The Vermont Jazz Center will present the Dafnis Prieto and his creative working ensemble called the Si o Si Quartet. This group features Prieto on drums and percussion with longtime collaborators Peter Apfelbaum on saxophones, Manuel Valera on piano and Johannes Weidenmueller on bass. Bass Musician states: To “hear such a world class quartet navigating this music live is an experience not to be forgotten.”
Since he arrived in this country, Cuban percussionist Dafnis Prieto has established himself as a major force in New York’s Latin and jazz communities. “The New York Times” noted, “Dynamic to the extreme, his music advances a slippery amalgam of complex polyrhythm and incantory melody.” Prieto has been featured with bands as celebrated and diverse as those led by Henry Threadgill, Eddie Palmieri, Steve Coleman and Jane Bunnett. Prieto was 25 when, in 1999, he decided to make New York City his permanent home. In the early 2000s he was employed as a sideman by Eddie Palmieri, pianist Michel Camilo, guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima, vibist Dave Samuels (of Spyro Gyra fame) and pianist Arturo O’Farrill (son of Chico O’Farrill). Many of the musicians he played with favored straight-ahead jazz or Latin jazz, but Prieto’s insatiable curiosity and gutsy creativity earned him favor in some avant-garde settings. Before too long he was working with visionary saxophonist, Henry Threadgill.
Prieto has formed several different groups, each with a signature sound that reflects his varied stylistic interests: the Si o Si Quartet, the Proverb Trio, the Absolute Quintet, and the Dafnis. Dafnis has received a wealth of awards recognizing his accomplishments as a player, composer and bandleader the most notable of which was a 2011 MacArthur Fellow Award. He is a two time Latin Grammy-nominee (Best New Artist, Best Latin Album), the recipient of a Jazz Journalist Award (Up and Coming Musician of the Year), he is a Meet the Composer Fellow and has received a Chamber Music America New Works Award and numerous commissions including Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art.
The Vermont Jazz Center will receive an Acclaim Award from Chamber Music America during this concert. The CMA Acclaim award recognizes “extraordinary cultural contributions in a locality or region.” The CMA Acclaim Award honors two arts organizations nationally each year who have served their community by providing access to art and culture. Chamber Music America CEO, Margaret Lioi will travel to Brattleboro to deliver the award to the Vermont Jazz Center.
The CMA Acclaim award will be offered to the Vermont Jazz Center on Saturday, October 18th, during Dafnis Prieto’s concert at 8:00 PM. This concert is made possible due to generous financial support from Diana Bingham. We are appreciative for ongoing support from the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Hospitality for our artists is provided by the Hampton Inn of Brattleboro. VJC publicity is underwritten by the Brattleboro Reformer, WVPR, WVEW and WFCR.
Tickets for the Dafnis Prieto Quartet at the VJC, October 18th, are $20+ general admission, $15 for students with I.D. (contact VJC about educational discounts); available at In the Moment in Brattleboro, or online at www.ntjazz.org. Tickets can also be reserved by calling the Vermont Jazz Center ticket line, 802-254-9088, ext. 1.
Press Release
For Immediate Release – contact: Vermont Jazz Center Director, Eugene Uman: eugene@vtjazz.org or 802 258 8822. Website – www.vtjazz.org
Summary:
Date and Time: October 18th, 2014, 8:00 PM
Location: Vermont Jazz Center, 72 Cotton Mill Hill, #222, Brattleboro, VT, 05301
Activities to include: Concert with MacArthur Award Winner, Dafnis Prieto and Si o So Quartet. Quartet is comprised of Dafnis Prieto (drums), Peter Afelbaum (saxophones), Manuel Valera (piano), Johannes Weidenmueller (bass). Speeches from Ms.. Lioi and invited representatives
Vermont Jazz Center to Receive Acclaim Award from Chamber Music America CEO, Margaret Lioi
Tickets available online at www.vtjazz.org, or by calling 802 254 9088, ext. 1 or at In the Moment Records, Main St. Brattleboro
Vermont Jazz Center to Present Dafnis Prieto’s Si o Si Quartet
