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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsI just saw a live performance by the greatest drummer I have ever seen.
Dafnis Prieto
Various awards include a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship Award; a GRAMMY Award and a Latin GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album for Dafnis Prieto Big Band Back to the Sunset in 2018; a GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album for Dafnis Prieto Sextet Transparency in 2021; a GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album for Absolute Quintet, and a Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist, in 2007; and Up & Coming Musician of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2006. Also a gifted educator, Prieto has conducted numerous master classes, clinics, and workshops throughout the world. He was a faculty member of Jazz Studies at NYU from 2005 to 2014, and in 2015 became a faculty member of Frost School of Music at UM (University of Miami), where he directs the esteemed Frost Latin Jazz Orchestra.
As a composer, Prieto has created music for dance, film, chamber ensembles, and most notably for his own bands ranging from duets to big bands, including the distinctively different groups featured by nine acclaimed recordings as a leader: About The Monks, Absolute Quintet, Taking The Soul For a Walk, Si o Si Quartet-Live at Jazz Standard, Dafnis Prieto Proverb Trio, Triangles and Circles, Back to the Sunset, Transparency, and Cantar. In 2022 Prieto premiered a new work for Latin band and string orchestra Tentación performed by People of Earth with the Louisville Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New World Symphony, and the Britt Festival Orchestra. He has received new works commissions, grants, and fellowships from Chamber Music America; Princeton University; Jazz at Lincoln Center; Museum of Modern Art; Whitney Museum; National Association of Latino Arts & Cultures; Jerome Foundation; East Carolina University; Painted Bride Art Center; Meet the Composer; WNYC; the Louisville Orchestra, the Britt Festival Orchestra, New Music USA, Hazard Productions, and People of Earth; and the Metropole Orkest...
Liner notes from the Princeton Jazz Festival.
The Unmitigated Gall
(3,825 posts)demosincebirth
(12,541 posts)malthaussen
(17,215 posts)To say nothing of Philly Joe Jones, a personal favorite.
-- Mal
demosincebirth
(12,541 posts)ZZenith
(4,125 posts)Last edited Sun Apr 14, 2024, 05:22 PM - Edit history (1)
Yes, Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa, etc. were great drummers but every now and then someone comes along who changes the game yet again, and Dafnis Prieto is the next level.
He brings a fluidity and vocabulary that is flat out stunning if you know what youre listening to. I hope more people discover him soon, hes really special.
NNadir
(33,538 posts)He was playing with the Princeton University Jazz Ensemble, an 18 piece group, horn section, an (outstanding young) percussionist on congas and bongos, and sundry other percussion instruments, guitar, electric and acoustic bass, and piano; a few guest artists and the rest Princeton students.
All of the compositions were his.
I'm an old man, who has been, over a long life, to a lot of jazz concerts, as well as rock concerts, along with other type of concerts.
I never saw anyone play the drums like this. My mind was blown.
To be clear, I was totally unaware of who he was until I showed up.
ZZenith
(4,125 posts)Glad you got to encounter his music and super happy that youre spreading the word.
When my contemporaries lament the sad state of modern music I just shake my head and mutter, Brother, you dont even know
The kids are alright.
LudwigPastorius
(9,164 posts)He can keep a clave going with his right hand while soloing a bunch of out-of-time stuff.