Manuel Valera at the 55 Bar

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Cuban pianist and composer Manuel Valera leads The New Cuban Express (Manuel Valera...Piano, Yosvany Terry...Saxophone, Tom Guarna...Guitar, John Benitez...Bass, Mauricio Herrera...Percussion, Eric Doob...Drums) on Monday, November 7th At The 55 Bar. Dubbed "Jazz Cubano for Modern Times" and comprised of an all-star band of prominent musicians, this group features a contemporary compositional take on the music of the island of Cuba as well as original pieces."

"He leaves no doubt that he is destined to play a role in the future of jazz." (Philip Van Vleck, Billboard)

A touring sideman with Arturo Sandoval and Dafnis Prieto for the last three years, Manuel currently leads an amazing all-star band called The New Cuban Express. Dubbed Jazz Cubano for Modern Times and comprised of seven prominent young musicians, this group features a contemporary compositional take on the music of the island of Cuba as well as original pieces.

The septet of active leaders and sidemen in today's jazz scene, boasts original compositions and arrangements from all the members and includes a composer series that features arrangements from a prominent Cuban composer. The first highlighted composer of the customizable series is music from late, great Cuban pianist Emiliano Salvador.

The rotating cast includes pianist and bandleader Manuel Valera (Paquito D'Rivera, Dafnis Prieto), saxophonist Yosvany Terry (Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Steve Coleman) trumpeter Michael Rodriguez (Charlie Haden, Gonzalo Rubalcaba), drummer Ernesto Simpson (Arturo Sandoval, Richard Bona) bassist John Benitez (John Scofield, Chick Corea), guitarist Adam Rogers (Michael Brecker, Chris Potter) and percussionist Mauricio Herrera (Bryan Lynch, Spanish Harlem Orchestra). This ensemble can be customized to a quartet format.

MANUEL VALERA - BRIEF BIO

This dynamic and prolific artist has recorded five cds as a bandleader. His critically acclaimed debut cd Forma Nueva featuring John Patitucci, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez Bill Stewart and Seamus Blake—which received nationwide radio airplay and garnered strong reviews in the jazz and music press Billboard, Jazztimes, Jazziz, All Music Guide and Latin Beat among others. Historia, a jazz quartet recording for Fresh Sounds New Talent followed in 2005. Then in 2006 Melancolia—which employed a string quartet incorporating world rhythms and classical concepts in the jazz idiom that opened up new vistas of compositional colors and textures across the full range of Valera's sources. In 2007, Vientos represented a new working quartet, featuring bassist James Genus, drummer Ernesto Simpson, saxophonist Joel Frahm and a woodwind quartet. His fifth major recording and most recent trio work, Currents, was released on MaxJazz in 2009 featuring Ernesto Simpson and James Genus. Manuel will be going into the studio to record music for The New Cuban Express in September.

Manuel's most recent recognition for Vientos is the Jazziz Critics' Choice for "The Best of 2007" and the "2007 Jazz Twirlies, " a celebration award given to those most worthy in modern jazz. He is a recipient of the 2006 Chamber Music America's New Works Commission, the 2005 ASCAP Young Composers Award and a final nominee of the 2005 Jazz Journalist Association's awards in the Up & Coming Musician of the Year category.

Billboard predicted Valera is "destined to play a role in the future of jazz, " and that future is now.

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