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Danilo Pérez: Things to Come: 21st Century Dizzy
by Alain Londes
Danilo PérezKoerner HallToronto, ONMarch 27, 2010 Danilo Pérez was part of Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra back in 1989 and is now firmly established as a pianist in his own right. In tribute to one of bebop's pioneers, he brought a multicultural program entitled “Things To Come: 21st Century Dizzy" to the halls of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, accompanied by tenor saxophonist David Sanchez, alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, trumpeter Amir ElSaffar, percussionist ...
Continue ReadingDanilo Perez and Somi at the Kimmel Center
by Victor L. Schermer
Verizon HallThe Kimmel Center for the Performing ArtsPhiladelphiaMarch 19, 2010
In this concert, the performance by Danilo Perez' group (entitled “Things to Come: 21st Century Dizzy") was supplemented with an opening set by the up-and-coming vocalist Somi, making for an interesting combination of diverse jazz flavorings. Somi's unique African-based renderings was followed by compositions dedicated to or written by Dizzy Gillespie, which were energetically executed with distinctly postmodern arrangements and interpretations.
Somi is ...
Continue ReadingDanilo Pérez: la aventura del momento
by Joan A. Cararach
Al otro lado de la pantalla (gracias, Skype), aparece Danilo Pérez (Pueblo Nuevo, Monte Oscuro, 1965). Sonriente, comunicativo, afable, interrumpe de vez en cuando la conversación para ir presentando a las personas que pasan por su despacho en el Berklee College of Music. El pianista panameño acaba de regresar a los escenarios tras una lesión en el tendón de Aquiles que lo tuvo en reposo casi medio año. Lo hizo en el pasado Detroit Jazz Festival, donde también se anunció ...
Continue ReadingDanilo Perez: Across the Crystal Sea
by Chris M. Slawecki
At its most basic, Crystal Sea features pianist Danilo Perez leading a quartet with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Lewis Nash, supported by percussionist Luis Quintero. Cassandra Wilson radiates vocals through two standards, “Lazy Afternoon" and “(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings." Beyond these two standards, Claus Ogerman, who arranged and conducted the orchestra, contributes the melancholic closer ("Another Autumn") plus, according to his arranger's notes, five other pieces “based on classical themes I've known all my life and ...
Continue ReadingDanilo Perez: Across The Crystal Sea
by Doug Collette
During the course of their collaboration on Across the Crystal Sea, pianist Danilo Perez and arranger Claus German defy convention as much as they utilize it to their own ends. Like the colors in the cover painting at first seem like pastels, but upon close inspection reveal deeper tones, the contrast of the orchestration with a jazz ensemble led by the veteran pianist is symbiotic yet rife with surprise.
To merely describe this album as a trio plus strings will ...
Continue ReadingDanilo Perez Trio at the Regatta, Boston
by Michael Epstein
Danilo Perez TrioRegattabar Jazz ClubThe Charles HotelBoston, MassachusettsSeptember 13, 2008 Pianist and composer Danilo Perez has been busy. A brief snapshot of his recent schedule includes last year's Panama Suite, a 15-minute, three-movement composition that was followed up by this year's Across the Crystal Sea (Verve, 2008). As a teacher and director, Perez serves as the Ambassador of Goodwill for Unicef, Cultural Ambassador of his native country of Panama, President and Founder ...
Continue ReadingDanilo Perez: Across the Crystal Sea
by Joel Roberts
Pianist Danilo Perez' Across the Crystal Sea, his ninth album as a leader, succeeds better than most jazz with strings efforts because the orchestral arrangements, by legendary composer and producer Claus Ogerman, work with, not against the improvisations of Perez and his top-notch trio. This is no repeat of the hackneyed formula of jazz players soloing on top of a lush string section; it's a truly integrated meeting of jazz and classical music, each tune a self-contained jazz concerto.
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