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Like a gunslinger in an old Western, Jesus “Chucho” Valdés inspires awe and dread among his fellow pianists when he ambles into town. A tall man with huge hands, he is quite simply one of the most formidable pianists in the world, combining the sheer power of McCoy Tyner with the dexterity of Oscar Peterson and a rhythmic sensibility steeped in the intricacies of Afro-Cuban culture. With seven Grammy Awards and a four-decade track record as a Cuban jazz visionary unwilling to bend to the government’s aesthetic strictures, he continues to blaze new trails as pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader. The son of Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, he joined Armando Romeu’s celebrated Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music in 1967, a time when the communist government still considered American jazz anti-revolutionary. Undaunted, Valdés eventually co-founded the legendary Irakere in 1972 with reed master Paquito D’Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Drawing on sacred Afro-Cuban rituals, jazz and rock, Irakere became a Latin American musical force. His latest album, Chucho’s Steps, features the Afro-Cuban Jazz Messengers, a combo designed as an Art Blakey-esque proving ground for the best young players on the Cuban scene. Chucho’s last SFJAZZ appearance sold out, so get your tickets early!
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