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Albert Rivera

Life and Music through my eyes...

About Me

Albert Rivera’s musical journey began at the prestigious Laguardia High School in New York City and continued during the summers at the Litchfield Jazz Camp where he was a scholarship student throughout his teens. After taking his degree at New School University Jazz and Contemporary music conservatory, he began a career in music that sees him today, a seasoned performer, educator and producer at 35. Albert has garnered awards and has a successful career both as a sideman and a leader. He won the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award in 2009 and the 2012 Chamber Music American Residency Grant. Downbeat Magazine has called him “a modern Jazz Messenger.”

Rivera, equally at home now on the alto and tenor saxophones, has a distinct style he says was greatly influenced by classic jazz greats like John Coltrane and more contemporary sounds, like those of Joshua Redman. “When I first heard Elastic by Redman, I knew it was only a matter of time before I adapted it to my own voice.”

As a performer he has regularly appeared at New York venues like Zinc Bar, Smalls Jazz Club, Cleopatra’s Needle, Blue Note, Nuyorican Poets Cafe and countless others. He appears often in Connecticut venues in Hartford and New Haven and in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington DC. His collaborators include Don Braden, Jimmy Greene, Claudio Roditi, Avery Sharpe, Rachel Z, and the great legendary pianist Junior Mance. At the Litchfield Jazz Camp he appears with his own group and faculty stars like Matt Wilson, Paul Bollenback and Dave Stryker.

Rivera’s musical journey has led him to a rewarding career as an educator. At Litchfield he plays a pivotal role as Director of Operations at Litchfield Jazz Camp and as a trusted advisor to Litchfield Jazz Festival’s Artistic Director. Together they choose the star-studded camp faculty and collaborate on festival artistic choices. He is long-time artist/composer/band director in residence for a large middle school project each year, Project Poetry Live, run by Litchfield Performing Arts and serving 800 to 1000 students annually. He created a program for the Miami Arts Charter School (Miami, FL) to help children continue to learn about the jazz language. He is often a guest artist, lecturer and clinician in various programs nationally and internationally.

Albert records with Truth Revolution Records. His latest release is Back At It, features Zaccai Curtis, piano, Luques Curtis, bass, Ian Carroll, drums, Beck Burger, organ/ keyboards, Jonathan Michel, bass, Andrew Lipow, guitar, Andrew Hadro, baritone Sax, and Nick Roseboro, trumpet. The project was financed through crowd funding that featured wide distribution of free records in a well-conceived campaign to get the music in the hands of many listeners. DownBeat Magazine the monthly “bible” of jazz, reported on his successful, inventive approach in its March 2016 issue in Enterprising Energy by Ken Micallef.

For more info visit Albert at www.AlbertRiveraJazz.com

-Albert is proudly an artist of RSBerkeley Saxophones‚ as well as Vandoren Optimum Ligatures‚ Vandoren Mouthpieces‚ and Vandoren Reeds for alto, tenor and soprano.

Contact Me

My Jazz Story

Jazz saved me. Music saved me. These are strong words to start off with, but words I live by. My story isn’t typical in any sense. I didn’t come from a long line of musicians. I was never surrounded by a great record collection, or given direction of where to start. I’d like to think it was a series of fortunate events that lead me here, to this very moment. It all started when I was in grade school. A lady visited the program I was attending to recruit potential students for a music program. “No prior knowledge needed” were the words told to me. Excited for the opportunity I awaited my turn to get assessed. I guess even as a kid, I was always drawn into the sounds of melody. I had no understanding of why, but it’s music. There is never a need for a “why”, it just simply “is”. If you’re thinking this story ends with me being accepted to the program, you’re wrong. Nothing’s ever that easy. I was told that “music wasn’t my thing”, and that there were many things in this world for me to learn and become successful doing, but music wouldn’t be one. I’ve never backed down from a challenge. Not then, not now. Challenge accepted. The very next year, I was fortunate enough to meet a classical clarinetist with an appreciation for jazz. He pushed me, he gave me direction, and thinking back, he did what a great teacher should do, he inspired me. Those days of living in a tough neighborhood in the Bronx, NY became bearable. For me, music was my safety. It taught me discipline, dedication, and patience. In a world of copy cats, it taught me to be unique. As time past during my younger years, music made me understand that having a career in this industry wasn’t just an option, it was a necessity. It was proof that regardless of your circumstances the power of music is universal. I’ll never forget the time when a defeated moment became life changing. Music saved me, jazz saved me, but above all, music gave me purpose. And for that, I am thankful.

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