Chucho Valdés Royal Quartet
The most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz returns to SFJAZZ with his Royal Quartet, marking 60 years of musical alchemy that has earned him seven Grammy Awards and the 2025 NEA Jazz Master designation. At 76, Chucho Valdés continues to demonstrate the "otherworldly chops and vivid imagination" that critics describe, leading an ensemble of Cuban-born virtuosos in what promises to be a celebration of his groundbreaking fusion of Afro-Cuban traditions with jazz, classical, and rock elements.
The Royal Quartet features bassist José Armando Gola, known for his lengthy collaboration with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, the "ambidextrous marvel" Horacio "El Negro" Hernández on drums, and percussionist Roberto Jr. Vizcaino, son of longtime Valdés associate Roberto Vizcaino. Together, they bring to life the Grammy-nominated album Cuba & Beyond, a collection of Valdés' fiery compositions alongside inventive takes on works by Chick Corea and Pedro Junco.
Valdés' live performances are described as transcendent experiences where his "encyclopedic vocabulary of Afro-Cuban rhythms" meets an "expansive palette that includes all manner of modern jazz." Critics note how he "leans so far into the keyboard that the rear legs of his piano bench come off the floor," while his nimble wrists and fingers move "with the ease of a man 50 years younger." His distinctive ability to play contrasting riffs with each hand creates what one reviewer called a "duality" that showcases his incomparable technical mastery.
The stage presence is equally captivating. Valdés leads the band "like a singer," throwing his arm down in "emphatic joy" after big moments while grinning at both his musicians and audience. His bandmates provide visual entertainment too—Hernández's "dexterity emits excited audible 'wows' from the audience" while the rhythm section operates "like a four-man chain through which surges communal voltage."
Expect a journey through Cuban musical landscapes, from "slow and sultry to warp speed polyrhythms," with the band relaxing before Valdés gives a nod and they "drop into a rumba jam almost impossible to sit still to." This is Cuban fire incarnate—the sound of a master who co-founded the groundbreaking ensemble Irakere in 1973 and has spent decades proving that "Cuban jazz is the best jazz."