Cuba-born and New York-based saxophonist and clarinet player Paquito D'Rivera has balanced a career in Latin jazz with commissions as a classical composer and appearances with symphony orchestras. At the age of six, young Paquito played the soprano sax already on a professional level. At age 10 he performed with the National Theater Orchestra of Havana, then began studying at the Havana Conservatory of Music and became a featured soloist with the Cuban National Symphony at age 17. He was a co-founder of the Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna and served as the band's conductor for two years. In 1973 he joined eight members of the Orquesta to form the band Irakere, a top-rated Cuban-Jazz ensemble that toured throughout the world. While on tour in Spain in 1981, D'Rivera defected and moved to the U.S. starting a unique career in U. S. jazz and classical circuits.

Paquito played with Dizzy Gillespie, Mario Bauza, Michel Camilo and others and wrote compositions for chamber ensembles and Jazz at Lincoln Center. In 1988 he was a founding member of Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra, a 15-piece ensemble organized to showcase the fusion of Latin and Caribbean influences into the jazz genre. With his own groups Paquito tours throughout the world. His appearances in classical venues include solo performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Lukes and many others. He recorded about 30 albums as a leader and received several Grammies. In 1991 he was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Latin music.

The album "Habanera" is among his most ambitious works to date. Initiated and produced by Daniel Schnyder, this production features Paquito along with the Absolute Ensemble, one of the most daring and prolific chamber orchestras associated with state-of-the-art contemporary classical music, plus an exceptional percussionist (Mino Cinelu) and a fine jazz trio. Presenting compositions by such as Paquito D'Rivera, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin, these arrangements open up new perspectives on Afro-Cuban music incorporating elaborated orchestral and jazz concepts.

Press quotes:
Paquito D'Rivera's sax and clarinet solos in both musical styles allowed him to reveal his flawless facility. Whether playing Bach or post-bop his mastery of the instruments and their expressive capabilities was unquestionable. (Classical New Jersey, 1997)

Paquito D'Rivera may sound like a propagandist's dream, but the bopped-up, romantic, salty and sensuous jazz that he makes recognizes no real political boundary. It has roots equally in the hothouse Latin rhythms of his homeland and in the high-flying horns of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Lee Konitz. (Time, 1994)

Recommended:
Paquito D'Rivera – Habanera - (ENJ-9395 2)
"If you're looking for a percussion-fueled Latin-jazz rave-up, you're in the wrong place. Though saxophonist D'Rivera has recorded his share of sizzling Caribbean and post-bop programs, 'Habanera' is a showcase for his classical/jazz aspirations. There are adaptions of Gershwin plus D'Rivera's own charming, chipper 'Afro', the moody and harmonically venturous 'Habanera', a wind quintet 'Alborada Y Son' with hints of Ravel and Villa-Lobos, and the salon-styled dance 'Vals Venezolano', all played with panache by Kristjan Järvi's cross-disciplinary Absolute Ensemble." (Art Lange, Pulse!)

Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra – (ENJ-6044 2)
Live At The Royal Festival Hall , featuring Paquito D'Rivera, Slide Hampton, James Moody, Airto Moreira, Arturo Sandoval, Steve Turre, Flora Purim and others
Grammy Award 1991
"This is the best band of the 80s and 90s." (Dizzy Gillespie)

Courtesy from
ENJA Records
www.enjarecords.com