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DAFNISPRIETOBIGBAND

Makinghisbiggeststatementyet,Cuban-borndrummer,composer,bandleader,and2011MacArthur“Genius”FellowDafnisPrietopremieredtheDafnisPrietoBigBandoverthreeexhilaratingnightsatNewYork’sJazzStandardinAugust2017,followedbyastudiorecordingofhisfirstbigbandalbum.TitledBackToTheSunset,thealbumwasreleasedinApril2018onDafnisonMusic,markingthe10thAnniversaryofPrieto’sownrecordlabel.Sincethen,theBigBandhasperformedtomuchacclaimatCarnegieHall’ssold-outZankelAuditorium,DukeUniversity,theSavannahMusicFestival,theSpoletoFestivalUSA,andtheNewportandNorthseaJazzFestivals.Itscrowningachievementwasa2018GrammyAwardforBestLatinJazzAlbum.Oneoftheleadingmusicalvoicesofhisgeneration,Prietoexclusivelywroteandrearrangedworksofhisownforthebigband,underliningonceagainhisprowessasatrailblazingcomposerwhilehonoringmusicalheroesandmentorssuchasEddiePalmieri,ChicoO'Farrill,MichelCamilo,HenryThreadgill,andSteveColeman,andmakinganartisticstatementthattranscendstimeandculture.SincearrivingintheU.S.fromCubain1999,Prietohasbeenfearlessinhisvision,playingandwritingacrossstyles,alwayswithaforward-lookingeye.Heisknownforhisinventive,sensitivedrummingandpropulsiverhythm.Hiscompositionsmixlushandjubilantmelodieswithpolyrhythm,displayingarangeofmusicalvocabulariesfromLatinjazztoclassicalchambermusic.Hehascomposedfornumerousconfigurations,amassingacatalogofmorethan50originalworks.Prietoiscommittedtomaintainingaboldvisionforhismusic.The17-pieceorchestrashowcasessomeoftheworld’sbestLatinjazzmusicians,manyofwhomhavepreviouslyplayedhismusicinhisotherbands.Itfeaturesthreehornsections(saxophones,trumpets,andtrombones)andarhythmsectionofpiano,bass,congas,andPrietoondrums.JoinedbyspecialguestsHenryThreadgill,SteveColeman,andBrianLynch,thebigbandrecordeditsdebutalbuminNewYorkCityinAugust2017.ThealbumwasproducedbyGRAMMYandLatinGRAMMY-winningproducerEricOberstein,heraldedforproducingbigbandprojectswithArturoO’Farrill,Continuedonpage2

Page2ForPrieto,creatingabigbandwasalsoanopportunitytohonorhisheroes.Thealbumfeaturesnewversionsofhispieces“SongforChico”and“TheTriumphantJourney,”previouslyrecordedbyArturoO'FarrillandtheAfroLatinJazzOrchestra,payingtributetoCubancomposerandArturo’sfatherChicoO’Farrill,aswellastrumpeterDizzyGillespieandcongueroChanoPozo,respectively.Prietoalsorecordedseveralbrandnewcompositions,including“UnaVezMás,”dedicatedtoEddiePalmieriandtrumpeterBrianLynch.OthertracksincludearrangementsofPrieto’s“TwoforOne,”originallycommissionedbytheDorisDukeCharitableFoundationaswellas“TheSoonertheBetter”and“PreludeParaRosa”fromhis2008release,TakingtheSoulforaWalk.Withthisproject,Prietocontinuesthetraditionofdrummersleadingbigbands,includingChickWebb,GeneKrupa,BuddyRich,andMelLewis,amongothers.Hehashadlongstandingrelationshipswithchampionsofthebigbandsound,includingArturoO’Farrill,EddiePalmieri,andthelateBeboValdés.PRESSQUOTES:"Oneofthebestrecordingsoftheyear"—DownBeatEditors'Pick"A17-piecebigband...alternatelyplayingwithheatandheart"—JazzTimesEditor'sPick"Thegrouppullsdownsnuglyaround[Prieto's]elaboratecompositions,creatingafluidmomentuminarangeofstyles"—TheNewYorkTimes"Expressesthesheerforceanddepthoffieldthatonlyabigbandcanachieve"—TheWallStreetJournal"Thesuccessof[Prieto's]experimentisclear"—WBGO"BigBandgold"—TheHuffingtonPost"Masterful"—AllAboutJazz"Invigorating,imaginative,andrhythmicallyexhilarating"—AllAboutJazz"The17-memberensembleroars,rollicks,rumbas,andpurrsitswaythroughnineoriginalpieces....BacktotheSunsetisatreasure"—StepTempest"Prieto’sgiftsasacomposer,arrangerandensemble-drivingdrummerareonfulldisplaythroughoutasetofswirling,color-filledcompositions"—VeniceMagazine