Michel Camilo to bring jazz brilliance to State Theatre

Michel Camilo's piano playing has been compared to "watching lightning crackle and disappear from the sky." The Michel Camilo Trio, with bassist Charles Flores and drummer Dafnis Prieto, kicks off the 2004-05 Cornell Concert Series, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. at the State Theatre. Michael A. Black

The Michel Camilo Trio with Charles Flores and Dafnis Prieto bring their virtuosity to Ithaca's State Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 8 p.m. Bassist Flores and drummer Prieto will join Camilo in creating a whirlwind of musical energy, stunning in its technical prowess and breathtaking in its power.

Camilo is one of the most galvanizing performers in jazz music today. His skillful, vigorous piano playing has been compared to "watching lightning crackle and disappear from the sky," and his recording career, now entering its third decade, has seen him release numerous bestselling albums, win a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album (2003's "Live at the Blue Note") and receive Artist of the Year honors at this year's Annual JazzWeek Awards.

"The beauty of my trio work is that it can be delicate, yet explosive," Camilo said in an interview with Jazz Review. "The structure is always the same, but the ideas are always different. It depends on how you are communicating or how the audience is responding. That is what is so enjoyable about jazz. You are always open. It is the constant inspiration and discovery, and that's what makes you grow as an artist."

Tickets for the concert are on sale at the ticket center at the Clinton House, daily through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call 273-4497 or (800) 284-8422. Tickets are $14-$24 for the general public and $8-$14 for students. The concert is sponsored by the Cornell Concert Series.

Born in the Dominican Republic, Camilo was a member of the National Symphony Orchestra at the age of 16, the same year he first began playing the piano. He moved to New York in 1979, where he continued his studies at Juilliard. His song "Why Not?" won a Grammy for the Manhattan Transfer in 1983; two years later, he made his Carnegie Hall debut. Since then, he has traveled the world performing as a bandleader, soloist, conductor, artistic director, and university professor and lecturer. His albums have reached the top position in Billboard's sales and radio-play charts; he has also composed and recorded a number of Spanish film scores and won an Emmy for his Goodwill Games theme.