About Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci & Adam Cruz 

For over three decades, Grammy Award Winning Panamanian pianist/composer Danilo Pérez has been lauded as one of the most creative forces in contemporary music. With jazz as the anchoring foundation, Pérez’s Global jazz music is a blend of Panamanian roots, Latin American folk music, West African rhythms, European impressionism – promoting music as a borderless and multidimensional bridge between all people. Pérez will be accompanied by his longtime collaborator, the distinguished bassist John Patitucci. Both Perez and Patitucci were integral members of Wayne Shorter’s legendary quartet, celebrated for its innovative and unpredictable music spanning many years. We encounter these two exceptional musicians in the trio of Perez that is completed by the impactful drummer Adam Cruz.

John Patitucci is one of the finest and most versatile bassists in the world on upright and electric bass. John has a recording and performance resume that could easily be transcribed into a book – he has played throughout the world with his own band and with jazz luminaries Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stan Getz, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Hubert Laws, Mulgrew Miller, James Williams, and many more. He has played with pop and Brazilian heavyweights including Sting, Aaron Neville, Natalie Cole, Carole King, Milton Nascimiento, Astrud and Joao Gilberto, Airto and Flora Purim. A truly well rounded player whose legacy will stand the test of time.

Drummer, composer, and educator Adam Cruz was born in New York City and has been a vital creative force on the international jazz scene. He leads his own group, is an integral part of renowned pianist Danilo Perez’s trio, and regularly works with artists such as Tom Harrell, The Mingus Big Band, Joey Calderazzo, Chris Potter, Steve Wilson and Edward Simon. Adam currently teaches at CCNY and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. As a drummer, Adam represents a unique place in the American jazz lineage. His mixed ethnic background informs his playing in ways that transcend easy stylistic categorization. The wealth of his rhythmic knowledge, his deep sense of swing, and his knowledge of Latin American rhythms, all coalesce into his personal sound, giving his playing a powerful depth and a rare and distinctive musicality.

THEIR MUSIC