Paquito D`Rivera

At the age of 10, the Paquito D'Rivera was seen performing the Weber Clarinet Concerto No. 2 at Havana's Teatro Nacional, under the historic baton of the maestro Gonzalo Roig. A couple of years later, he entered Havana's Cartula Conservatory, where he studied clarinet, composition and harmony. By the time he turned 15, Paquito was already playing alongside the top jazz musicians in the Cuban capital. He also participated in the first recordings of a seminal combo led by Jesœs "Chucho" Valdes, a young pianist who would become the greatest influence in Paquito's career.
In 1973 he joined forces with Chucho Valdes and other musicians to form Irakere, one of the most important Latin jazz groups of the 20th Century. Irakere's innovations radically changed the stylistic course of both Latin jazz and Antillean dance music. Since the clarinet did not fit most of Irakere's repertoire, Paquito was forced to put down said single-reed woodwind instrument for a number of years.
Nevertheless, Paquito had grown increasingly unhappy with the Castroite regime's cultural intolerance and political repression. In May of 1980, during a European tour with Irakere, Paquito obtained political asylum at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid. A few months later he landed in New York City.
The rest is history. Paquito revolutionized the U.S. Latin jazz scene of the 1980s, and his generous nature as a bandleader helped to launch the solo careers of many talented cohorts. Paquito became the only U.S.-based musician who was Òplaying real Latin jazz, according to the late Mario Bauz, a founding father of such multicultural genre. Bauz was precisely the one who made an encouraging offer twenty years ago, upon discovering that his newly arrived compatriot had left his clarinet in Havana: "I'm going to lend you my clarinet, Paquito.. .There is no clarinet player like you around here." It did not take very long for the clarinet to find a place next to the saxophone, as an instrumental associate with equal rights and responsibilities, in the artistic existence of Paquito.
At the dawn of a new millennium, Paquito is finally able to materialize one of his most compelling dreams: To record an entire clarinet album designed to highlight certain dimensions of his musicianship that deserve much greater recognition. Even those who have already been made aware of his peculiar clarinet sound in the spheres of Cuban and Brazilian music will be surprised to discover his mastery of the deep and rich timbre commonly associated with classical clarinetists. Only a bonafide, hardcore musician like Paquito could successfully lead three distinctively different but evidently compatible instrumental formats (symphonic orchestra, jazz quintet, and Latin American classical trio) throughout the repertoire on this CD.

DVD Audio „The Clarinetist“ will be released in 2003
further artist informations at www.paquitodrivera.com

Demos from the CD "The Clarinetist - Volume one"

concert schedule you will find at www.paquitodrivera.com

“Als einzigartig erfindungsreicher Bläser ist der Kubaner Paquito D‘Rivera einer der wichtigsten Repräsentanten
des Latin Jazz. ... Durchweg und speziell in Astor Piazollas „Aconcagua“ prägt der Meister mit seinem
unverkennbar weichen, subtilen Ton die Athmosphäre.”
(Stereoplay)

“Ergebnis ist eine ungewöhnliche, aber überzeugend homogene Mixtur aus lateinamerikanischer Musik, Jazz und
klassischen Texturen, stets voll vibrierender rhythmischer Energie, gleichzeitig aber mit höchster, bis an
die grenzen des Pathos reichender Klangästhetik gespielt.”
(Jazzthing)

“Die Jazzabteilung führt uns den unglaublich virtuosen Jazzmusiker D’Rivera vor, die Orchesterabteilng
den mit allen Wassern gewaschenen konzertanten (um nicht zu sagen symphonischen) Klarinettisten.”
(Jazzpodium)

“Mit Sinfonieorchester, im Jazzquintett und im klassischen Trio bindet er Klassik, Jazz und lateinamerikanisches
zu einem interessanten Strauß. Stimmungsvoll und dank des EAO zuweilen schön schmalzig.”
(Crescendo)

... ein paar Pressestimmen

2001

The Clarinetist - Volume one
(2001, Peregrina Music PM50221)

100 Years of Latin Love Songs (1999, In Akustik Inak30452)

Havanna Cafe (1992, Chesky Records Chesky JD60)

Paquito D`Rivera

Paquito D`Rivera

Paquito D`Rivera

Paquito D`Rivera

Paquito D`Rivera

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