My Sax Life: A Memoir

Since defecting from Cuba in 1980—and indeed long before that in his native land— Paquito D'Rivera has received glowing praise time and again. A best-selling artist with more than thirty solo albums to his credit, D'Rivera has performed at the White House and the Blue Note, and with orchestras, jazz ensembles, and chamber groups around the world. My Sax Life is the English-language edition of D'Rivera's memoirs, published to acclaim in 1998. Propelled by jazz-fueled high spirits, D'Rivera's story soars and spins from memory to memory in a collage of his remarkable life. D'Rivera recalls his early nightclub appearances as a child, performing with clowns and exotic dancers, as well as his search for artistic freedom in communist Cuba and his hungry explorations of world music after his defection. Opinionated but always good-humored, My Sax Life is a fascinating statement on art and the artist's life.

"D'Rivera's writing--like his music--is infused with zest." --Publishers Weekly

"A breathless, sometimes vulgar romp through [D'Rivera's] life, both before and after his exile from Cuba." --Washington Post Book World

"Paquito is able to with great simpatico float the reader into imagery of the wonderful family of music." --Bill Cosby