5-time Grammy Award Winner, Vince Cherico, is the drummer for featured artists in today's Jazz and World music venues. From 1995 - 2006 he was the drummer with Ray Barretto & The New World Spirit and later The Ray Barretto Sextet, where he developed his reputation in Latin Jazz, touring the world, recording 6 CD's and earning 2 Grammy nominations for Contact and Time Was,Time Is.
In 2004 Vince was chosen to be the next drummer for Jazz at Lincoln Center's Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. He joined them for annual performances at JALC's The Rose Theatre and world tours. In 2005 Vince recorded their first CD Una Noche Inolvidable earning a 2006 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's third CD 40 Acres & A Burro. Since their departure from Jazz at Lincoln Center, Vince has continued to perform with The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra on tour and in New York at Birdland Jazz Club and Symphony Space.
During 2009 - 2013, along with many other groups, Vince toured with famed vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, with notable performances at Carnegie Hall, the Monterey Jazz Festival and an NPR broadcast performance Live at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. During this time period, Vince also recorded with the legendary Manhattan Transfer for their CD: The Chick Corea Songbook.
From 2014 - 2016, Vince won 4 Grammy Awards, starting with the 2014 Latin Grammy for Final Night at Birdland, with The Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra for "Best Instrumental Recording". Next in 2015, the Grammy for The Offense of The Drum with The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra for "Best Latin Jazz Album" and later in 2015 his 4th Grammy for the Latin Grammy's "Best Latin Children's Album" for Los Animales with Mister G. In November 2016, Vince won his 5th Grammy Award for "Best Latin Jazz Album" for his performance with The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra's recording of Cuba: The Conversation Continues.
Vince, while forever a student of music, is a dedicated educator teaching privately at his own New York City studio. He is also on the faculty of Drummers Collective and the Columbia University Jazz Program teaching classes, ensembles and private lessons. As a guest artist / instructor, Vince has led ensembles and workshops at The Xalapa Seminario de Jazz, The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, The University of Alaska's Anchorage and Fairbanks Jazz Festivals and The University Of Maine Latin Jazz Festival. He has also given master classes at The Berklee School of Music, The Drummers Collective, the Thelonious Monk Summer Camp, and various workshops associated with music festivals, while on tour in Europe, Africa, Japan, Korea, Venezuela and Cuba. Vince uses his own materials, focusing on developing techniques to internalize and perform the rhythmic and sonic nuance of various music styles.
