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Manuel Valera

Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, Manuel Valera is in the forefront of contemporary modern jazz. He represents the next generation of great performers and composers. His sound is fresh, inviting and evocative, and his goal is to forge innovative sounds that bring a vitality and newness to the idioms of jazz and Latin jazz. He is constantly workshopping musical ideas to develop new composition and arranging techniques that bring together Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian and various jazz styles and forms.

His musical training started at an early age at Havana’s Manuel Saumell Conservatory where he originally studied classical saxophone. It wasn’t until emigrating to the United States in December 1994 when Valera switched to the piano. He began composing in 2000 while enrolled in the jazz program at the New School in New York where he studied, among others, with Reggie Workman, George Garzone, Jane Ira Bloom, Gerard D’Angelo and Richie Bierach.

In late October 2003, just two days after his 23rd birthday, Valera recorded his debut and critically acclaimed cd, “Forma Nueva”—a modern jazz cd of contemporary originals featuring bassist John Patitucci, drummers Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Bill Stewart and Seamus Blake on saxophones. “Forma Nueva” received nationwide radio airplay and garnered strong reviews in the jazz and music press Billboard, Jazztimes, Jazziz, All Music Guide and Latin Beat among others. The following year, he recorded a second project entitled “Historia” for Fresh Sounds New Talent featuring Ben Street (bass) and Antonio Sanchez (drums) as well as Seamus Blake (sax) on two tracks.

His latest recording “Melancolia,” released in March 2006 featuring Antonio Sánchez (drums), Ben Street (bass), Seamus Blake (sax), Luisito Quintero (perc) and a string quartet, is a special project that fuses classical concepts with world and Latin rhythms in the jazz idiom.

In June 2006, Valera went back into the studio to record his forth cd, “Numerico” featuring Ernesto Simpson on drums and Hans Glawishnig on bass. This trio recording boasting a selection of original compositions is scheduled to be released early 2007.

Currently based and residing in New York City, Valera has played with Paquito D’ Rivera, Brian Lynch & Spheres of Influence, Richard Bona, Dafnis Prieto Quintet, Vincent Herring, John Benitez, Donny McCaslin, Claudio Roditi, Louis Hayes, Giovanni Hildago, Dave Valentin, Nelson Gonzales, Juan Pablo Torres, William Cepeda, Eddie Gomez and Yosvany Terry.

As a leader Valera’s recent music festival concerts include the Flint Jazz Festival, Rochester Jazz Festival, Williamsburg Music Festival, Hollywood Jazz and JVC Jazz Festival. He has performed at various jazz venues, including the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Birdland, Jazz Standard, the 55 Bar, Sweet Rhythm, Apollo Theatre, Town Hall, One Station Plaza, Deer Head Inn and Chris’ Jazz Cafe.

Reggie Quinerly: The Thousandth Scholar

Read "The Thousandth Scholar" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
January 5, 2024

The Thousandth Scholar is Los Angeles-based drummer and composer Reggie Quinerly's fifth album, each out on his Redefinition label. Quinerly themes his albums. His debut was Music Inspired By Freedmantown (2012), a tribute to the Houston neighborhood where he was born and raised. It was followed by Invictus (2015), a salute to hard bop, Words In Love (2018), which dealt with vocals, and New York Nowhere (2021), a portrait of life in the city (Quinerly studied at the New School ...

Liner Notes

Brian Lynch: Con Clave Vol.2

by C. Andrew Hovan
January 4, 2024

The jazz musician's road to success and sustainability is a rocky one, marked with more than its share of ups and downs. Becoming the norm as of late, those with the strongest staying power have increased their flexibility by becoming more diverse in their efforts. The affect is thus twofold-providing an income to pay the rent, as well as honing a well-rounded perspective of the music. Of course, trumpeter and educator Brian Lynch began the journey down this path many ...

Album Review

Manuel Valera Quintet: Vessel

by Chris May
August 7, 2023

Cuban born and raised, pianist and composer Manuel Valera moved to the US in 1994, attending high school in Florida before moving to New York City in 2000 to study at the New School. His classmates included Robert Glasper, Mike Moreno, Michael Rodriguez, Marcus Strickland and E.J. Strickland. Fast company. Valera's career as a leader moved up a notch when his band New Cuban Express received a Grammy nomination in 2013 for Best Latin Jazz Album for ...

Album Review

Steve Smith and Vital Information: Time Flies

Read "Time Flies" reviewed by Scott Gudell

by Scott Gudell
June 11, 2023

As with so many prolific drummers, this guy is lean, energized, crisp and knows when to add the snap. Drummer/percussionist Steve Smith's early professional musical explorations were often in the world of jazz as he teamed up with fusion violinist Jean Luc Ponty and the progressive jazz/rock Dutch band Focus for about a year in the late 1970s. He took a call in 1978 from a soon-to-be arena rock band out of San Francisco that went by the name of ...

Album Review

Manuel Valera New Cuban Express Big Band: Distancia

Read "Distancia" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
March 22, 2023

L'evoluzione espressiva del cosiddetto latin jazz è ormai palpabile, sia nelle opere dei solisti che dei bandleader. La schiera dei musicisti centro e sud-americani che abbracciano la complessità del jazz contemporaneo senza dimenticare la ricchezza ritmica e timbrica delle musiche latine, è consistente in strumentisti come Fabian Almazan, Alfredo Rodriguez, Vitor Goncalves, Edward Simon, Dayramir Gonzalez che in arrangiatori come Guillermo Klein, Dafnis Prieto e , appunto, Manuel Valera. Da non confondere con l'omonimo sassofonista cubano (di ...

Radio & Podcasts

Big Ears for Big Sounds

by David Brown
September 13, 2022

This week, I've had big ears for some big sounds. And now you can too. Playlist Thelonious Monk “Esistrophy (Theme)" from Live at the It Club-Complete (Columbia) 00:30 Stan Kenton “Prollouge" from Kenton's West Side Story (Capital Records) 02:00 Don Ellis Orchestra “Turkish Bath" from Electric Bath (Columbia) 06:05 Chick Web and his Orchestra “Heebie Jeebies" from Jammin' for the Jackpot: Big Bands and Territory Bands of the 30s (New World Records) 16:33 Yu Nishiyama “Honorary Whites" from ...

Radio & Podcasts

Releases From Manuel Valera, Lisa Hilton, Tord Gustavsen And Joel Frahm Plus More

by Bob Osborne
April 28, 2022

On this week's show newly recorded releases from Manuel Valera, Lisa Hilton, Tord Gustavsen and Joel Frahm. As well as those archive recordings, just released for the first time, from Barry Deister and Ian Carr, music from Enrico Rava (2005) and some classic live Soft Machine (1970), which has just been repackaged and rereleased. Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Manuel Valera New Cuban Express Big Band “Gemini" from Distancia (Greenleaf) 00:51 Lisa Hilton “Ernie's Blues" from Life is Beautiful ...

Recording

Leon Lee Dorsey's 'Freedom Jazz Dance' with Mike Clark and Manuel Valera is out August 20, 2021 via Jazz Avenue 1

Source: Lydia Liebman Promotions
August 18, 2021

Jazz Avenue 1 is proud to announce the August 20, 2021 release of Freedom Jazz Dance by veteran bassist Leon Lee Dorsey, drummer extraordinaire Mike Clark and brilliant Cuban-born pianist Manuel Valera. Dedicated to the late Puerto Rican-born piano master Hilton Ruiz, whom Dorsey regularly played with in his last years (appearing on 2004’s A New York Story and 2005’s Steppin’ with T.P., the pianist’s dedication to his own mentor, Tito Puente), this collection of eight tunes highlights that same ...
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Recording

Composer-Pianist Manuel Valera Conjures Deep Roots on Sixth Outing as a Leader, New Cuban Express

Source: Two for the Show Media
April 17, 2012

After flirting with Latin rhythms within a modern post-bop context on his five previous releases, the brilliant Cuban-born pianist and composer Manuel Valera has put together the album of a lifetime. As a followup to 2009's trio recording, Currents, a savvy collection of jazz standards and originals, Valera has dipped into his own Afro-Cuban roots on his superb new release, New Cuban Express. Accompanied by fellow Cuban musician Yosvany Terry on alto sax, Tom Guarna on guitar, John Benitez on ...
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Performance / Tour

Pianist Manuel Valera with The Tom Tallitsch Quartet at Miles Jazz Cafe (NYC) on Thursday, April 7th

Source: Tom Tallitsch Productions, LLC
April 4, 2011

Miles Jazz Cafe NYC Thursday, April 7th 9:30-11:30pm 212 East 52nd Street New York, NY 10022-6201 (212) 371-7657 Subway: Lexington Av/53 St Tom Tallitsch—Saxophones Manuel Valera—Piano Peter Brendler—Bass David Ashkenazy—Drums Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, Manuel Valera is in the forefront of contemporary modern jazz. He represents the next generation of great performers and composers. His sound is fresh, inviting and ...
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126

Recording

MAXJAZZ to Release New CDs from Pianists Manuel Valera and Jeb Patton

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
July 29, 2009

The latest email newsletter from MAXJAZZ brings word that the St. Louis-based indie label will release CDs this fall from pianists Manuel Valera and Jeb Patton.Valera is a native of Cuba and the son of saxophonist Manuel Valera, who has played with Paquito D'Rivera, Chucho Valdes, Gonzalo Rubacalba and Tito Puente. The younger Valera has performed and recorded with well-known musicians in both jazz and Latin music, including D'Rivera, Vincent Herring, Donny McCaslin, Claudio Roditi, Louis Hayes, Bobby ...
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168

Performance / Tour

Manuel Valera (Fri-Sat) Gretchen Parlato- Lionel Loueke (Sun) This Weekend at Cachaca

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
August 17, 2007

Cachaa 35 West 8th St (bet. 5th & 6th Aves.) NYC * tel 212-388-9099 sets at 9,11 & 1am * $10 cover, $15 min. Menus from selected restaurants available New York City's Newest Jazz Hang In The Heart of Greenwich Village This Week At Cachaca Fri. & Sat. 17 & 18 MANUEL VALERA w/ Joel Frahm, Armando Gola, Ernesto Simpson Sun. 19 GRETCHEN PARLATO- ...
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257

Performance / Tour

Bendy-Pastorius Group (Mon) David Kikoski (Tue) Titus Ribas (Wed) Alex Sipiagin (Thu) Manuel Valera (Fri-Sat) This Week at Cachaca

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
August 14, 2007

Cachaa 35 West 8th St (bet. 5th & 6th Aves.) NYC * tel 212-388-9099 sets at 9,11 & 1am * $10 cover, $15 min. Menus from selected restaurants available New York City's Newest Jazz Hang In The Heart of Greenwich Village This Week At Cachaca Mon. 13 Bendy-Pastorius Group Featuring Julius and Felix Pastorius and the two Bendy brothers Julius on drums, ...
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Performance / Tour

Manuel Valera Group @ Cachaa in West Village

Source: All About Jazz
May 10, 2007

Manuel Valera Group | Thursday May 10 @ Cachaa

8pm-Midnight in the Village 35 West 8th Street @ MacDougal Phone: 212 388 9099 | Cover: $5 Manuel VALERA piano/composer Joel FRAHM sax Orlando LeFleming bass Daniel FREEDMAN drums Performing music from the upcoming cd Vientos on Anzic Records Train to W4 Street Station, exit North end of platform -- one block away on West 8th Street. Live music 7 nights ...
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117

Performance / Tour

Manuel Valera @ The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Source: All About Jazz
November 21, 2006

Cuban pianist Manuel Valera is in the forefront of contemporary jazz. His 2003 debut CD, Forma Nueva, signaled the arrival of an important Latin jazz pianist. His latest recording Melancolia, released in March 2006, is a special project that fuses classical concepts with world and Latin rhythms.

MANUEL VALERA Friday Nov 17 Sets @ 5:45 & 7:15 Philadelphia Museum of Art 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA Info: ...
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Event

Cuban Pianist/Composer Manuel Valera To Showcase New CD "Melancolia" 3/23 at The Jazz Gallery in NYC

Source: All About Jazz
March 3, 2006

The Cuban pianist, composer and arranger Manuel Valera will showcase music from Melancolia, his second CD as a leader, on Thursday, March 23 at The Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street in Manhattan. Valera will perform with saxophonist Yosvany Terry, bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Ernesto SImpson. General admission to the 9 pm and 10:30 pm sets is $12 per set, $10 per set for Jazz Gallery Members. For reservations and more information please call 212.242.1063.

Manuel Valera has, at 25, ...
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137

Recording

Cuban Jazz Pianist & Composer Manuel Valera Makes Impressive Recording Debut As Leader With Release of "Forma Nueva"

Source: All About Jazz
October 10, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11 October 2004 MEDIA CONTACT: Mitchell Feldman IndieGo Jazz Promotions 888.355.9387 x2486 [email protected] Cuban Jazz Pianist & Composer Manuel Valera Makes Impressive Recording Debut As Leader With Release of “Forma Nueva" Self-Produced Session of Original Material Features John Patitucci, Bill Stewart, Horacio “El Negro Hernandez" & Seamus Blake Cuban jazz pianist Manuel Valera makes his impressive recording debut as a leader with the release of “Forma Nueva" (MAVO Records 1101), an authoritative set of post-bop jazz with ...
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