles, and even those who intentionally break stylistic barriers. From Palmieri to Henry Threadgill, from the Caribbean Jazz Project to John Zorn, from Juan Carlos Formell to Jane Bunnett, from Chucho Valdez to Andrew Hill, from Michel Camilo to Roy Hargrove. Having appeared on over 50 recordings, this young artist is in-demand as a result of his excellent musicianship, tremendous technical abilities and creative vision.
Dafnis’ drumming is often greeted with astonishment: his technique is at such a high level that his accomplishments baffle even professional drummers. Dafnis is quick to remark: “it’s all about the music.” Although he has access to “any type of technical chops or virtuosity,” he insists, “it all has to be integrated into the music.” He then added “I would never present something pretentiously for the sake of virtuosity or ego – you have to make it groove, make it swing, it’s all about the music!” Dafnis is a product of the rigorous Cuban conservatory system where he began studies in classical percussion at the age of ten. He’s also a product of the “street,” where he learned how to groove in clave, play folkloric percussion and dig deeply into the Afro-cuban roots of the music he loves.
Dafnis now is a leader in his own right, with numerous recordings under his belt where he has served as producer, composer and drummer. He also is the regular drummer in the renowned Michel Camilo trio, serving alongside the grand pianist with bassist Charles Flores. Flores will be joining forces with Dafnis and pianist Manuel Valera on March 24th at the VJC. He started his career with Emiliano Salvador, one of the key figures in the history of Cuban jazz and then spent many years touring the world with Salvador, the Latin Fusion group, Afro-Cuba and salsa singer, Isaac Delgado. Flores has performed with Jane Bunnett, J.P. Torres, Brian Lynch, Giovanni Hidalgo, David Sanchez, BBC Big Band,Alturo Sandoval, Dave Valentin, Steve Khan, Dafnis Prieto, Hahir Atakoglu and others. In 2002 he joined the Michel Camilo Trio and performed at many of the most important jazz venues in the world. One recording he appears on with Michel Camilo and Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez won a Grammy for the Best Latin Jazz Album (Live At The Blue Note) in 2003.
Manuel Valera will be playing piano with the trio. Almost into his thirties, Manuel has been creating a buzz in New York and the jazz community at large since the release of his first recording, Forma Nueva in 2004. Tom Conrad of JazzTimes magazine wrote: “What is impressive about Forma Nueva is not—Valera’s command of the keyboard, which approaches Brad Mehldau-levels of completeness—it is rather the elegance with which he shapes his high-energy expressiveness into intricate, flowing musical wholes.” Manuel comes to the music as the son of an accomplished saxophonist who has worked with Paquito D’Rivera, Chucho Valdes, Gonzalo Rubacabla and Tito Puente. Young Valera emigrated to the US at age 15 after having received conservatory training in Cuba on the instrument of his father (saxophone). At this time he committed himself to the piano, his “natural instrument.” Valera’s playing demonstrates that he has internalized sources within the great jazz piano tradition such as Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Oscar Peterson, and reveals his reverence and familiarity with impressionistic composers like Debussy and Ravel.
Valera has received positive critical acclaim for the three recordings he has released as a leader, but he is also a coveted sideman on the New York scene. Some of the noteworthy musicians he plays alongside of include: Paquito D' Rivera, Vincent Herring, John Benitez, Donny McCaslin, Claudio Roditi, Louis Hayes, Bobby Sanabria, Giovanni Hildago, Dave Valentin, William Cepeda, Eddie Gomez and Richard Bona. Manuel won second place in the 2004 and 2006 Great American Jazz Competition, is a recipient of the 2005 and 2006 ASCAP Young Composers Award, and was a finalist in the Up & Coming Musician of the Year category of the Jazz Journalists Association Awards. In 2007 Valera received a commission from Chamber Music America.
The VermontJazzCenter considers itself very fortunate to be able to present this stellar trio, a group that represents the vitality of jazz at this moment in history. Each of these young individuals has undergone academic training, served apprenticeships with one or several leading mentors and busted out on their own to demonstrate that jazz is in good hands. Come enjoy their show at the VermontJazzCenter on March 14th at 8:00 PM. The VermontJazzCenter thanks the Colonial Inn, and the Brattleboro Food Co-op for their continued generous contributions of goods and services. This concert is made possible thanks in part to a generous grant from the Vermont Council of the Arts.
Tickets to hear the Dafnis Prieto trio are $20 general admission, $15 for students with valid ID. To purchase using a credit card, visit the VJC website at www.vtjazz.org and order using their secure server. Tickets can also be purchased at In the Moment in downtown Brattleboro, or can be reserved by calling the VJC ticket-line at (802) 254 9088 (ext.1). A surcharge of $1 per ticket will be added to all tickets purchased with a credit card, online, or by phone. This concert is handicap accessible, please call to discuss arrangements to facilitate your enjoyment of this concert: (802) 254 9088, extension 2.
To listen to examples of Dafnis’ music, or to watch him deliver master-classes on video, visit his website at www.dafnisprieto.com.
