Cuban saxophonist, clarinetist and composer
Paquito D'Rivera
D'Rivera in 2022
Birth name Francisco de JesĂșs Rivera Figueras Born (1948-06-04 ) 4 June 1948 (age 76)
Havana ,
Cuba Genres
Afro-Cuban jazz ,
songo ,
classical Occupation(s) Musician, composer, bandleader Instrument(s) Alto saxophone, clarinet Years active 1965âpresent Labels
Sunnyside , Paquito Records Website
paquitodrivera .com
Musical artist
Paquito D'Rivera at the Village Gate
Francisco de JesĂșs Rivera Figueras (born 4 June 1948), known as Paquito D'Rivera , is a Cuban-American
alto saxophonist ,
clarinetist and composer. He was a member of the Cuban
songo band
Irakere and, since the 1980s, he has established himself as a bandleader in the United States. His smooth saxophone tone and his frequent combination of
Latin jazz and
classical music have become his trademarks.
[1]
Early life
Francisco de JesĂșs Rivera Figueras was born on 4 June 1948 in
Havana ,
Cuba .
[2] His father played
classical saxophone, entertained his son with
Duke Ellington and
Benny Goodman records, and he sold musical instruments. He took D'Rivera to clubs like the
Tropicana (frequented by his musician friends and customers) and to concert bands and orchestras.
[3]
At age five, D'Rivera began saxophone lessons by his father. In 1960, he attended the Havana Conservatory of Music, where he learned saxophone and clarinet and met
Chucho Valdés .
[4] In 1965, he was a featured soloist with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. He and ValdĂ©s founded Orchestra Cubana de MĂșsica Moderna and then in 1973 the group
Irakere , which fused jazz, rock, classical, and Cuban music.
[1]
Defection
By 1980, D'Rivera had become dissatisfied with the constraints placed on his music in Cuba for many years. In an interview with ReasonTV, D'Rivera recalled that the Cuban communist government described jazz and rock and roll as "
imperialist " music that was officially discouraged in the 1960s/70s, and that a meeting with
Che Guevara sparked his desire to leave Cuba.
[5] In early 1980, while on tour in
Spain , he sought asylum with the American Embassy, leaving his wife and child behind, with a promise to bring them out of Cuba.[
citation needed ]
Upon his arrival in the United States, D'Rivera found great support for him and his family. His mother, Maura, and his sister, Rosario, had left Cuba in 1968 and became US citizens. Maura had worked in the US in the fashion industry for many years, and Rosario had become a respected artist and entrepreneur. Paquito was introduced to the jazz scene at some prestigious clubs and concert halls in New York. He became something of a phenomenon after the release of his first two solo albums, Paquito Blowin' (June 1981) and Mariel (July 1982).
[6]
In 2005, D'Rivera wrote a letter criticizing musician
Carlos Santana for his decision to wear a T-shirt with the image of
Che Guevara on it to the
2005 Academy Awards , citing Guevara's role in the execution of counter-revolutionaries in Cuba, including his own cousin.
[7]
Career
D'Rivera has performed in venues such as
Carnegie Hall and played with the
National Symphony Orchestra ,
London Symphony Orchestra ,
London Philharmonic Orchestra ,
Florida Philharmonic Orchestra , Bronx Arts Ensemble,
Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra ,
YOA Orchestra of the Americas , Costa Rica National Symphony,
American Youth Philharmonic , and
SimĂłn BolĂvar Symphony Orchestra .
[8]
[9]
Throughout his career in the United States, D'Rivera's albums have received reviews from critics and have hit the top of the jazz charts. His albums have shown a progression that demonstrates his extraordinary abilities in bebop, classical and Latin/Caribbean music. D'Rivera's expertise transcends musical genres as he is the only artist to ever have won Grammy Awards in both Classical and Latin Jazz categories.
[10]
D'Rivera was a judge for the 5th and 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.
[11]
Paquito D'Rivera with the
Trio Corrente at the 2015 Horizonte World Music Festival at
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
Paquito D'Rivera Quintet
The band backing D'Rivera consists of
Peruvian bassist Oscar Stagnaro,
Argentinean trumpeter Diego Urcola, American drummer Mark Walker, and pianist Alex Brown. As a whole they are named the "Paquito D'Rivera Quintet"
[12] and under this name they were awarded the
Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for the album
Live at the Blue Note in 2001.
[13]
Personal life
D'Rivera resides in
North Bergen ,
New Jersey .
[14] In 2001 D'Rivera purchased a $750,000 colonial-style home, which is located on
Boulevard East , overlooking the
Hudson River . In September 2023, he put the home up for sale for $1.75 million.
[15]
Honors and awards
D'Rivera (third from left) stands alongside other recipients of the 2005
National Medal of Arts , and U.S. President
George W. Bush , in the
Oval Office on 9 November 2005.
Grammy Awards
Discography
D'Rivera in 2013
As leader
Blowin (Columbia, 1981)
Mariel (Columbia, 1982)
Live at Keystone Korner (Columbia, 1983)
Why Not! (Columbia, 1984)
Explosion (Columbia, 1986)
A Tribute to Cal Tjader (Yemaya, 1986)
Manhattan Burn (Columbia, 1987)
Celebration (Columbia, 1988)
Tico! Tico! (Chesky, 1989)
Return to Ipanema (Town Crier, 1989)
Reunion (Messidor, 1991)
Havana Cafe (Chesky, 1992)
Who's Smoking?! (Candid, 1992)
La Habana-Rio-Conexion (Messidor, 1992)
Paquito D'Rivera Presents 40 Years of Cuban Jam Session (Messidor, 1993)
A Night in Englewood (Messidor, 1994)
Portraits of Cuba (Chesky, 1996)
Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (MCG, 1997)
Hay Solucion (BMG, 1998)
100 Years of Latin Love Songs (Heads Up, 1998)
Tropicana Nights (Chesky, 1999)
Habanera (Enja, 2000)
The Clarinetist Volume One (Peregrina, 2001)
Brazilian Dreams (MCG, 2002)
Este Camino Largo (Yemaya, 2002)
The Lost Sessions (Yemaya, 2002)
Big Band Time (Pimienta, 2003)
The Jazz Chamber Trio (Chesky, 2005)
Benny Goodman Revisited (Connector, 2009)
Quartier Latin (LKY, 2009)
Panamericana Suite (MCG Jazz, 2010)
Tango Jazz (Paquito, 2010)
Song for Maura (Sunnyside/Paquito, 2013)
Jazz Meets the Classics (Paquito, 2014)
Aires Tropicales (Sunnyside/Paquito, 2015)
[23]
Paquito & Manzanero (Sunnyside/Paquito, 2016)
[24]
I Missed You Too! (Sunnyside/Paquito Records, 2022)
[25]
As sideman
With Diego Urcola Quartet
El Duelo (Sunnyside, 2020)
With
David Amram
Havana/New York (Flying Fish, 1978)
Latin Jazz Celebration (Elektra Musician, 1983)
With
Mario Bauza
Afro-Cuban Jazz (Caiman, 1986)
Tanga (Messidor, 1992)
With
Caribbean Jazz Project
The Caribbean Jazz Project (Heads Up, 1995)
Island Stories (Heads Up, 1997)
The Gathering (Concord Picante, 2002)
Mosaic (Concord Picante, 2006)
With
Gloria Estefan
Mi Tierra (Epic, 1993)
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me (Epic, 1994)
With
Carlos Franzetti
Prometheus (Audiophile, 1984)
New York Toccata (Verve, 1985)
With
Dizzy Gillespie
With
Conrad Herwig
Another Kind of Blue (Half Note, 2004)
Sketches of Spain y Mas (Half Note, 2006)
With
Irakere
Irakere (Columbia, 1979)
Chekere Son (JVC, 1979)
2 (Columbia, 1979)
With
Yo-Yo Ma
Obrigado Brazil (Sony Classical, 2003)
Obrigado Brazil Live in Concert (Sony Classical, 2004)
Appassionato (Sony Classical, 2007)
Songs of Joy & Peace (Sony Classical, 2008)
With
Andy Narell
The Passage (Heads Up, 2004)
University of Calypso (Heads Up, 2009)
With
Daniel Ponce
New York Now! (Celluloid, 1983)
Arawe (Antilles, 1987)
With
Claudio Roditi
Red on Red (CTI, 1984)
Milestones (Candid, 1992)
With
Lalo Schifrin
With
Bebo Valdés
Bebo Rides Again (Messidor, 1995)
El Arte del Sabor (Blue Note, 2001)
Suite Cubana (Calle 54, 2009)
With others
Alex Acuña &
Eva AyllĂłn , To My Country (Nido, 2002)
Sergio Assad , Dances from the New World (GHA, 2013)
Andres Boiarsky , Into the Light (Reservoir, 1997)
Soledad Bravo , Mambembe (Top Hits, 1983)
Soledad Bravo, Soledad Bravo (Sono-Rodven, 1985)
Jeanie Bryson , Tonight I Need You So (Telarc, 1994)
Cachao , Master Sessions Volume I (Sony, 1994)
Cachao, Master Sessions Volume II (Epic, 1995)
Michel Camilo ,
One More Once (Columbia, 1994)
Valerie Capers , Come on Home (Sony, 1995)
Ana Caram , Rio After Dark (Chesky, 1989)
Regina Carter , I'll Be Seeing You (Verve 2006)
Ed Cherry , First Take (Groovin' High 1993)
Anat Cohen , Claroscuro (Anzic, 2012)
Richie Cole , Kush (Heads Up, 1995)
Chris Connor , Classic (Contemporary, 1987)
Hilario DurĂĄn , From the Heart (Alma, 2006)
Sui Generis , Sinfonias Para Adolescentes (2000)
Giovanni Hidalgo , Villa Hidalgo (Messidor, 1992)
Levon Ichkhanian , After Hours (Jazz Heritage Society 1996)
Denise Jannah , I Was Born in Love with You (Blue Note, 1995)
Dana Leong , Leaving New York (Tateo Sound 2006)
Herbie Mann , 65th Birthday Celebration (Lightyear, 1997)
Herbie Mann , America, Brasil (Lightyear, 1997)
Raul Midon , A World Within a World (Manhattan, 2007)
Michael Philip Mossman , The Orisha Suite (Connector, 2001)
Chico O'Farrill , Heart of a Legend (Milestone, 1999)
Makoto Ozone , Live & Let Live (Verve, 2011)
Rosa Passos , Amorosa (Sony Classical, 2004)
Oscar Peñas , Music of Departures and Returns (Musikoz, 2014)
Roberto Perera , Seduction (Heads Up, 1994)
Astor Piazzolla , The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night (American Clave, 1988)
Tito Puente , Live at the Village Gate (Bellaphon, 1993)
Bobby Sanabria , New York City Ache! (Flying Fish, 1993)
Bernardo Sassetti , Salsetti (West Wind, 2000)
Omar Sosa , Mulatos (Ota 2004)
Janis Siegel , Experiment in White (Wounded Bird, 2002)
Clark Terry , Live at the Village Gate (Chesky, 1991)
McCoy Tyner ,
La Leyenda de La Hora (Columbia, 1981)
Turtle Island String Quartet , Danzon (Koch, 2005)
Nancy Wilson ,
R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) (MCG, 2004)
References
^
a
b Harris, Craig.
"Paquito D'Rivera Biography by Craig Harris" . AllMusic. Retrieved 6 September 2016 .
^ D'Rivera, Paquito (4 November 2008).
My Sax Life: A Memoir . Northwestern University Press. pp. 152, 164.
ISBN
978-0-8101-2524-7 .
^ Cohen, Anat (22 April 2015).
"Jazz Departments: Jazz Is a Blessing: An Interview with Paquito D'Rivera" . JazzTimes . Retrieved 6 September 2016 .
^ Collins, Catherine; Kernfeld, Barry (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz . Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 655.
ISBN
1-56159-284-6 .
^
"Hollywood's Sick Love Affair with Che Guevara" , reason.tv; accessed 16 November 2014.
^
"Grammy Award winner Paquito D'Rivera endorses Scotch Plains saxophone manufacturer" . NJ.com . Retrieved 24 January 2017 .
^
D'Rivera criticizes Carlos Santana over Che Guevara T-shirt , independent.org; accessed 16 November 2014.
^
"Biography â Paquito D'Rivera" . Paquito D'Rivera . Retrieved 24 January 2017 .
^
"YOA ORCHESTRA OF THE AMERICAS" (PDF) . yoa.org . Retrieved 23 January 2017 .
^
"Paquito D'Rivera Biography" . Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. Retrieved 13 November 2008 .
^
"Past Judges" . independentmusicawards.com . Archived from
the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2014 .
^
"Paquito D'Rivera Quintet â The Band" . PaquitoDRivera.com . Retrieved 28 November 2023 .
^ Harrigan, Tom (31 October 2001).
"Alejandro Sanz tops list of Latin Grammy Awards winners" . The Daily Gazette . Retrieved 7 February 2013 .
^ Heinis, John (1 June 2012).
"Paquito D'Rivera, other Latin legends see their stars unveiled in ceremony at Celia Cruz Plaza in Union City" .
The Jersey Journal . Retrieved 10 September 2015 . Global icon Paquito D'Rivera, 63...moved to the United States from Cuba in 1980. He currently resides in North Bergen.
^ McGay, Maddie (27 September 2023).
"Jazz legend and Grammy award winner puts North Bergen home up for sale for $1.75 million" .
NorthJersey.com .
Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023 .
^
a
b
"Paquito D'Rivera | Awards | AllMusic" . AllMusic. Retrieved 6 September 2016 .
^
"2013 Best Latin Jazz Album" . GRAMMY Awards . 30 April 2017.
^
"2014 Best Latin Jazz Album" . 15th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards . Retrieved 20 December 2014 .
^
https://www.latingrammy.com/en/awards/16th-annual-latin-grammy-awards-2015
^
https://paquitodrivera.com/paquito-drivera-awarded-latin-grammy-trustees-award/
^
https://www.latingrammy.com/en/artists/paquito-drivera/20042-01
^
https://www.latingrammy.com/en/artists/paquito-drivera/20042-01
^
"Aires Tropicales â Paquito D'Rivera and Quinteto Cimarron" .
^
"Paquito D'Rivera: Paquito & Manzanero" . AllMusic. Retrieved 6 November 2022 .
^
"I Missed You Too! â Chucho ValdĂ©s and Paquito D'Rivera Reunion Sextet" .
External links
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, unless stated otherwise.
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