Chucho Valdés On Piano Jazz

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Elmer Martinez/AFP/Getty Images

Chucho Valdés.

Elmer Martinez/AFP/Getty Images

At one time, pianist Jesús "Chuco" Valdés was banned from performing in the U.S. Today, he performs and teaches here, as well as in his native Cuba. Valdés is a world-class innovator in Latin jazz. In 1973, he founded Irakere, a group that introduced a new fusion of African traditional music with Cuban jazz.

In this episode of Piano Jazz from 2000, Valdés and host Marian McPartland share a love of pianist Bill Evans, and in tribute they create their version of "Waltz For Debby." Valdés also treats listeners to his composition "Claudia."

Originally broadcast in the fall of 2000.

Set List

• "My Romance" (Rodgers, Hart)
• "Embraceable You" (Gershwin, Gershwin)
• "Blue Monk" (Monk)
• "It Never Entered My Mind" (Rodgers, Hart)
• "Waltz For Debby" (Evans)
• "Liza" (Gershwin, Gershwin, Kahn)
• "Mambo Influenciado" (Valdés)
• "Claudia" (Valdés)
• "Caravan" (Ellington, Tizol, Mills)