Tony Perez is one of Cuba’s most talented musicians, having emerged from Cuba’s rich and varied musical culture. Despite being young, Perez has recorded and performed with some of the most prominent Afro-Cuban jazz groups from the region. He recorded and arranged Isaac Delgado’s 1992 seminal “Con Ganas”, which is a landmark recording in contemporary Cuban salsa. He was later able to arrange, compose and perform with Jose Luis Cortes’ Fania Allstars, Celia Cruz and Giraldo Piloto in the group ‘Klimax. Giraldo Piloto called his friend “one of Cuba’s greatest pianists.” In 1998, Mr. Perez assumed the role of piano in the most famous Cuban group of all times, “Irakere”. The San Francisco Bay Guardian has called him “the amazing Havana piano” and he also participated in the production of “La Rumba Soy Yo,” an all-star collaboration that just won a Grammy at the 2001 Latin Music Awards. As a leader, Perez has released two recordings: the 1998 solo-piano CD “Soneao” (Tamarindo Records) and the new “From Enchantment and Timba To Full Force Jazz”, a highly-driving collection Latin Jazz originals that was released by Pimienta Records. You can find it at major U.S. retailers through Universal distributions. Tony Perez, who moved to the U.S. in 2005, has been exploring the musical possibilities of the smaller piano trio setting to advance his jazz-oriented and acoustic side of his career. His first project in the United States is The Tony Perez Trio. It features John Lockwood, Bertram Lehmann, and Bertram Lehmann as drums. The trio explores original material from Perez’s latest discs and, in what promises be a uniquely Afro-Cuban perspective presents a new approach to standard jazz repertoire. Ernesto Diaz, a special guest on congas and percussion will join the trio for some tunes. Although Mr. Lockwood is most well-known in New England for his performances with The Fringe and Laszlo Gardony as well as Joe Maneri and Billy Pierce, he also has a stellar international reputation that includes performances with legendary musicians like Joe Henderson, Dizzy Gilpie, Pat Metheny (Freddie Hubbard), and Gary Burton. He is well-known for his work as a drummer with the acclaimed Boston-based ensembles Mango Blue and Natraj. He has also performed with Danilo Perez and Paquito D’Rivera as well as Claudio Roditi, Claudio Roditi, Romero Lubambo and Kenny Werner. from http://afrocubaweb.com
