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Manny Flores Jr.

Manny Flores Jr. was born in El Paso, Texas on October 9 . Manny spent his first eighteen years of life as an army brat, traveling and listening to music in a variety of different places. These places include Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Augusta, Georgia; Ansbach, Bavaria; Fort Benning, Georgia; and Fort Huachuca, Arizona. He began his playing career in the summer of 1971 at a gig at the Fort Huachuca NCO Club.

At this time his inspiration for the bass was fellow left- handed bass player Paul McCartney (his first bass is a left- handed Hofner Violin Bass. Manny graduated from Buena High School in Sierra Vista in l972.He also listened to jazz when he would by Blue Note LPs at the bargain bin. Eric Dolphy and Charles Mingus were among his favorites. He then graduated from Cochise College in Douglas Arizona in 1974 with an Associates degree in Liberal Arts. In 1975 he moved back to his hometown of El Paso, Texas He begin playing in various groups in the El Paso area including Top 40 groups and Country and Western groups doing the Dyer Street circuit and road gigs in New Mexico, Wyoming and Arizona He enrolled at the University of Texas at El Paso. He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1982.

In 1983 he auditioned for and began playing with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Abraham Chavez Jr. He also began teaching instrumental music in the Ysleta Independent School District.

In the 1980's Manny met many musicans who inspired him to make music a way of life. The list includes Frank Zappa, Jaco Pastorius, and Ray Brown and cello teacher at the Julliard, Harvey Shapiro. In 1985 Manny began the first of a four-year trek to Victoria, B.C. Canada to attend the prestigious Johannesen International School of the Arts. There he attended six-week master classes with bass virtuoso Gary Karr and Harvey Shapiro. In 1986 he spent a summer in New York City studying jazz and listening to live performances of such bassists as Charlie Haden, Marc Johnson, Harvie Swartz, and Eddie Gomez.

Manny has played with a variety of groups in El Paso including: Bobby Saunders, Frank Dove and the Sundowners, Mario Otero, Crossroads, El Paso Brass Quintet, Bobby Booth Dixieland Band, M.D. Quartet, , Mike Carranda Big Band, Eddie Carranza Big Band, U.T.E.P. Lab Band I with Gene Lewis, Mike Francis Quartet, Jimmy Olivas Big Band, Gerald Hunter and the Quintones, Art Lewis and the Earthmen, Orchestra Puerto Rico, Spice of Life, Bing Browning Trio, Cecile Larochelle.

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The Jazz is Happening: Nine Acts to Perform at Annual Mesilla Jazz and Wine Festival

The Jazz is Happening: Nine Acts to Perform at Annual Mesilla Jazz and Wine Festival

Source: All About Jazz

The days of jazz and wine and mellow times on the Mesilla Plaza have become a classic autumn tradition for the Mesilla Jazz Happening. Now celebrating its seventh year, the MJH will again offer live jazz and a wine garden showcasing vintages from New Mexico wineries next weekend on the Mesilla Plaza from noon to 9 pm Saturday and noon to 7 pm Sunday. The MJH musical lineup is being coordinated by the Mesilla Valley Jazz and Blues Society and ...

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