Home » Jazz Musicians » Paquito Hechavarria

Paquito Hechavarria

Pianist Paquito Hechavarria, began his professional career as a teenage prodigy in the mid-1950s in his native Cuba. His impressive resume reads like a historical document of the Golden Age of Cuban music.

Hechavarria was already an established musician in 1955 playing with the Conjunto Colonial de Nelo Sosa. He was pianist with Conjunto Senen Suarez in 1957. By 1958 he was involved in the Club Cubano de Jazz, which was musical group featured at the famed Salon Arcos de Cristal de Tropicana, the same year he was also in Conjunto Casino. In 1960 he was the pianist and vibraphonist in Los Armonicos the most popular combo of the day.

Paquito played for several prestigious bands of the era including replacing the legendary pianist Peruchin in Havana’s number one big band, Orquesta Riverside when Peruchin formed his own band.

Still in 1960 Paquito Hechavarria recorded with Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo who were visiting Cuba, an album that turned out to be the last recording made in Cuba for a US label, the landmark “Our Man In Havana” for Fantasy Records. Shortly thereafter Paquito left Cuba for Miami where he has lived ever since recording several albums as a leader and being part of hundreds of other recordings as a sideman in many different genres.

His 2010 release “Frankly,” is his tribute to the songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, done very much with a distinguished Cuban flair and influence. Source: James Nadal

Paquito Hechavarria: Frankly

by Dan Bilawsky
February 9, 2010

Pianist Francisco “Paquito" Hechavarría might be best known for his work on Gloria Estefan's “Conga," but that record barely scratches the surface in showing what he's capable of playing. Smoking tumbao-based patterns seem to be embedded in his musical DNA: Hechavarría grew up in pre-Castro Cuba and soaked up the rhythms and sounds of his native land. He spent some time as the director and pianist of Orquesta Riverside, and even had the opportunity to record with Mongo Santamaría when ...

224

Performance / Tour

Pianists Paquito Hechavarria, Adrian Iaies & Arturo O'farrill Play "Habaneras, Blues & Tangos" April 4-6

Source: All About Jazz

Part of Jazz Appreciation Month in April 2002.

As an extension of its popular solo piano recitals, Jazz at Lincoln Center (J@LC) will bring together three renowned and diverse Latin music pianists PAQUITO HECHAVARRIA, ADRIAN IAIES, and ARTURO O’FARRILL in “Habaneras, Blues and Tangos” on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, April 4, 5, and 6, 2002 at 8pm in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse.

The three diverse pianists Hechavarria from Cuba, Iaies from Argentina, and O’Farrill from New York will each ...
read more