Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés, Together Again!, a rare two-night concert event to support Jazz St. Louis
Cuban jazz legends Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés drew enthusiastic crowds for a rare, two-night concert to support Jazz St. Louis. Longtime friends and collaborators, the two renowned performers have a combined 29 GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards between them. This was their first time playing together in St. Louis.
Jazz St. Louis presented Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés, Together Again! Sept. 18 & 19, 2024. The first evening took place at the Steward Center, the home of Jazz St. Louis in Grand Center. The second evening happened in The Sheldon Concert Hall, to accommodate a larger audience. Between the two performances, D’Rivera and Valdés played to nearly 700 fervent fans.
“The significance of this event cannot be overstated,” said Victor Goines, president and CEO of Jazz St. Louis. “Paquito and Chucho have been friends and collaborators since 1962, but opportunities to see them perform together are extremely rare. This was genuinely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for St. Louis jazz fans.”
Clarinetist, saxophonist, author, composer, and arranger D’Rivera and pianist, composer, and arranger Valdés first met in 1962. Both child prodigies and sons of musical families, the two worked together in Havana’s Musical Theatre Orchestra and in the Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music.
About Jazz
St. Louis Jazz St. Louis is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to lead our community in advancing the uniquely American art of jazz through performance, education, and community engagement. Each year, Jazz St. Louis presents over 270 performances in its internationally acclaimed concert series. The non-profit organization takes a three-pronged approach to its work: presenting jazz, encouraging and educating future audiences, and nurturing budding musicians.
St. Louis Jazz St. Louis is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to lead our community in advancing the uniquely American art of jazz through performance, education, and community engagement. Each year, Jazz St. Louis presents over 270 performances in its internationally acclaimed concert series. The non-profit organization takes a three-pronged approach to its work: presenting jazz, encouraging and educating future audiences, and nurturing budding musicians.
Jazz St. Louis Education programs cultivate leadership and cultural appreciation in the next generation of musicians and listeners through training, educational resources, and transformative engagement with local and touring professional musicians. Jazz St. Louis has an extensive portfolio of education programs aimed at elementary through college students in the greater St. Louis area and beyond. The organization provides field trip experiences, hands-on training programs, in-school clinics and masterclasses, and curricular resources for teachers, all at no cost to participants.
For more information about Jazz St. Louis, visit jazzstl.org.
Event Photos
Photo Captions
- DSC00201 – Cuban jazz legends Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés drew enthusiastic crowds for Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés, Together Again!, a rare, two-night concert to support Jazz St. Louis Sept. 18 & 19, 2024. Longtime friends and collaborators, the two renowned performers have a combined 29 GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards between them. This was their first time playing together in St. Louis. The second evening took place at The Sheldon Concert Hall. From left: Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera. Photo courtesy of Jon Gitchoff.
- DSC04814 – On behalf of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, Gilberto Pinela, director of the Office of New Americans, presents a proclamation that it is “Paquito D’Rivera Day” and “Chucho Valdés Day” in the City of St. Louis at Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés, Together Again! at The Sheldon Concert Hall. From left: Victor Goines, CEO of Jazz St. Louis; Chucho Valdés; Gilberto Pinela, director of the Office of New Americans for St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones; Paquito D’Rivera; Robert Steward, chairman of the Jazz St. Louis Board of Directors. Photo courtesy of Jon Gitchoff.
- DSC04670 – Victor Goines, CEO of Jazz St. Louis and Robert Steward, chairman of the Jazz St. Louis Board of Directors welcome the fervent fans at The Sheldon Concert Hall on Sept. 19, 2024. Photo courtesy of Jon Gitchoff.
- DSC04714 – Musician, composer and entertainer Emerson Magaña served as Master of Ceremonies for both performances of Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés, Together Again!. Photo courtesy of Jon Gitchoff.
- DSC00216 – Cuban jazz legends Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés drew enthusiastic crowds for Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés, Together Again!, a rare, two-night concert to support Jazz St. Louis Sept. 18 & 19, 2024. Longtime friends and collaborators, the two renowned performers have a combined 29 GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards between them. This was their first time playing together in St. Louis. The second evening took place at The Sheldon Concert Hall. From left: Chucho Valdés (piano); Jose A. Gola (bass); Paquito D'Rivera (clarinet, saxophone); Diego Urcola (trumpet); Horacio Hernandez (drums); Roberto Jr. Vizcaino Torre (percussion). Photo courtesy of Jon Gitchoff.
- DSC00400 – Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera performing at The Sheldon Concert Hall on Sept. 19, 2024 in support of Jazz St. Louis. They were joined by Victor Goines, president & CEO of Jazz St. Louis, on saxophone for a song. From left: Chucho Valdés (piano); Jose A. Gola (bass); Paquito D'Rivera (clarinet, saxophone); Victor Goines (saxophone); Horacio Hernandez (drums). Photo courtesy of Jon Gitchoff.
- DSC00411 –Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera performing at the Sheldon Concert Hall on Sept. 19, 2024 in support of Jazz St. Louis. Longtime friends and collaborators, the two renowned performers have a combined 29 GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards between them. This was their first time playing together in St. Louis. Photo courtesy of Jon Gitchoff.
- DSC004465 – Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera performing at the Steward Center, home of Jazz St. Louis, on Sept. 18, 2024. Longtime friends and collaborators, the two renowned performers have a combined 29 GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards between them. This was their first time playing together in St. Louis. Photo courtesy of Jon Gitchoff.
- DSC00037 – Cuban jazz legends Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés drew enthusiastic crowds for Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés, Together Again!, a rare, two-night concert to support Jazz St. Louis Sept. 18 & 19, 2024. Longtime friends and collaborators, the two renowned performers have a combined 29 GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards between them. This was their first time playing together in St. Louis. The first evening took place at the Steward Center, home of Jazz St. Louis. From left: Chucho Valdés (piano); Jose A. Gola (bass); Paquito D'Rivera (clarinet, saxophone); Diego Urcola (trumpet); Horacio Hernandez (drums); Roberto Jr. Vizcaino Torre (percussion). Photo courtesy of Jon Gitchoff.
- DSC05221 – Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera are joined by Victor Goines, president & CEO of Jazz St. Louis, on saxophone, for a song during their performance on Sept. 18, 2024 at the Steward Center, home of Jazz St. Louis. Photo courtesy of Jon Gitchoff.
