“She refuses to limit herself in any way.”
–San Jose Mercury News

Rebeca Mauleón is the ninth recipient of the SFJAZZ Beacon award, presented annually to celebrate the masterful musicians and writers who have preserved the traditions and fostered the growth of jazz in the Bay Area. A ferociously gifted pianist, arranger, educator, producer and innovative bandleader, Mauleón cut her teeth on the Mission District’s burgeoning 1970s Latin music scene, performing and recording over the years with Tito Puente, "Cachao," Santana and a host of others. Mauleón shares the spotlight with long-time colleague and percussionist Karl Perazzo (of the Santana Band), who has been a driving force in Bay Area Latin music. Rebeca and Karl celebrate three decades in music with this high-spirited concert featuring special guests Bobi Céspedes, Orestes Vilató and Cuban vocal sensation Adonis Puentes, plus many surprise guests.

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Rebeca Mauleón is the ninth recipient of the SFJAZZ Beacon Award, presented annually to celebrate the master musicians and writers who have preserved the traditions and fostered the growth of jazz in the Bay Area. A ferociously gifted pianist, arranger, educator, producer and innovative bandleader, Mauleón cut her teeth on the Mission District’s burgeoning 1970s Latin music scene. After helping found John Santos’s innovative Machete Ensemble she became a highly sought-after free agent, serving as music director for Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum, while supplying arrangements to a dazzling array of talent, including Stevie Winwood, Carlos “Patato” Valdez, Israel “Cachao” Lopez and Tito Puente.

Mauleón has played an equally essential role as an educator. Boston’s Berklee College of Music has incorporated her books into their curriculum. As the co-editor of the “Latin Real Book” and author of “101 Montunos,” the first and only bilingual Afro-Caribbean piano method book, Mauleón has played a leading role in documenting Latin music traditions long passed down by word of mouth.

Her latest album, Descarga en California (Universal/Pimienta), is an old-school Cuban style jam session with Latin jazz giants such as Giovanni Hidalgo (congas), Armando Peraza (bongos), and Orestes Vilató (timbales and bongos). Vilató will also be on hand for her talent-laden Beacon Award concert, which also features another long-time colleague, percussionist Karl Perazzo (of Santana fame), and special guests Bobi Céspedes, Cuban vocal sensation Adonis Puentes, and many surprise guests.

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