Danilo Perez: 21st Century Dizzy

"When the dust settles, the pianist Danilo Perez will be looking like one of the best things that happened to jazz around the turn of the millennium..."  – The New York Times

Grammy® nominated Panamanian jazz pianist Danilo Perez has joined together some of the brightest lights of the current modern jazz scene to pay tribute to the jazz legend. This inspiring jazz collective will perform new arrangements of classic Gillespie works, in addition to original group compositions. The group includes David Sanchez (tenor sax - Puerto Rico), Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto sax - India, US), Jamey Haddad (percussion - Lebanon, US), Amir ElSaffar (trumpet - Iraq, US), Ben Street (bass - US), Adam Cruz (drums - Puerto Rico, US).

As the youngest member of the last edition of Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra, Perez learned first-hand how Gillespie embraced musical and personal collaborations throughout the world. Dizzy's bands were a constant melting pot of styles, genres, and pan-global collaborations. Danilo's hand-picked all-stars, with roots in Afro-Cuban, be-bop, Indian, African and Middle Eastern music among other genres, will more than honor Dizzy's legendary vision.

The group will perform new original compositions and a selection from the following Dizzy Gillespie classics: Manteca, Salt Peanuts, Con Alma, Woddy 'n You, Things to Come, Emanon, Cubana Be Cubana Bop, and San Sebastian.

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Funding provided in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and private funders.

In addition, Jazz 88 KBEM-FM and the Twin Cities Jazz Society provide partnership support for Northrop Music Season.