| Danilo Pérez — PanaMonk (1996) |
Danilo Perez — PanaMonk
Born: 29 December 1965
Origin: Panama City, Panama
Location: Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts ~ New York City
Album release: May 21, 1996
Record Label: Impulse!/EC/GRP Records
Duration: 52:10
Tracks:
01. Monk's Mood 1 0:42
02. PanaMonk 4:21
03. Bright Mississippi 5:39
04. Think Of One 4:17
05. Mercedes' Mood 4:50
06. Hot Bean Strut 5:12
07. Reflections 5:54
08. September In Rio 3:54
09. Everything Happens To Me 6:26
10. 'Round Midnight 5:25
11. Evidence And Four In One 4:44
12. Monk's Mood 2 0:43
Personnel:
• Danilo Perez - piano
• Terri Lyne Carrington - drums
• Avishai Cohen - bass
• Jeff Watts - drums
• Olga Roman - vocals on track 8
CREDITS:
• Tom Adair Composer
• Chris Albert Assistant Engineer
• Susan Beaubian Clothing/Wardrobe, Wardrobe
• Terri Lyne Carrington Drums, Guest Artist
• Avishai Cohen Bass
• Stanley Crouch Liner Notes
• Matt Dennis Composer
• Michael Halsband Photography
• Bernie Hanighen Composer
• Mike Krowiak Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
• Tommy LiPuma Producer
• Robin Lynch Art Direction, Design, Graphic Design
• Thelonious Monk Composer
• Freddie Paloma Design, Graphic Design
• Danilo Pérez Composer, Piano, Primary Artist
• Olga Roman Vocals
• Doug Sax Mastering
• Al Schmitt Engineer, Mixing, Mixing Engineer
• Jeff "Tain" Watts Drums, Guest Artist
• Cootie Williams Composer
Website: http://www.daniloperez.com/
© Photo credit: Michael Piazza
Review
Pianist Danilo Perez has continued to develop his skills and concepts during the past few years, but PanaMonk stands as a modest landmark on two fronts. First, it tells the story of just one of many bright young musicians who've mastered the framework handed down by Thelonious Monk and stretched it to fit their needs. Also, it's one of several recent harbingers of a new, modern telling of the Latin-jazz story - in this case, focusing on Perez's Panamanian heritage.
--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.
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Review by Scott Yanow
This is one of the more interesting Thelonious Monk tribute albums of the 1990s. Pianist Danilo Perez does not really sound much like Monk except in a couple places on purpose, but he has clearly learned from Monk's music, particularly in his use of space and quirky dissonances. The trio performances range from respectful ballads and Latinized treatments of Monk tunes to originals that somehow fit logically into the mood of the set. Perez takes "'Round Midnight" and the two brief versions of "Monk's Mood" (which open and close the CD) unaccompanied, interacts closely with bassist Avishai Cohen on the other pieces, welcomes the haunting wordless vocal of Olga Roman to "September in Rio," and utilizes either Terri Lyne Carrington or Jeff Watts on the nine trio pieces. The music overall is adventurous, rhythmic, and quite joyful. A memorable outing by the talented Danilo Perez.
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Discography:
• Danilo Pérez (with Santi Debriano, Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano, David Sánchez, Rubén Blades), 1993
• The Journey (with David Sánchez, Milton Cardona, Ignacio Berroa, Kimati Dinizulu, George Garzone, Larry Grenadier), 1994
• Danzon (with Arturo Sandoval, Giovanni Hidalgo, Carlos Gómez, Juan Nogueras, Rigo Herrera, Rita Quintero, Cheito Quinones, Bill Cosby, Kenny Anderson, Dana Teboe, Ed Calle, René Toledo, Richard Eddy, Gloria Estefan, Roger Ingram, Sal Cuevas, Félix Gómez, Eddie Rivera, Vikki Carr, Dave Valentin, Willy Chirino), 1994
• PanaMonk (with Terri Lyne Carrington, Avishai Cohen, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Olga Roman), 1996
• Central Avenue (with John Patitucci, Jeff Ballard, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Luciana Souza, Raul Vital), 1998
• Motherland (with Claudia Acuña, Greg Askew, Aquiles Baez, Brian Blade, Louis Bauzo, Richard Bona, Richard Byrd, Regina Carter, Carlos Henríquez, Chris Potter, Luisito Quintero, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Antonio Sánchez, Luciana Souza, Diego Urcola, Ricaurte Villarreal), 2000
• ...Till Then (with John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Ben Street, Lizz Wright, Donny McCaslin, Adam Cruz), 2003
• Danilo Pérez Trio Live at the Jazz Showcase (with Adam Cruz, Ben Street), 2005
• Danilo Pérez - Across The Crystal Sea (arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman), 2008
• Danilo Pérez - Providencia Mack Avenue, 2010
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Biography by Richard Skelly
Pianist and composer Danilo Pérez has forged a wide path for himself and his music throughout his career to date. Born in 1966 in Panama, Pérez, who relocated to New York City, began playing piano at age three. His father was a bandleader and vocalist, and by the time he was ten, he was studying at the National Conservatory in Panama. After college in Panama, where he studied electronics, Pérez moved to the U.S. to study at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He later transferred to the Berklee College of Music, and while finishing up his major in jazz composition there, he had the opportunity to perform with the likes of trumpeters Terence Blanchard and Claudio Roditi, as well as vocalese veteran Jon Hendricks. Pérez has since toured or recorded with a who's who in the worlds of traditional and contemporary jazz: Wayne Shorter, Steve Lacy, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Burton, Roy Haynes, and Joe Lovano, among others.
Pérez's first big break came when he was asked to join Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra (he was the youngest member), and he worked with the orchestra from 1989 until Gillespie's passing in 1992. His tenure with Gillespie's band brought him recognition, as Gillespie's album Live at the Royal Festival Hall (for the Enja label) won a Grammy. In 1994, Pérez recorded with trumpeter Arturo Sandoval for the latter's Grammy-winning album Danzon.
After nearly ten years accompanying other great jazz musicians, by 1993 Pérez switched his focus to leading his own bands, and he released two excellent recordings in 1993 and 1994, Danilo Perez and The Journey, both for the RCA/Novus label. Down Beat magazine hailed The Journey as one of the best albums of the '90s. In 1995, Wynton Marsalis asked Pérez to join his band, and later that year he performed with the Panamanian Symphony Orchestra, which showcased an orchestral version of The Journey. In 1996 and 1998, he released two albums for the Impulse! label, PanaMonk, and Central Avenue. He earned his first Grammy nomination for Central Avenue, which was produced by legendary jazz producer and GRP label chairman Tommy LiPuma. That album is made up of mostly originals, but he and his band do interpret two classics in their own way, the ballad "Lush Life" and John Coltrane's "Impressions," both of which take on a fresh sound. With four albums under his belt by the late '90s, Pérez's place in the new generation of jazz musicians was firmly ensconced. All this recognition led to his joining the Wayne Shorter Quartet in 2002. Pérez's eclectic keyboard stylings are showcased on Shorter's albums Alegría and Footprints Live!, both for Verve Records.
Pérez subsequently began serving as a goodwill cultural ambassador of Panama for UNICEF, and as one of the co-founders of the Panama Jazz Festival. He also serves with the faculty of the New England Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Since the release of Central Avenue in 1998, Pérez has released a number of other albums under his own name, including Motherland, ...Til Then, in 2000 and 2003, respectively, for Verve, and Live at the Jazz Showcase, in 2005 for ArtistShare. On all three albums he's accompanied by longtime sidemen bassist Ben Street and drummer/percussionist Adam Cruz, and with the two Verve releases, by a bevy of top names in jazz, including vocalists Claudia Acuña, Lizz Wright, and Richard Bona, violinist Regina Carter, and bassist John Patitucci. On 2008’s Across the Crystal Sea, Pérez and his group, including bassist Christian McBride, drummer Lewis Nash, and percussionist Luis Quintero, are accompanied by Claus Ogerman’s string arrangements, and 2010’s Providencia found Pérez -- inspired by fatherhood -- exploring themes related to creating a healthy and viable future for the children of today.
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| Danilo Pérez — PanaMonk (1996) |
Danilo Perez — PanaMonk
Born: 29 December 1965
Origin: Panama City, Panama
Location: Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts ~ New York City
Album release: May 21, 1996
Record Label: Impulse!/EC/GRP Records
Duration: 52:10
Tracks:
01. Monk's Mood 1 0:42
02. PanaMonk 4:21
03. Bright Mississippi 5:39
04. Think Of One 4:17
05. Mercedes' Mood 4:50
06. Hot Bean Strut 5:12
07. Reflections 5:54
08. September In Rio 3:54
09. Everything Happens To Me 6:26
10. 'Round Midnight 5:25
11. Evidence And Four In One 4:44
12. Monk's Mood 2 0:43
Personnel:
• Danilo Perez - piano
• Terri Lyne Carrington - drums
• Avishai Cohen - bass
• Jeff Watts - drums
• Olga Roman - vocals on track 8
CREDITS:
• Tom Adair Composer
• Chris Albert Assistant Engineer
• Susan Beaubian Clothing/Wardrobe, Wardrobe
• Terri Lyne Carrington Drums, Guest Artist
• Avishai Cohen Bass
• Stanley Crouch Liner Notes
• Matt Dennis Composer
• Michael Halsband Photography
• Bernie Hanighen Composer
• Mike Krowiak Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
• Tommy LiPuma Producer
• Robin Lynch Art Direction, Design, Graphic Design
• Thelonious Monk Composer
• Freddie Paloma Design, Graphic Design
• Danilo Pérez Composer, Piano, Primary Artist
• Olga Roman Vocals
• Doug Sax Mastering
• Al Schmitt Engineer, Mixing, Mixing Engineer
• Jeff "Tain" Watts Drums, Guest Artist
• Cootie Williams Composer
Website: http://www.daniloperez.com/
Review
Pianist Danilo Perez has continued to develop his skills and concepts during the past few years, but PanaMonk stands as a modest landmark on two fronts. First, it tells the story of just one of many bright young musicians who've mastered the framework handed down by Thelonious Monk and stretched it to fit their needs. Also, it's one of several recent harbingers of a new, modern telling of the Latin-jazz story - in this case, focusing on Perez's Panamanian heritage.
--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Review by Scott Yanow
This is one of the more interesting Thelonious Monk tribute albums of the 1990s. Pianist Danilo Perez does not really sound much like Monk except in a couple places on purpose, but he has clearly learned from Monk's music, particularly in his use of space and quirky dissonances. The trio performances range from respectful ballads and Latinized treatments of Monk tunes to originals that somehow fit logically into the mood of the set. Perez takes "'Round Midnight" and the two brief versions of "Monk's Mood" (which open and close the CD) unaccompanied, interacts closely with bassist Avishai Cohen on the other pieces, welcomes the haunting wordless vocal of Olga Roman to "September in Rio," and utilizes either Terri Lyne Carrington or Jeff Watts on the nine trio pieces. The music overall is adventurous, rhythmic, and quite joyful. A memorable outing by the talented Danilo Perez.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Discography:
• Danilo Pérez (with Santi Debriano, Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano, David Sánchez, Rubén Blades), 1993
• The Journey (with David Sánchez, Milton Cardona, Ignacio Berroa, Kimati Dinizulu, George Garzone, Larry Grenadier), 1994
• Danzon (with Arturo Sandoval, Giovanni Hidalgo, Carlos Gómez, Juan Nogueras, Rigo Herrera, Rita Quintero, Cheito Quinones, Bill Cosby, Kenny Anderson, Dana Teboe, Ed Calle, René Toledo, Richard Eddy, Gloria Estefan, Roger Ingram, Sal Cuevas, Félix Gómez, Eddie Rivera, Vikki Carr, Dave Valentin, Willy Chirino), 1994
• PanaMonk (with Terri Lyne Carrington, Avishai Cohen, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Olga Roman), 1996
• Central Avenue (with John Patitucci, Jeff Ballard, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Luciana Souza, Raul Vital), 1998
• Motherland (with Claudia Acuña, Greg Askew, Aquiles Baez, Brian Blade, Louis Bauzo, Richard Bona, Richard Byrd, Regina Carter, Carlos Henríquez, Chris Potter, Luisito Quintero, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Antonio Sánchez, Luciana Souza, Diego Urcola, Ricaurte Villarreal), 2000
• ...Till Then (with John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Ben Street, Lizz Wright, Donny McCaslin, Adam Cruz), 2003
• Danilo Pérez Trio Live at the Jazz Showcase (with Adam Cruz, Ben Street), 2005
• Danilo Pérez - Across The Crystal Sea (arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman), 2008
• Danilo Pérez - Providencia Mack Avenue, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Biography by Richard Skelly
Pianist and composer Danilo Pérez has forged a wide path for himself and his music throughout his career to date. Born in 1966 in Panama, Pérez, who relocated to New York City, began playing piano at age three. His father was a bandleader and vocalist, and by the time he was ten, he was studying at the National Conservatory in Panama. After college in Panama, where he studied electronics, Pérez moved to the U.S. to study at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He later transferred to the Berklee College of Music, and while finishing up his major in jazz composition there, he had the opportunity to perform with the likes of trumpeters Terence Blanchard and Claudio Roditi, as well as vocalese veteran Jon Hendricks. Pérez has since toured or recorded with a who's who in the worlds of traditional and contemporary jazz: Wayne Shorter, Steve Lacy, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Burton, Roy Haynes, and Joe Lovano, among others.
Pérez's first big break came when he was asked to join Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra (he was the youngest member), and he worked with the orchestra from 1989 until Gillespie's passing in 1992. His tenure with Gillespie's band brought him recognition, as Gillespie's album Live at the Royal Festival Hall (for the Enja label) won a Grammy. In 1994, Pérez recorded with trumpeter Arturo Sandoval for the latter's Grammy-winning album Danzon.
After nearly ten years accompanying other great jazz musicians, by 1993 Pérez switched his focus to leading his own bands, and he released two excellent recordings in 1993 and 1994, Danilo Perez and The Journey, both for the RCA/Novus label. Down Beat magazine hailed The Journey as one of the best albums of the '90s. In 1995, Wynton Marsalis asked Pérez to join his band, and later that year he performed with the Panamanian Symphony Orchestra, which showcased an orchestral version of The Journey. In 1996 and 1998, he released two albums for the Impulse! label, PanaMonk, and Central Avenue. He earned his first Grammy nomination for Central Avenue, which was produced by legendary jazz producer and GRP label chairman Tommy LiPuma. That album is made up of mostly originals, but he and his band do interpret two classics in their own way, the ballad "Lush Life" and John Coltrane's "Impressions," both of which take on a fresh sound. With four albums under his belt by the late '90s, Pérez's place in the new generation of jazz musicians was firmly ensconced. All this recognition led to his joining the Wayne Shorter Quartet in 2002. Pérez's eclectic keyboard stylings are showcased on Shorter's albums Alegría and Footprints Live!, both for Verve Records.
Pérez subsequently began serving as a goodwill cultural ambassador of Panama for UNICEF, and as one of the co-founders of the Panama Jazz Festival. He also serves with the faculty of the New England Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Since the release of Central Avenue in 1998, Pérez has released a number of other albums under his own name, including Motherland, ...Til Then, in 2000 and 2003, respectively, for Verve, and Live at the Jazz Showcase, in 2005 for ArtistShare. On all three albums he's accompanied by longtime sidemen bassist Ben Street and drummer/percussionist Adam Cruz, and with the two Verve releases, by a bevy of top names in jazz, including vocalists Claudia Acuña, Lizz Wright, and Richard Bona, violinist Regina Carter, and bassist John Patitucci. On 2008’s Across the Crystal Sea, Pérez and his group, including bassist Christian McBride, drummer Lewis Nash, and percussionist Luis Quintero, are accompanied by Claus Ogerman’s string arrangements, and 2010’s Providencia found Pérez -- inspired by fatherhood -- exploring themes related to creating a healthy and viable future for the children of today.
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