Tony Perez

Tony Perez entered the world in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, where his jazz studies got underway at the National School of Arts. Irakere, the prominent Latin jazz ensemble, quickly earned his admiration and became an object of idolization during those formative years. He forged a personal piano approach and began teaming with Isaac Delgado as well as José Luis Cortés, a former Irakere member. While developing original compositions, Perez joined the salsa outfit Klimax and delivered performances at the storied Montreaux Jazz Festival. By 1997 he ranked among the youngest musical directors working in Latin jazz, having been chosen by Chucho Valdes to direct Irakere. Even as a core member of that ensemble, he sustained outside engagements with numerous additional jazz groups and players, devoting much of the late ’90s to extensive touring and recording alongside a broad range of collaborators. When the 2001 American tour with Irakere was halted by the terrorist attacks on New York City, Perez moved to Boston to advance the band’s releases, while the rest of the group remained in Cuba after their visas were revoked.