Two new Music Hall Intimately Yours concerts
Herbie Hancock
Wednesday, June 16 at 7:30pm
Electronic and acoustic funk, jazz, rhythm + blues
“blessed with genius…brilliant.” – Rolling Stone

Afro Cuban All Stars
Wednesday, June 30 at 7:30pm
Powerhouse 12-piece big band
“remarkable” – New York Times

Tickets for both shows
On sale to members noon Saturday, February 27
On sale to the public noon Saturday, March 13

“Intimately Yours: the best and brightest…in one of the best venues in the Northeast”
– Portsmouth Herald

The Music Hall, the landmark Victorian theater in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has just announced two additions to the Intimately Yours roster – Herbie Hancock and Afro Cuban All Stars. Hancock, the Multi-Grammy Award winning modern music icon – from acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B – will make his Portsmouth premiere Wednesday June 16, 2010 at 7:30pm. Afro Cuban All Stars, the big band introduced to the world in Buena Vista Social Club and responsible for stoking the worldwide infatuation with Cuban music, will appear Wednesday June 30, 2010 at 7:30pm.

According to Kathleen Soldati, Director of Marketing at The Music Hall, “Our Intimately Yours series is reaching new heights – having Herbie Hancock on our stage will make for a unique intimate evening with a master. And, Afro Cuban All Stars have made it their business to bring together into one group longtime legendary musicians, they’ve blended traditional with new Cuban music, and they’ve been responsible for driving the appreciation of Cuban music around the world. Another great show on our stage!”

Herbie Hancock

About Herbie Hancock
A musician since the age of seven, Hancock is known for breaking uncharted territory with his acoustic jazz styles. He recently celebrated his 35th year in the record business, and this June his fingers will be “dancing across the keyboard” here at The Music Hall, blending funk, jazz, and pure musical genius on stage. His accessible style and ability to fuse both electronic and acoustic jazz piano styles will be sure to please concert-goers of all ages.
Known for being a “true icon of modern day music,” Hancock once had four albums on the pop charts at the same time. He has won Grammys, MTV awards, and an Oscar.  He has been associated with acclaimed musicians such as Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, and many other jazz deities. A lover of the hip-hop genre, Hancock’s musical style differentiates from more traditional jazz musicians. With his eclectic combination of funk, jazz, electric, acoustic, rhythm and blues, it’s no wonder that The Rolling Stone Album Guide claimed he is ‘blessed with genius…brilliant.’ There are few artists in the entire music industry who have gained more recognition and respect than Herbie Hancock. In the words of the distinguished Miles Davis, “Herbie was the step after Bud Powell and Thelonius Monk, and I haven’t heard anybody yet who has come after him.” NPR claims that Hancock is “arguably the most influential practitioner of modern jazz piano since Thelonious Monk.”

About Afro-Cuban All Stars

Afro-Cuban All Stars

The Afro-Cuban All Stars, featuring “stars of the golden age of Cuban music” will be coming to Portsmouth led by the legendary Buena Vista Social Club member Juan de Marcos González known as the “unsung hero of Cuban music.” For more than a decade, the group has made an extraordinary contribution to raising the profile of Cuban music throughout the world, blending the heritage of Cuban music in order to “create a sound for the future.” The All Stars are particularly known for resurrecting the careers of several legends. Featuring singers Manuel Puntillita Licea, Pío Leyva, and Raúl Planas, bass player Orlando “Cachaito” López, and the legendary pianist Ruben González, Juan de Marcos González assembled the band he had always envisioned for their debut album, A Toda Cuba Le Gusta. Released in 1997 and recorded at the Buena Vista Social Club sessions, the album brought the band international recognition. The All Stars work to combine music from the old masters with music from the new generation of Cuban musicians.  For their second record, González brought in even more legendary Cuban musicians, such as Omara Portuondo, Lina Borges, Polo Tamayo, Jesús Aguage Ramos, and Amadito Valdés. The group has evolved from “being a musical dream, to a one-off-recording, to the formation of a full-time touring and recording group.” The New York Times claims the music “is always joyous, with a sense of humor that’s palpable whether one understands the words or not

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