Sets at 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Featuring Tony Perez – piano; John Lockwood – bass; Bertram Lehmann – drums. Special Guest: Ernesto Diaz – Percussion.
On Thursday, July 25th 2002, Cuban pianist Tony Perez will be presenting music from his latest CD release From Enchantment and Timba to Full Force Jazz(Pimienta) at Manhattan’s ‘Jazz Gallery’. This event will be featuring his current trio project with John Lockwood on bass and Bertram Lehmann on drums, as well as guest percussionist Ernesto Diaz.
The ‘Jazz Gallery’ www.jazzgallery.org is located at 290 Hudson Street (below Spring), in lower Manhattan and can be reached by the IRT #1 train to Houston Street, or the IND C or E trains to Spring Street. Admission is $12 per set for non-members, $10 for members. For reservations call 212-242-1063.
“A new wave of Cuban jazz musicians are appearing on the horizon. One worth checking out is pianist Tony Perez, who on his sophomore outing as a leader navigates a picturesque voyage that he calls From Enchantment and Timba. . .To Full Force Jazz. Truly, the enchantment is his prodigal piano skill with impeccable chops, well -tempered jazz harmonies, and a classical edge. . . . Perez is a young captain, steering with keen talent and originality through some of the freshest jazz waters in the Caribbean.”
- National Public Radio.org
Tony Perez has become one of Cuba’s most accomplished musicians to recently emerge from the island’s rich and diverse musical culture. Despite his young age, Mr. Perez has performed and recorded with the stars of the Latin American popular music scene, as well as the leading Afro-Cuban jazz ensembles from the region. In 1992, he recorded with Isaac Delgado on the singer’s seminal “Con Ganas”, a landmark recording of contemporary Cuban salsa. Later years saw him compose, arrange and perform with the legendary Fania Allstars, Celia Cruz, Jose Luis Cortes, and Giraldo Piloto’s group ‘Klimax’, who has called his bandmate “one of the greatest pianists in Cuban music.”
In 1998 Mr. Perez took over the piano chair in what may be the most internationally renowned Cuban group of all time, ‘Irakere’. More recently, “the amazing Havana pianist,” as he has been called by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, also has taken part in the production of the all-star collaboration “La Rumba Soy Yo,” a recording which received a Grammy in the 2001 Latin Music Awards.
As a leader, Mr. Perez has released two recordings, the 1998 solo-piano disc “Soneao” on Tamarindo Records, and the recent From Enchantment and Timba to Full Force Jazz, a sophisticated yet hard-driving collection of Latin Jazz originals released by Universal/Pimienta Records. It is available at major retailers in the U.S. through Universal distributions.
Since relocating to the U.S., Tony Perez has embarked on a musical exploration within the confines of the more intimate piano trio setting, to further the more acoustic and jazz-oriented side of his career. The Tony Perez Triois his first stateside project and features John Lockwood on acoustic bass and Bertram Lehmann on drums. In this context, the trio delves into a combination of original material from Perez’ latest discs, and in what promises to be a distinctly Afro-Cuban perspective, presents a fresh improvisational approach to contemporary jazz repertoire. The trio will be joined by special guest Ernesto Diaz on percussion.
Mr. Lehmann and Mr. Lockwood are among the most prominent and active musicians in the New England and New York regions, and have performed with a wide variety of local as well as nationally known artists.
While John Lockwood is perhaps foremost known in the New England region for his regular performances with The Fringe, Laszlo Gardony, George Garzone, Mat and Joe Maneri as well as Billy Pierce, he has also earned an outstanding international reputation throughout his career that includes performances with legends like Joe Henderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Pat Metheny, Danilo Perez, Freddie Hubbard, and Gary Burton.
Bertram Lehmann has earned high recognition as drummer for acclaimed New England-based ensembles Mango Blue, Natraj, the Luciana Souza Quintet, and the Katie Viqueira Group. Additionally, he has performed with artists such as Paquito D’Rivera, Danilo Perez, Dave Samuels, Romero Lubambo, Kenny Werner, John Benitez, and Claudio Roditi.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
