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Mambo Kings

Rochester's own MAMBO KINGS, together since 1995, are enjoying great success as Upstate New York's foremost Latin jazz ensemble, and have rapidly earned a national reputation for their explosive blend of Afro Cuban rhythms and jazz improvisation. Since their orchestral debut in 1997 with the Rochester Philharmonic and Conductor Jeff Tyzik, Mambo Kings have appeared at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival and in Pops concerts with orchestras in Baltimore, Vancouver, Detroit, Dallas, Naples (FL) and Portland (OR), among many others, performing original compositions and arrangements by pianist Richard DeLaney.

As a quintet, Mambo Kings have appeared as featured soloists at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Fest, the Music In The Mountains Festival in Durango, (CO), the Lewiston (NY) Jazz Fest and the Big Sky Arts Fest in Bozeman, MT. More recently, the 2019 season featured performances with the Alabama Symphony, a sold-out concert at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago and a show with the Des Moines Symphony. The band weathered the 2020-2021 season with online performances with the Austin, Buffalo, and West Michigan Orchestras and a live performance with the Virginia Symphony to wrap up the year. Mambo Kings released their third self-produced record-ing, Nostalgia, in July of 2008. Nostalgia, along with their previous releases --Live! (2005) and Marinera (2003) -- continues to receive radio airplay throughout North America and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit the band's website at www.mambokingdom.com

Musical Director Richard DeLaney, a native of Lima, Peru, has been active as a jazz pianist, arranger and composer in Rochester since earning a Master's Degree from the Eastman School Of Music in 1978. He has written and performed music for film, television, the stage and the concert hall. He has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic and the Rochester Chamber Orchestra, as well as with Paquito D'Rivera, Bobby Sanabria and num-erous bandleaders in Rochester. Richard joined the piano faculty of the Hochstein School Of Music in 1985 and has directed the school's Jazz Ensemble Program since 2001. He received the Faculty Service Award in 1996.

Percussionist Wilfredo (Freddy) Colón (drums, timbales, bongos) has performed with Aretha Franklin, Tito Puente, Soneros Del Barrio, Johnny Rivera, El Cano and Paquito Acosta. He has taught percussion at the Eastman School Of Music's Community Education Division and is much in demand as a percussion clinician in the Rochester area.

Saxophonist John Viavattine has been an accomplished woodwind specialist in Rochester for many years. John has toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, including a memorable performance in Washington, D.C. at President Reagan's 1980 Inaugural Ball. John has also performed with Chuck and Gap Mangione, Jeff Tyzik and the Rochester Philharmonic, The Temptations, Ray Charles, Patti Page, Connie Francis, Vic Damone and Lou Rawls.

Percussionist Tony Padilla (congas) was born and raised in Rochester. A self taught percussionist, he began playing at age 12 and has been performing professionally since the age of 14. Tony has played with such artists as Paquito De Rivera, Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Arturo Sandoval, Jerry Gonzalez, Lou Gramm, The Maelstrom Percussion Ensem-ble and The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 1983, Tony has been conducting clinics/workshops throughout United States, including The Eastman School Of Music, The New York State Teachers Music Association, The Percussive Arts Society, and a variety of colleges and high schools.

Bassist Hector Diaz has been playing with bands in the Western New York area since the age of thirteen. He has performed with Ismael Miranda, Hector Tricoche, "El Cano" Estremera, Paquito Acosta, Zafra Negra, Luisito Rosario, Wendell Rivera and Johnny Rivera. While in the Army, Hector toured with an All Soldiers show throughout Army bases in South Korea.

About Nostalgia:

"One of Rochester's fine bands performs a range of originals, a few standards (including Summertime and My Favorite Things, which have become jazz evergreens); and a trio of tunes from famed jazz repertoires, Chick Corea's Armando's Rumba, Miles Davis Seven Steps To Heaven and Cedar Walton's N.P.S. The "mambo" aspects of the band come from a first-rate rhythm section -- "Tio" Antonetti and Freddy Colon on various drums, congas, timbales and bongos, and Hector Diaz on bass. . . The musicality of this band is always first-rate, but members are at their best when the music soars over sheer rhythmic joy, as in Tio's Tune and Sunny."

- Jack Garner, Rochester Democrat And Chronicle

About Mambo Kings Live!:

"You've got to hand it to these musicians for not cluttering up their new album with what might be mediocre originals in choosing the music for this performance. The compositions, whether originating from Latin, rock, or jazz sources, do the job and keep the concert tuneful and lively. Clare Fischer's Una Mañana (also known as Morning) is as good a place to begin as any, while the Tizol/Ellington classic Caravan becomes a pulsing exercise in Latin percussion per Colón and Antonetti. More traditional Latin compositions like El Cumbanchero and Tres Lindas Cubanas, featuring a fine salsa flute solo from Viavattine, are provided, as is the Lennon-McCartney piece “Day Tripper.” They all supply the means to generate the excitement that dancers (Latin or otherwise) require. "

- Michael P. Gladstone, all.about.jazz

". . . DeLaney and Viavattine are outstanding on this beautifully recorded live concert. While the set is mostly comprised of heart-felt performances of well-known Latin staples, there are also some exciting and inventive arrangements, including Brubeck's Blue Rondo A La Turk, which stays close to the original except for some funky, percussive excursions; an electric bass-propelled Caravan and an infectious take on Day Tripper. "

- Ed Trefzger, Jazzweek.com

About Marinera:

". . . this Latin jazz combo really nails the genre. The eight tunes are a good mix of standards, compositions of Mongo Santamaria, Michel Camilo, Luis Bonfa and three originals by DeLaney. Saxophonist Viavattine deserves applause for knowing how to play a muscular tenor sax . . . his work on Softly, Five Kings and Afro Blue displays sure-footed work that harkens back to pre-Sheets Of Sound Coltrane. DeLaney shows a consistent knowledge of pianistics in salsa/Latin jazz and his arrangements convey the right touch. Percussionists Colon and Antonetti provide the fire engine that drives the band."

  — Michael P. Gladstone, all.about.jazz


Los Mambo Kings de Rochester tocan juntos desde 1995. Son uno de los grupos de Jazz latino más populares en el Norte del estado de Nueva York. Gozan de una reputación nacional por su explosiva mezcla de ritmos Afrocubanos e improvisaciones de jazz. Desde su debut con la Orquesta Filarmónica de Rochester en 1997 con el conductor Jeff Tyzik, los Mambo Kings han participado en diversos festivales de música y conciertos con orquestas en Baltimore, Vancouver, Detroit, Dallas, Naples (Florida) y Portland (Oregon), entre otras. Han interpretado composiciones originales con arreglos del pianista Richard DeLaney.

Como quinteto, los Mambo Kings han participado como solistas en el festival internacional de Jazz en Rochester y en otros festivales de música en Durango (Colorado), Lewiston (NY) y Bozeman (Montana). La temporada del 2019 cuenta con la participación de la orquesta sinfónica de Alabama, un concierto en Chicago y Des Moines. Los Mambo Kings enfrentaron la temporada del 2020-2021 con presentaciones en línea con las orquestas de Austin, Buffalo y el Oeste de Michigan, y con presentaciones en vivo con la Orquesta Sinfónica de Virginia para terminar el año. Los Mambo Kings lanzaron su tercer disco Nostalgia en julio del 2008. Nostalgia, junto con sus lanzamientos previos -Live (2005) y Marinera (2003) continúan recibiendo cobertura en la radio en Norteamérica y Puerto Rico. Para más información visite la página de web www.mambokingdom.com

El director musical Richard DeLaney es originario de Lima, Perú. Ha sido pianista de jazz, arreglista y compositor en Rochester desde que obtuvo su Maestría en la escuela de música de Eastman en 1978. Ha escrito y ha interpretado música para películas, televisión, el escenario y la sala de conciertos. Ha tocado con la Filarmónica de Rochester y la Orquesta de Cámara de Rochester, así como con Paquito D’Riviera, Bobby Sanabria y otros conductores en Rochester. Richard se unió a la facultad de piano de la escuela de música de Hochstein en 1985 y ha dirigido el Programa de Conjunto de Jazz desde el 2001. Recibió el Reconocimiento al Servicio del Profesorado en 1996.

El percusionista Wilfredo (Freddy) Colón (tambores, timbales y bongos) ha tocado con Aretha Franklin, Tito Puente, Soneros del Barrio, Johnny Rivera, el Cano y Paquito Acosta. Ha instruido percusión en la escuela de música Eastman en la división de educación comunitaria, y sus clínicas de percusión son de gran demanda en el área de Rochester.

El saxofonista John Viavattine es un consumado especialista en instrumentos de viento de madera en Rochester. John ha hecho tours con la orquesta de Glenn Miller, incluyendo una presentación memorable en Washington, D.C. en el baile de la inauguración del Presidente Reagan en 1980. John también ha tocado con Chuck and Gap Mangione, Jeff Tyzik y la Filarmónica de Rochester, The Temptations, Ray Charles, Patti Page, Connie Francis, Vic Damone y Lou Rawls.

El percusionista Tony Padilla (congas) nació y creció en Rochester. Un percusionista autodidacta que empezó a tocar a la edad de 12 años y ha tocado profesionalmente desde los 14 años. Tony ha tocado con artistas como Paquito de Rivera, Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Arturo Sandoval, Jerry Gonzalez, Lou Gramm. El conjunto de percusión Maelstrom y la orquesta filarmónica de Rochester. Desde 1963, Tony ha sido conductor de clínicas en los Estados Unidos, incluyendo la escuela de música Eastman, la asociación de maestros de música del estado de Nueva York, la sociedad de arte de percusión y una variedad de universidades y preparatorias.

 

Nostalgia:

“Una de las mejores bandas de Rochester que toca un amplio rango de música original…”

— Jack Garner, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

 

Mambo Kings en vivo!

“...Las composiciones, ya sea originarias del rock, latinas o jazz, mantienen el concierto melodioso y animado.”

— Micheal P. Gladstone, all.about.jazz

“...DeLaney y Viavattine son espectaculares en este concierto en vivo hermosamente grabado.”

— Ed Trefzger, Jazzweek.com

 

Acerca de Marinera:

“... Esta combinación de jazz latino realmente representa el género. Las ocho tonalidades son una buena combinación de estándares, composición de Mongo Santamaría, Michel Camilo, Luis Bonfa y tres originales de DeLaney.

— Michael P. Gladstone, all.about.jazz