The Durango Herald has praised the Mambo Kings, writing “a Steinway never sounded so good… DeLaney added richness and depth to the jazz repertoire with his sure touch.” Their smooth sound is the result of the sheer talent of the band members: saxophonist John Viavattine, percussionist Wilfredo “Freddy” Colon, pianist and group founder Richard DeLaney, conguero David “Tio David” Antonetti, and bassist Hector Diaz. Collectively they have performed with a variety of major music stars ranging from Tito Puente to Aretha Franklin.

Their program will consist of compositions originating from Latin, rock and jazz sources as well as DeLaney’s own originals. It’s an exciting evening of great song and dance that is certain to bring Latin heat and a sizzling beat to the Orpheum!

BIOGRAPHIES

Jeff Tyzik, Principal Pops Conductor

Jeff Tyzik has earned a reputation as one of America's most innovative pops conductors. Described by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle as “among the best pops conductors in America,” Tyzik is recognized for his brilliant arrangements, original programming, and engaging rapport with audiences of all ages. Principal Pops Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for over a decade, he also serves as Principal Pops Conductor of the Vancouver and Oregon Symphony Orchestras.

In twelve years with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), Tyzik has developed an incredible relationship with devoted Rochester audiences, who appreciate his creative pops programming. Over the course of his tenure, he has written over 160 works for the orchestra. A consummate musician, Tyzik is so appreciated in Rochester that the RPO has taken the unusual step of inviting their principal pops conductor to appear as a guest artist in the orchestra’s subscription series calendar on a regular basis, where he has performed works by some of the greatest American composers to critical acclaim, and where he led the premiere of his own Trombone Concerto, which was funded by a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts. Recently, Tyzik recorded a disc of works by Gershwin with pianist Jon Nakamatsu and the RPO on the Harmonia Mundi label, to be released in spring 2007.

“His concert is the kind of thing that’s likely to give classical music a good name, perhaps even make it seem, dare I say, relevant,” writes John Pitcher of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle (February 3, 2006). “What’s great about Tyzik is his way of making any concert (classical or pops) seem contemporary and approachable without sugarcoating anything, without dumbing down the musical experience.”

Highly sought after as a guest conductor, Tyzik has appeared with orchestras including the Cincinnati Pops, the New York Pops, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to his commitments in Rochester, Vancouver, and Winnipeg, during the 2006/07 season, he performs with orchestras across North America including Dallas, Detroit, Elgin, Hartford, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Toronto, as well as the Naples Philharmonic and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa).

A native of Hyde Park, New York, Tyzik began his life in music at nine years old, when he first picked up a cornet. He studied both classical and jazz throughout high school, and went on to earn both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied composition/arranging with Radio City Music Hall’s Ray Wright and jazz studies with the great band leader Chuck Mangione, both of whom profoundly impacted him as a musician.

Tyzik spent the next few years working with Mangione, soaking in every part of the music business. He became a skilled record producer, while continuing to be active as a performer and arranger. These experiences led Tyzik to one of the great early opportunities of his career—the chance to co-compose a trumpet concerto with friend and virtuoso trumpeter Allen Vizzutti to be recorded by pops legend Doc Severinsen.

After that first recording project, Tyzik worked closely with Severinsen on many projects including orchestrating many of the great band leader’s symphony orchestra programs, and producing a GRAMMY Award-winning album, The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen, Vol. 1. To this day, he credits Severinsen as his greatest musical and professional inspiration.

As an accomplished composer and arranger, Tyzik has had his compositions recorded by ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Summit Brass, and his arrangements have been recorded by groups including Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the RPO, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and Doc Severinsen with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. He has also produced and composed theme music for many of the major television networks, including ABC, NBC, HBO, and Cinemax, and released six of his own albums on Capitol, Polygram and Amherst Records.

Committed to performing music of all genres, Tyzik has collaborated with such diverse artists as Tony Bennett, Art Garfunkel, Dawn Upshaw, Marilyn Horne, Arturo Sandoval, The Chieftains, Mark O'Connor, Doc Severinsen, John Pizzarelli, Billy Taylor, and Lou Rawls, and has created original programs that include the greatest music from jazz and classical to Motown and swing.

Actively sharing his passion for music with others, Tyzik has been recognized for his community service and educational work by Rotary International, the Monroe County Music Educators, and the Rochester Philharmonic League. He is also the recipient of the Arts & Cultural Council of Greater Rochester's 2002 Performing Artist award.

Tyzik currently serves on the Board of Managers of the Eastman School of Music, and as a board member of the Hochstein School of Music and Dance. He lives in Rochester, New York, with his wife Jill.

Mambo Kings, Entertainers

Mambo Kings, formed in 1995 by Richard DeLaney, are enjoying great success as Rochester'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 debut in 1997 with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Conductor Jeff Tyzik, Mambo Kings have appeared as featured soloists at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival and in concerts with the Baltimore, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Dallas, and Oregon Symphony Orchestras, among others, performing original compositions and arrangements by Richard DeLaney. The band was featured at the 2003 Rochester International Jazz Festival and reached the finals of the 2003 Kennedy Center / U.S. Department of State Jazz Ambassadors national competition.

The 2006-07 season featured performances with the Hartford Symphony, the Naples (FL) Philharmonic and the New Mexico Symphony, as well as the premiere of a new orchestral program with Jeff Tyzik and the Rochester Philharmonic in February. The 2007-08 season includes performances with the Detroit Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and a return trip to Vancouver, besides appearances at this Summer’s Rochester International Jazz Fest, Music In The Mountains Festival in Colorado and the Historic Lewiston Jazz Festival in Lewiston, NY.

The group released their second CD, entitled Live!, in December of 2005. Their acclaimed first release, Marinera, received airplay in major markets throughout North America and Puerto Rico.

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 was musical director and arranger for Orquesta La Muralla, Rochester's legendary salsa band, for fifteen years before starting Mambo Kings. Since 1985, he has taught piano and jazz piano at the Hochstein School of Music, where he also directs three student jazz ensembles.

Percussionist Wilfredo (Freddy) Colon (drums, timbales, bongos) has performed with Aretha Franklin, Tito Puente, Soneros Del Barrio, Johnny Rivera, El Cano and Paquito Acosta. He teaches percussion at the Eastman School Of Music's Community Education Division and is much in demand as a percussion clinician in the Greater 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 David Antonetti (congas) played for many years with Orquesta La Muralla including performances with Adalberto Santiago, Ismael Miranda and Ismael Quintana. He has backed up contemporary salsa stars Tito Allen, Cano Estremera, Hector Tricoche, and Luisito Rosario.

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.

“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 Manana (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 Colon 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 -- www.vancouversymphony.ca