About the Artists

Paul Crewes Rachel Fine EDDIE PALMIERI Born on LUQUES CURTIS Winner of CAMILO ERNESTO Artistic Director Managing Director December 15, 1936, NEA Jazz the 2016 Downbeat Critics MOLINA GAETÁN began Master and 10-time Grammy Choice “Rising Star” Award, studying music at the age of two PRESENTS Award winner Eddie Palmieri is bass player Luques Curtis was with the children’s workshop of hailed as one of the finest born in Hartford and began Los Pleneros de la 21, a pianists of the past 60 years and studying the piano and community-based group celebrated as a bandleader, percussion. He later switched to dedicated to playing folkloric arranger and composer of salsa and Latin jazz. His bass, and while in high school he studied the Afro- Puerto Rican music, where he is now a teacher. At the professional career as a pianist took off with various Caribbean genre with bass greats Andy González age of ten he was named third-prize winner of the bands in the early 1950s, including those of Eddie and Joe Santiago. He earned a full scholarship to Thelonious Monk International Afro- Latin Hand Forrester, Johnny Segui and Tito Rodriguez. In 1961, attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, and he Drum Competition, and he went on to graduate from EDDIE PALMIERI Mr. Palmieri formed his own band, La Perfecta, has since played and/ or toured with Gary Burton, The Juilliard School under the MAP/PATH programs. which featured an unconventional front line of Ralph Peterson and Donald Harrison. Mr. Curtis can Mr. Molina has performed and recorded with such trombones rather than the trumpets customary in be heard on Eddie Palmieri and Brian Lynch’s artists as Santana, Ricky Martin, Frankie Negrón, Latin orchestras. This created an innovative sound Grammy Award-winning CD, Simpatico, and Miguel Zenón, Elio Villafranca and Teatro Pregones. that mixed American jazz into Afro-Caribbean Christian Scott’s Grammy-nominated Rewind That. He can be heard on three Grammy Award-nominated LATIN JAZZ SEPTET rhythms, surprising critics and fans alike. The He also plays with his brother Zaccai Curtis, and albums — Eddie Palmieri’s Rumbero de Piano, Los eponymous recording, released in 1962 on the they co-own a record label, Truth Revolution Pleneros de la 21’s Para Todos Ustedes and Papo Alegre label, launched a Palmieri discography that Records. Together they have made three releases, Vazquez’s Marooned/ Aislado — as well as the Emmy TH would grow to more than 50 albums and earn ten the most recent being Completion of Proof. His Award-winning documentary, Sonó, Sonó, Tité Curet. 80 ANNIVERSARY TOUR Grammy Awards. Among his other recordings, Mr. website is luquescurtis.com. Palmieri’s 1970 Harlem River Drive was the first to JONATHAN POWELL merge what were categorized as “Black” and “Latin” LOUIS FOUCHÉ Alto Originally from Largo, Florida, Septet Members: music into a free-form sound that encompassed saxophonist Louis Fouché Jonathan Powell began playing elements of salsa, funk, soul and jazz. In 1975 he comes from a family of music trumpet at age eleven, inspired won his first Grammy Award for The Sun of Latin lovers, and when he was 12 by Louis Armstrong, Dizzy LEADER & PIANO Music, the first award given in the new category, Best years old he was inspired to Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard and Eddie Palmieri Latin Recording. In 1988 the Smithsonian’s National learn the tenor saxophone after Miles Davis. He moved to New Museum of American History recorded two of Mr. hearing Stanley Turrentine for York and in 2009 was named The Latin Jazz Corner’s TRUMPET Palmieri’s performances for its archives. In 2009 the the first time. That same summer he traveled from Best Latin Jazz Trumpet Player. He can be heard on Jonathan Powell Library of Congress added his “Azucar Pa’ Ti” to the his hometown of Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, to recent Grammy Award-winning recordings of Arturo National Recording Registry; the widely popular 8 New Orleans, where his grandfather enrolled him O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and he has ALTO SAXOPHONE ½-minute work had broken the 3 1/2-minute barrier at the Louis Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp, which worked with DJ Premier, Miguel Zenón, Henry Cole, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Bob Mintzer, The WDR Big Band, Louis Fouché previously imposed by the recording industry. In cemented his passion for music. Since then he has 2012 Mr. Palmieri wrote the soundtrack for the toured globally with Eddie Palmieri, Christian Scott, Snoop Dogg and many others. As a composer, Mr. documentary Doin it in the Park, an exploration of Jonathan Batiste, George Porter, Jr., and others. As Powell incorporates many elements into his work, CONGAS the culture of pick-up basketball in New York City. a bandleader, his debut album, Subjective Mind, including Jazz, Latin, hip hop, death metal and both Vicente “Little Johnny” Rivero The soundtrack was released in 2013, and songs was the No. 1 new jazz album on Amazon.com. Mr. North Indian and 20th-century classical music. These from the film will be included in Mr. Palmieri’s Fouché also has degrees in physics and chemical influences are heard on his band nu Sangha’s debut BONGO & TIMBALITOS upcoming fulllength recording, Sabiduria, a fusion of engineering from MIT, where he developed an album, Transcend, and its latest recording, Beacons Nicholas Marrero Jazz, funk, Latin and Afro-world rhythms. In 2015 he online science enrichment program for high school of Light. His website is jonathanpowell.net. has released a new Big Band version of his classic seniors from underrepresented backgrounds. His VICENTE “LITTLE BASS composition, “Vámonos P’al Monte,” and he website is louisfouche.com. JOHNNY” RIVERO was born Luques Curtis recorded a Big Band album Mi Luz Mayor, which features Carlos Santana and Gilberto Santa Rosa, for NICHOLAS MARRERO an in New York City, then moved to future release. This past fall he recorded seven classic award-winning and legendary Puerto Rico with his parents, TIMBALES songs that will be included in an interactive audio Latin percussionist, started at where he played with the Camilo Ernesto Molina Gaetán app available in 2017. In 2013 Mr. Palmieri received the age of 14 with Orchestra legendary salsa ensemble La two of the most distinguished honors in his field: he Caribe. Throughout his career Sonora Ponceña for 16 years, was named a Jazz Master by the National he has played and recorded touring the world and making 16 CDs. When he’s not Endowment for the Arts; and he was given a Lifetime with such Latin and Latin Jazz performing or touring with Eddie Palmieri, he Achievement Award by the Latin Academy of leaders as Eddie Palmieri, Larry Harlow, Machito, performs in studio sessions with such Latin and jazz Recording Arts & Sciences. Jazz at Lincoln Center will and the Fania All-Stars, as well as jazz and rock artists as Papo Lucca, Brian Lynch, Phil Woods, Dave honor his 80th birthday by with two concerts on March greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Santana, David Valentin, Bebo Valdés, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Paquito 4 and 5, 2017. His website is palmierimusic.com Amram, Steely Dan, Bill Withers, Airto and Flora D’Rivera. He also leads his own band and has THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017 AT 8PM Moreira, Wynton Marsalis, Chico O’Farrill, Billy released two solo albums: Pasos Gigantes and Music Bram Goldsmith Theater Cobham, Stevie Wonder, Manu Dibango, Average in Me, which has been hailed for delivering a Latin White Band, George Benson and Xavier Cugat, Jazz grove with underpinning of traditional Afro- Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission. among many, many others. He recently was Cuban percussion and rhythms, and which has been awarded the 2016 Hispanic Heritage Arts Award as placed on the Official Ballot for the 59th Grammys a member of the Fania All Stars. Awards for Best Latin Jazz Album. His website littlejohnnyrivero.com.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P27