Vince Cherico
3 Time Grammy Award Winner, Vince Cherico, is the drummer for many top Artists in today’s jazz and world music scenes. From 1995 - 2006 he was the drummer with Ray Barretto & New World Spirit, later The Ray Barretto Sextet. With Ray, he developed his reputation in Latin Jazz, touring the world and recording six CD’s, earning two Grammy nominations for the CD’s “Contact” and “Time Was, Time Is”.
In 1999 Vince first performed with The Caribbean Jazz Project and developed lasting musical relationships with Paquito D’Rivera and Dave Samuels. In 2003 he became a member of Dave Samuels & The Caribbean Jazz Project, and since then has been touring with them in North & South America, Europe and Asia with distinguished concerts at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, The Red Sea Jazz Festival in Israel, The Jarasum Jazz Festival in Korea and The Cotton Club in Japan.
In 2004 Vince was chosen for the next drummer with Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Arturo O’Farrill &The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. He joined them in time for the Grand Opening of Jazz at Lincoln Center and for annual performances at The Rose Theatre and tours around the globe. In 2006 Vince recorded their first CD “Una Noche Inolvidable” earning a Grammy nomination. The following year he recorded The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra’s second CD, “Song For Chico”, which won the 2009 Grammy Award for “Best Latin Jazz Album”. In 2010, Vince earned another Grammy nomination with The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra for their third CD “40 Acres & A Burro”. After the departure of The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra from Jazz at Lincoln Center, Vince continues to tour with ALJO as well as performing weekly at Birdland Jazz Club and their residency of legendary concerts at Symphony Space in New York City. In 2015, he won his 3rd Grammy Award for “The Offense of The Drum” with The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.
During 2009 - 2010, Vince toured with famed jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, with notable performances including Carnegie Hall, the Monterey Jazz Festival and an NPR broadcast performance “Live at the Kennedy Center” in Washington, D.C. During this time, he also recorded with Janis Siegel and The Manhattan Transfer for their CD: “The Chick Corea Songbook”.
In 2013, Vince performed with Paquito D’Rivera’s project, “To Bird With Strings” in The Allen Room at Jazz Lincoln Center. Recently he has also performed with the legendary Bobby Carcassas, Brian Lynch, Gato Barbieri, Claudia Acuna, David Bixler, Donald Harrison, Pedrito Martinez, Eddie Palmieri, Cristina Pato, David Sanchez, Diane Schuur, Jack Cooper, Janis Siegel, Jessica Simpson, Lionel Loueke, Luis Bonilla, Malpaso Dance Company, Phil Woods, Miguel Zenon, Samuel Torres & Victor Prieto.
Vince teaches privately in his own New York City studio, and is also on the Faculty of The Drummers Collective, The Queens College Jazz Masters Program and is a music associate at The Columbia University Jazz Program. As a guest artist / instructor, Vince has led ensembles for The Xalapa Seminario de Jazz, The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, The University of Alaska, Anchorage Jazz Festival, the University of Alaska, Fairbanks Jazz Festival, and The University of Maine Salsa Festival. He has also given clinics at Berklee School of Music, The Drummers Collective, the Thelonious Monk Summer Camp, and in various programs associated with music festivals, while on tour in Europe, Africa, Japan, Korea, Venezuela and Cuba. Vince uses his own materials, focusing on various musical styles to develop techniques to internalize and perform the rhythmic and sonic nuances of each style.