Podcast 919: A Conversation with Danilo Pérez (Part Two)

In Part One of my conversation with Danilo Pérez, we talked about his latest release, Crisálida,  a collaboration with Pérez's Global Messengers. The group consists of alumni from Berklee College of Music's Global Jazz Institute, run by Danilo. The musicians, and the instruments they play, create a crazy quilt of musical history and styles, but Pérez seems more than capable of bringing them together. In this podcast, we cast a wider net, and talk about his most recent Grammy-wining collaborations with saxophonist Wayne Shorter and vocalist Kurt Elling. With Shorter unable to tour due to a number of medical issues, the other members of his quartet, Pérez on piano, John Patitucci on bass and Brian Blade on drums have formed a trio, Children of Light, which released an album as well.  Danilo explains how he came to work with Elling, and how the resulting album, Secrets Are the Best Stories, has changed how he plays the compositions to which Elling added lyrics. Musical selections for the podcast include the Elling-Pérez version of Danilo's composition "Gratitude." here retitled "Gratitude [For Robert Bly]." We'll also hear "Gratitude" as performed by Children of Light in an April 23, 2018 show at the Fasching Jazz Club,in Stockholm, Sweden.