The upcoming visit to Merrill Auditorium in Portland by Chucho Valdés is likely to present a unique musical worldview to all who attend.

Pianist, composer and bandleader Valdés has been a stellar figure on the international music scene for decades, forming and leading groups in his native Cuba and in many other places where his brand of music has gathered appeal.  He has impressed fans and fellow musicians alike with his wide reach — literally, with his big hands at the piano, and figuratively in his broad-based mastery. Along the way, he has won multiple Grammy Awards and in 2025 was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master.

As part of its culture-connecting “Seeking Resonance” series, Portland Ovations is bringing Valdés and his Royal Quartet to the Merrill stage at 7 p.m. May 3. Members of the multi-generational quartet — José Armando Gola (bass), Horacio “El Negro” Hernández (drums), and Roberto Jr. Vizcaíno (percussion) — will join the pianist in what promises to be a special musical event.

Coming from a legendary family, Chucho was born in Quivicán, Mayabeque province, Cuba in 1941.  His father Bebo Valdés (1918-2013) was a highly influential musician in pre-revolutionary Cuba, directing the orchestra at the legendary Tropicana Club in Havana.  Bebo reportedly urged Chucho to seriously study the techniques of various genres, both in the classroom and on the bandstand.

Chucho embraced the growing influence of music from the U.S. brought to Cuba by famed bebop master Dizzy Gillespie and others and helped form modern variations of the multi-ethnic musical mix often given a shorthand definition as Afro-Cuban jazz. 

The band Irakere, which he co-founded and which included such soon-to-be-well-known names as Paquito D’Rivera and Arturo Sandoval, brought Chucho international recognition and put him on his way toward greater appreciation by North American jazz fans. Eventually signing with the prestigious Blue Note record label in the U.S., Chucho became a very talked about figure as the new millennium dawned. 

At times combining musical influences from Duke Ellington to George Gershwin with various other international as well as folk traditions, Valdés became an essential participant in one of those historical moments when cultural diversity in the arts advanced to center stage.

Though sometimes delayed by travel issues, his U.S. tours have always revealed new dimensions in his work.  A bit of Mozart here, a little Rachmaninoff there — to go with the jazz and beyond inflections, not to mention an original multi-movement suite called La Creación, have produced many revelatory moments. 

Those who might have wondered if Chucho’s ability to surprise and delight listeners with new levels of creativity would endure will have a chance to find out for themselves when he takes the stage in Portland.

Steve Feeney is a freelance writer who lives in Portland.

IF YOU GO

Chucho Valdés Royal Quartet, 7 p.m. May 3, Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland. For more, contact Portland Ovations at 207-773-3150 or portlandovations.org.