By Bill Tilford - Timba.com
Robin Lloyd of KNKX with Kiki Valera
Kiki Valera launched his debut solo CD Vivencias en clave cubana (Origin Records) with three events in the Seattle area - a live, in-studio session with Robin Lloyd for her Jazz Caliente program on KNKX and two concerts for the Earshot Jazz Festival at the Vashon Center for the Arts and Town Hal. In the middle of all this, he also did some telephone interviews with radio stations in other cities and an in-home interview with this writer for his own radio program. The audience loved the performances as all three events, which featured both material from the new album and material from the Familia Valera Miranda, of which Kiki is a member. Why did a conjunto receive this much love from the Jazz community? Two reasons. First, Jazz festivals are including some other music in their program offerings. Second, and perhaps more important, which Kiki is not leading a Jazz band, his extensive listening to Jazz music influences his solos, and when he is performing live for a Jazz-oriented audience, his extended improvisations on cuatro border on campesino Jazz. Town Hall opened up a dance floor, which I am told seldom happens at the Earshot Jazz Festival.
Kiki Valera will be on the festival circuit in 2020. In the meantime, look for their CD.