Home » Member Page

Manuel Alvarez

Double bass player loves mainstream jazz

About Me

Manuel Alvarez was born in Barcelona in 1967. He startewd playing the electric bass when he was 14 and later studied music at the Taller de Músics de Barcelona, ​​an organization where he later became a teacher, between 2001 and 2008. In 2008, Manuel graduated from ESMUC. As a double bass player his training can be said to have been basically self- taught, although he has received occasional lessons from teachers such as Pierre Boussaguet or Javier Colina. Although he has made many and very varied forays into other styles such as flamenco -accompanying guitarist Eduardo Niebla-, Latin music -with Septeto Barcelona-, covers music -with La Tribu de Santi Arisa and Orquestra Galana- or folk -with Figues d’un altre paner-, most of his career has been dedicated to the world of jazz. In 1997 he began playing in the Barcelona Jazz Orchestra, directed in that first stage by Oriol Bordas and where he met Ignasi Terraza and Joan Chamorro amongst others. With the BJO they made several tours around Spain accompanying american aryists such as Frank Wess or Jesse Davis. Also with the BJO they recorded the album September in the Rain, in which Jesse Davis and Randy Greer participated as soloists, for the label Swingfonic Records. In 1998 he became part of the Ignasi Terraza Trio. With this formation they worked intensely in Spain, Portugal, France and Switzerland. They also recorded two albums: Let me tell you something and Jazz A les fosques, volumes 1 and 2, also for the label Swingfónic Records. The latter was the product of a three-month residency at the Teatreneu theater in Barcelona. With this trio they also recorded the album Night Sounds, by the Catalan saxophonist Toní Solà. In the second stage of the Barcelona Jazz Orchestra, directed by Dani Alonso, they made several tours in Spain and France accompanying artists such as Nicholas Payton, Benny Golson, Phil Woods, Jesse Davis, Ann Hampton Calloway, Susana Sheiman, Randy Greer or Emmanuel Djob. They recorded the albums My Man Benny, with Phil Woods, and Once Upon a Time, with Nicholas Payton. During these years the drummer was the French Jean Pierre Derouard and with with him, years later, they would record Lined with a Groove, Manuel Alvarez's first personal project. Between 2000 and 2010, together with the Mauritian guitarist Erwyn Seerutton, he became part of the trio of trombonist Dani Alonso, with whom he was also linked to the Gospel Gràcia choir. With the choir they recorded two albums, one accompanying the singer of Cameroonian origin Emmanuel Djob, and the other with Ricard Gili and Susana Sheiman as soloists, called Remembering Louis. In the years between 2000 and 2010 Manuel Alvarez also collaborated with Esteve Molero in projects such as the Transpenedés Big Band, with Big Mama Montse in the recording of Blues Rooted and also with Joan Chamorro and Andrea Motis in what would be the first album of her: Joan Chamorro presents Andrea Motis. In 2010 Manuel Alvarez settled in London, a city where he immediately became a regular of the local jazz scene accompanying artists such as T.J. Johnson, Al Nichols, Paul Robinson, Kai Hoffmann, Claire Martin, Richard Pite, Steve Brown, Nigel Price, Mornington Lockett or Ray Gelato. With Al Nichols they recorded the album That Swing Thing and with Ray Gelato he has recorded Live at the Hideway, Locked Down But Not Out and Live at Ronnie Scott's, and has toured extensively throughout the United Kingdom and Europe, highlighting the annual residencies at Ronnie Scott's, the Pizza Express Jazz Club, the 100Club, the Blue Note (Milan) and Umbria Jazz. As a sideman Manuel Alvarez has also collaborated with artists such as Ilja Reijngoud, Scott Hamilton, Tony Lakatos, Leo Green, Dave Newton, Esteve Pi, Fabio Miano, D Daniels, Gerard Nieto, Gunther Kurmayr, Genne “Mighty Flea” Conners, Charmine Michelle, Andy Dickens, Josep Maria Farràs, Jim Mullen, Ronald Baker, Stacey Kent, Dave Keech, Michel McCain, Monica Green, Julian Vaughn, Oriol Romaní, Peer Wyboris, Dave Mitchell, Mike Henry, Enric Piedro, Fritz Landesbergen, Richard Busiakiewicz, Leon Greening, Guillaume Nouaux, Mat Home, Vasilis Xenopoulos, Jack Honeyborne, Tony Hadley, Rico Tomasso, Charlie Gabriel, Alex Garnett, Sam Watts, Emma Smith, Wendell Brunious, Ed Richardson, Joel Bradford, Mark Taylor, Steve Brown and others and has played in most jazz festivals and clubs in Europe. In 2008 he recorded his first album as a leader, “Lined With a Groove”, a tribute to the giant of the double bass Ray Brown with Gerard Nieto on piano and Jean Pierre Derouard on drums. In 2025 he recorded his second album as a leader: “What We Are Here For”, with Gunther Kurmayr on piano and Mark Taylor on drums. Currently living between London and the island of Menorca, he has organized several music festivals there on nehalf of Clariana Association, and tours Europe with various groups such as the Ray Gelato Giants, the Ignasi Terraza Trio and his own trio. He also participated in the production company Swingfonic, is a founding partner of the music publisher Libros del Kultrum and has just founded the record label Mannix Records.