Panamanian pianist and composer Danilo Pérez (b. 1965) underwent a baptism of fire in 1989 in the orchestra of trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. This experience led to a career in which he combines post-bop with the music of South America. The result is music with Panamanian roots mixed with Latin American folk music, West African rhythms and European impressionism – with jazz always at its heart. Pérez, like bassist John Patitucci (b. 1959), was part of the permanent quartet of the great tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter from 2000 until the latter’s death in 2023. Both played on Shorter’s Grammy-winning album Emanon (2018). Patitucci also won recognition in the mid-eighties for his work with pianist Chick Corea. Drummer Adam Cruz (b. 1970) also played with Chick Corea and is a major creative force on the international jazz scene. He leads his own group and is a permanent member of the Danilo Pérez Trio.
