Luis Perdomo

Originating from Venezuela yet based in New York City, Luis Perdomo works as an acoustic post-bop pianist whose keyboard approach reflects the direct or indirect impact of figures such as Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, and Herbie Hancock. Although his background lies in a Latin American nation, Perdomo’s writing avoids the overt Afro-Cuban jazz idiom linked to Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Machito, or Poncho Sanchez, even as understated traces of Latin and Caribbean elements surface within certain pieces that generally favor an introspective character. Born in Caracas in 1971, he took up acoustic piano studies during childhood and, while still a teenager, secured the role of house pianist at one of the Venezuelan capital’s leading jazz venues. At twenty-two, in 1993, he relocated to New York City and pursued studies in both jazz and European classical traditions at the Manhattan School of Music and Queens College, ultimately receiving degrees from each institution. During those years he encountered veteran pianist Sir Roland Hanna, who served as a mentor and offered substantial encouragement to the immigrant musician. By the summer of 2000 Perdomo was appearing weekly at the Jazz Gallery as a sideman with alto saxophonist Yosvany Terry’s ensemble, whose lineup also featured Cuban drummer Dafnis Prieto and Puerto Rican bassist John Benitez (distinct from the urban and dance-pop producer John “Jellybean” Benitez who supported Madonna early in her career). Throughout the early 2000s he also performed alongside percussionist Ray Barretto and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, son of John Coltrane, while simultaneously beginning to lead his own ensembles—ranging from trios to quintets—at the Jazz Gallery and additional New York clubs. In 2003, the year he turned thirty, Perdomo recorded his debut album as a leader, Focus Point, which carried an executive-production credit for Ravi Coltrane and received a February 2005 release on the independent label RKM Music.