Live Jazz in SF Bay

The most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz for more than half a century, virtuoso pianist, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés celebrates 60 years of musical alchemy with the SFJAZZ premiere of his Royal Quartet project. The son of Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, the winner of seven GRAMMYs and six Latin GRAMMY Awards joined Armando Romeu’s celebrated Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music in 1967, a time when the communist government still considered American jazz anti-revolutionary. He was already recognized as the most formidable pianist of his generation when he launched Irakere in 1973 with a phenomenal cast that included saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Over the ensuing years, Valdés has concentrated on his career as a solo artist, recording 25 albums and co-writing the landmark 2018 book Decoding Afro-Cuban Jazz in collaboration with SFJAZZ Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón. Valdés’s Royal Quartet brings together a masterful lineup of Cuban-born instrumentalists including bassist José Armando Gola , known for his lengthy collaboration with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, the ambidextrous marvel Horacio “El Negro” Hernández on drums, and percussionist Roberto Jr. Vizcaino , son of longtime Valdés associate Roberto Vizcaino . The band’s GRAMMY-nominated debut, Cuba & Beyond , is packed with a collection of the leader’s fiery compositions as well as inventive takes on the work of Chick Corea and Pedro Junco.

The most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz for more than half a century, virtuoso pianist, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés celebrates 60 years of musical alchemy with the SFJAZZ premiere of his Royal Quartet project. The son of Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, the winner of seven GRAMMYs and six Latin GRAMMY Awards joined Armando Romeu’s celebrated Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music in 1967, a time when the communist government still considered American jazz anti-revolutionary. He was already recognized as the most formidable pianist of his generation when he launched Irakere in 1973 with a phenomenal cast that included saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Over the ensuing years, Valdés has concentrated on his career as a solo artist, recording 25 albums and co-writing the landmark 2018 book Decoding Afro-Cuban Jazz in collaboration with SFJAZZ Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón. Valdés’s Royal Quartet brings together a masterful lineup of Cuban-born instrumentalists including bassist José Armando Gola , known for his lengthy collaboration with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, the ambidextrous marvel Horacio “El Negro” Hernández on drums, and percussionist Roberto Jr. Vizcaino , son of longtime Valdés associate Roberto Vizcaino . The band’s GRAMMY-nominated debut, Cuba & Beyond , is packed with a collection of the leader’s fiery compositions as well as inventive takes on the work of Chick Corea and Pedro Junco.

The most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz for more than half a century, virtuoso pianist, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés celebrates 60 years of musical alchemy with the SFJAZZ premiere of his Royal Quartet project. The son of Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, the winner of seven GRAMMYs and six Latin GRAMMY Awards joined Armando Romeu’s celebrated Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music in 1967, a time when the communist government still considered American jazz anti-revolutionary. He was already recognized as the most formidable pianist of his generation when he launched Irakere in 1973 with a phenomenal cast that included saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Over the ensuing years, Valdés has concentrated on his career as a solo artist, recording 25 albums and co-writing the landmark 2018 book Decoding Afro-Cuban Jazz in collaboration with SFJAZZ Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón. Valdés’s Royal Quartet brings together a masterful lineup of Cuban-born instrumentalists including bassist José Armando Gola , known for his lengthy collaboration with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, the ambidextrous marvel Horacio “El Negro” Hernández on drums, and percussionist Roberto Jr. Vizcaino , son of longtime Valdés associate Roberto Vizcaino . The band’s GRAMMY-nominated debut, Cuba & Beyond , is packed with a collection of the leader’s fiery compositions as well as inventive takes on the work of Chick Corea and Pedro Junco.

The most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz for more than half a century, virtuoso pianist, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés celebrates 60 years of musical alchemy with the SFJAZZ premiere of his Royal Quartet project. The son of Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, the winner of seven GRAMMYs and six Latin GRAMMY Awards joined Armando Romeu’s celebrated Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music in 1967, a time when the communist government still considered American jazz anti-revolutionary. He was already recognized as the most formidable pianist of his generation when he launched Irakere in 1973 with a phenomenal cast that included saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Over the ensuing years, Valdés has concentrated on his career as a solo artist, recording 25 albums and co-writing the landmark 2018 book Decoding Afro-Cuban Jazz in collaboration with SFJAZZ Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón. Valdés’s Royal Quartet brings together a masterful lineup of Cuban-born instrumentalists including bassist José Armando Gola , known for his lengthy collaboration with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, the ambidextrous marvel Horacio “El Negro” Hernández on drums, and percussionist Roberto Jr. Vizcaino , son of longtime Valdés associate Roberto Vizcaino . The band’s GRAMMY-nominated debut, Cuba & Beyond , is packed with a collection of the leader’s fiery compositions as well as inventive takes on the work of Chick Corea and Pedro Junco.

Named for the Nigerian Urhobo word meaning “hard to break,” the London-based septet Kokoroko are “masters of African fusion, intent on bridging the divide between young people and African popular music of old” (GRAMMY.com). They debut at SFJAZZ with music from their latest Brownswood Recordings release, Tuff Times Never Last — a beguiling mix of Afrobeat and modern funk. Formed in 2014 by trumpeter/vocalist Sheila Maurice-Grey and percussionist Onome Edgeworth through a shared love of African Highlife music, Kokoroko became a critical part of the surging London jazz scene in the mid 2010s. They gained international fame following the inclusion of their signature song “Abusey Junction” on British tastemaking DJ Gilles Peterson’s 2019 compilation album We Out Here — a wildly successful showcase for the scene’s greatest artists that set the stage for their Best Group win at the 2020 Urban Music Awards in the UK. Following their 2019 eponymous debut and 2022’s Could We Be More , Tuff Times Never Last is the band’s most accomplished statement to date that takes sonic cues from their greatest influences including Loose Ends, Don Blackman, Common, Sly & Robbie, William Onyeabor, Patrice Rushen, Ofori Amponsah, and Cymande. The album’s 11 powerful tracks run the gamut of expression, exploring themes of togetherness, community, sensuality, childhood, loss, and above all, perseverance.

Named for the Nigerian Urhobo word meaning “hard to break,” the London-based septet Kokoroko are “masters of African fusion, intent on bridging the divide between young people and African popular music of old” (GRAMMY.com). They debut at SFJAZZ with music from their latest Brownswood Recordings release, Tuff Times Never Last — a beguiling mix of Afrobeat and modern funk. Formed in 2014 by trumpeter/vocalist Sheila Maurice-Grey and percussionist Onome Edgeworth through a shared love of African Highlife music, Kokoroko became a critical part of the surging London jazz scene in the mid 2010s. They gained international fame following the inclusion of their signature song “Abusey Junction” on British tastemaking DJ Gilles Peterson’s 2019 compilation album We Out Here — a wildly successful showcase for the scene’s greatest artists that set the stage for their Best Group win at the 2020 Urban Music Awards in the UK. Following their 2019 eponymous debut and 2022’s Could We Be More , Tuff Times Never Last is the band’s most accomplished statement to date that takes sonic cues from their greatest influences including Loose Ends, Don Blackman, Common, Sly & Robbie, William Onyeabor, Patrice Rushen, Ofori Amponsah, and Cymande. The album’s 11 powerful tracks run the gamut of expression, exploring themes of togetherness, community, sensuality, childhood, loss, and above all, perseverance.