Children of the Light

DANILO PÉREZ, JOHN PATITUCCI & BRIAN BLADE: CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT
Celebrating and inspired by Wayne Shorter, musical soulmates Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade have long performed together as essential members of the Wayne Shorter Quartet. Embracing the message of their mentor and friend, these three virtuosos celebrate Wayne’s music and introduce new compositions with the Children of the Light trio. Their three-way conversation is an intense collective improvisation, unfolding and constructing the music like a rhythmic and smoldering chamber recital. Called “three musicians capable of improving and altering the course of any musical situation which they may encounter,” it’s been said a Children of the Light sound check “sounds better than half the finished recordings out there!” Speaking of recordings, their self-titled debut album released to critical acclaim and 5-star reviews in 2015. NPR says, “Wayne Shorter is Children of the Light’s hidden chord, but this trio draws power from plenty of other sources and influences too. And with its inspired music, Children of the Light shines brightly enough to last as long as any band.”
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DANILO PEREZ, JOHN PATITUCCI & TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON: CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT
Celebrating and inspired by Wayne Shorter, the Children of the Light trio brings together three torchbearers of Shorter’s legacy: Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, and Terri Lyne Carrington. With a shared history performing with Shorter and with each other, these three virtuosos embrace the message of their mentor by introducing compositions inspired through him. The name of the band is a play on Shorter’s “Children of the Night,” a piece that first appeared on Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers’ Mosaic in 1961. “It was John who said ‘We should call it Children of the Light and bring a little light to the world,’” recalls Pérez, “You say ‘Thank you’ to a great man like Wayne not by imitating what he does but by playing off the language he created — finding a new language in the process. Like Wayne says: ‘This is the new sound of the trio. You guys are touching another dimension.’”

When Shorter was looking to establish a new band for the turn of the millennium, it was Carrington who recommended both Pérez and Patitucci. She had recorded on a couple of Shorter’s albums and toured with his High Life band in the mid-1990s. When touring commitments kept Carrington from completing a recording with Shorter, Brian Blade stepped in and went on to become the Wayne Shorter Quartet’s regular drummer. Years later, Pérez, Patitucci, and Carrington have continued their longtime collaborations as musicians, friends, and colleagues at the Berklee College of Music’s Global Jazz Institute. This shared musical history is readily apparent onstage in a three-way conversation of intense collective improvisation, unfolding and constructing the music like a rhythmic and smoldering chamber recital.

Danilo Pérez Trio

Pianist, composer, educator, and social activist, Danilo Pérez is among the most influential and dynamic musicians of our time. In his compositions he blends his Panamanian roots with elements of jazz, Latin American folk music, European impressionism, African rhythms, and other traditions from around the world. As a performer and innovator, Danilo Pérez has made a considerable mark on the jazz genre. NPR exclaims, “Pérez is a man with some serious jazz cred. The Panamanian pianist got his start playing with Dizzy Gillespie, and continued with Wayne Shorter. As a composer and bandleader himself, he’s practically peerless.” While constantly exploring in various projects and collaborations, the Danilo Pérez Trio featuring Ben Street on bass and Adam Cruz on drums has been Pérez’s primary vehicle of expression for many years.

Inspiring young players to believe that they can positively affect their communities as they learn their craft, Pérez serves as a UNESCO Artist For Peace, Cultural Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, Founder and Artistic Director of the Panama Jazz Festival, as well as Founder and Artistic Director of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute in Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Winner of the United States Artists’ Fellowship Award for his unique contributions to the field, his music and performance allow an audience to experience the ancient practice of building community through music.

Danilo Peréz Symphony

As a solo artist and as a collaborator with jazz giants from Dizzy Gillespie to Wayne Shorter, for over three decades Grammy-Award Winning Panamanian Pianist-Composer Danilo Pérez has been lauded as one of the most creative forces in contemporary music. With Jazz as the anchoring foundation, Pérez’s Global Jazz music is a blend of Panamanian roots, Latin American folk music, West African rhythms, European impressionism – promoting music as a borderless and multidimensional bridge between all people.

Since 1993 Pérez has released twelve albums which have earned him critical acclaim, and numerous accolades around the world. He is a recipient of the United States Fellowship 2018, and the 2009 Smithsonian Legacy Award. For nearly two decades, Pérez has been part of the Wayne Shorter Quartet, alongside bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade. This latest iteration from Shorter has been known as a unique and predominant force in improvisational music both at their historic live performances and on several recordings. In 2018 Blue Note records released the highly anticipated EMANON from the Wayne Shorter Quartet which won a Grammy in the category of Best Jazz Instrumental album in 2019.