It's not every day that Cuban born and longtime Havana resident Chucho Valdés performs outside of his country. But, the Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger did just that this weekend with back to back packed concerts in Carnegie Hall in NYC and NJ PAC in Newark.
Chucho is not only known as one of Cuba’s greatest jazz pianists and one of the founders of IRAKARE. His father is the famous Cuban pianist and former director of Havana’s famous “Tropicana” nightclub band Bebo Valdés.
Chucho is Cuba's Latin Jazz ambassador, creating one of Cuba’s best Latin Jazz bands, The Afro Cuban Messengers in 1972.
His sets started with a tribute to Duke and ended with a brilliant version of the Cuban standard, Manicero. Thanks, Chucho Valdés for a very special New York - New Jersey weekend!