Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra With Arturo O'farrill Performs With Legendary Piano Master Bebo Valdes On His First Ever U.S. Performance Of 'Suite Cubana'

MIAMI, FL. (Arturo O'farrill Official Website) - Making a rare concert appearance, Bebo Valdes, Cuban composer/pianist/arranger, will conduct his 2005 GRAMMY-winning "Suite Cubana" for the first time in the United States with the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra with Arturo O'Farrill on October 13 & 14 at 8 pm in Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall. For this special performance of "Suite Cubana," Mr. Valdes' son Rickard Valdes will appear on timbales in this celebration of generations of Latin musicians during Hispanic Heritage Month. For half of Bebo Valdes and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Mr. Valdes will play piano with a small group of the orchestra.

On October 14, in the spirit of Hispanic Heritage month, ticket holders can sample free delectable Latin-infused creations before the concert. The food and beverage tasting will be held in the Atrium in Frederick P. Rose Hall at 6:30pm.

Bebo Valdes and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra will also be performed in Miami on October 19 at the Jackie Gleason Theater.
Mr. Valdes, whose 88th birthday coincides with the concert, continues to play with clavè and precision that has earned him GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY awards and nominations.

Bebo Vades, a top-notch pianist/composer/arranger, was the musical director of nightclub shows at the Tropicana in Havana, Cuba where he brought sophisticated jazz harmonies and melodic variations to dance hall music. Very active in the 1950's, Valdes was considered one of the giants of Cuban music, arranging many recordings, composing mambos, and organizing Afro-Cuban jazz jam sessions. He defected from Cuba in 1960 and by 1963 had settled in Stockholm. In 1994, after 34 years off records, he produced Bebo Rides Again for the Messidor label, not only playing piano but also composing eight numbers and arranging 11 songs.