Paquito D’Rivera, Cuban-born composer and musician, has received many awards including 9 Grammy Awards; the National Medal for the Arts; the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master award; a Fellowship in Music Composition by the Guggenheim Foundation; and a Living Jazz Legend Award at the Kennedy Center and the National Hispanic Academy of Media Arts and Sciences paid tribute to Paquito for his “outstanding body of work.”
With over 30 albums in jazz and Latin music, he is the first artist to win Latin Grammys in both Classical and Latin Jazz categories. In his passion to bring a Latin repertoire to greater prominence, he created, championed and promoted all types of classical compositions, including three chamber works recorded live in concert with Yo-Yo Ma at Carnegie Hall in 2003. He is the artist in residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and Arts for 2007-2008. A gifted author, Mr. D’Rivera has two books in print, My Sax Life, and Oh, La Habana both published originally in Spain.
Mr. D’Rivera will be performing with the Zaccai Curtis Trio. Pianist Zaccai Curtis is a graduate of New England Conservatory. He is a talented composer who received the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award in from 2003 to 2006 and was awarded the CT Commission on Culture and Tourism’s Artist Fellowship for original composition in 2007.
Zaccai Curtis
Zaccai Curtis live at the Litchfield Jazz Festival, 2006 Photo: Antonio Monteiro
In addition to performances with his own group, Insight, he has played with Ralph Peterson, Christian Scott, Brian Lynch, Sean Jones, Jimmy Greene, Donald Harrison and many more. His brother, bassist, Luques Curtis, is a graduate of the Berklee School of Music and is quickly becoming one of the most versatile and sought after jazz bassists. In addition to his touring commitments with Insight, he has performed or recorded with Donald Harrison, Ralph Peterson, Gary Burton, Brian Lynch, Eddie Palmieri, Pat Metheny and many others. Percussionist, Richie Barshay is a graduate of New England Conservatory and is most noted as a member of the Herbie Hancock Quartet since 2003, was named “a player to watch” by JazzTimes magazine. He performs regularly with The Klezmatics, Kenny Werner and Chick Corea among others.
Paquito D’Rivera will be performing with the Zaccai Curtis Trio with Litchfield Jazz Camp alumni Zaccai Curtis on piano, Luques Curtis on bass and Richie Barshay on drums.
