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Paquito d'Rivera

Jazz

1970s - 2000s

This Cuban jazz saxophonist, known for his silky-smooth tone, is one of the greatest of his era.

Biography

Known for a silky-smooth tone and evocative phrasing in the manner of Dexter Gordon, Paquito d’Rivera is one of the great jazz saxophonists of his era. After training in the Havana Conservatory, he participated in Cuba’s avant-garde jazz renaissance in the 70s with his band, Irakere, whose radical exploration of jazz fusion led to a record contract with Columbia. In 1981, during a tour of Spain, d’Rivera defected to America and was eagerly accepted into the New York jazz scene, where he founded the Havana/New York Ensemble. In 1988, d’Rivera became a founding member and featured soloist with Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra (he took over the leadership following the trumpeter’s death in 1993), and in 1991 was honored with a Grammy Award for his contribution to Latin music.

Influences

Artists Influenced by Paquito d'Rivera

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