By Claire Dietz
On Friday, two musical worlds will converge in Iowa City. Though the distance between these worlds is only 1,139 miles apart, it spans a much larger divide.
At 7:30 p.m. Friday, American saxophonist Joe Lovano and Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés will play together at Hancher.
James Dreier, a lecturer in jazz studies at the University of Iowa, said that after years in the industry, these two are now at the forefront of the jazz world. Dreier describes the duo as forward-thinking and innovative — two musicians at the top of their class.
“We have two giants of jazz taking center stage,” he said. “I can guarantee they’re the best there is. They’re two people who have long, storied careers in jazz, but they’re not riding on their coattails or in their twilight years.”
To Dreier, one of the most interesting aspects is how the two will interact on stage, despite growing up in two very different jazz worlds (Lovano’s background is in the United States scene, while Chucho’s jazz roots are in Cuba).
“There’s been a long tradition of Cuban music interacting with jazz music,” he said. “It’s always interesting when you have two very established and unique voices in jazz coming together to play.”
“They have to negotiate, give each other space, and help [each other] play as best they can,” he continued. “I think it will be particularly interesting to see how they interact and combine their voices. In jazz, you’re trying to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts.”
Lovano noted the importance of interacting with the voices in the musical world, especially as a musician in this day and age.
“We are aware of all sorts of things and live in a multicultural and multigenerational world of music,” he said. “You’re playing with your peers and those older and younger than you and are learning from those around you. It’s a beautiful place to be for everyone.”
Valdés, best known for having played piano professionally for more than 50 years, is seen by many —including Dreier — as legendary in the world of Cuban jazz.
In an interview with Bomb Magazine titled “Jesús ‘Chucho’ Valdés,” he spoke to the importance of his roots in Cuba and the effect they’ve had on him as a musician.
“There are some Cuban standards, some of my own compositions, Latin jazz, and jazz standards, and what ties it together, what creates unity is the internal Afro-Cuban aspect of the music,” he said.
