Results for "Latin Jazz"

Jazzmosax

Born: July 19, 1953

English version (Dutch version below):

Guitars, IT job, piano, clarinet, and saxophone...

Among these, the saxophone struck a profound chord with me and became a lifelong passion. It led me to discover my love for jazz and improvisation, particularly in the realm of mainstream, melodic jazz. The songs I composed during the '80s and '90s reflect this preference but also incorporate unique harmonies and time signatures.

Although I  frequently performed these compositions on stage, it wasn't until 2022 that I decided to record and release them. This endeavor resulted in two albums, A10 and Thisav, as well as a track named "Chujad."" In August 2023, I unveiled Fried, an album featuring entirely new compositions with a fresh perspective on rhythm and blues chord sequences. February 2025 witnessed the release of Airlift, new compositions with a focus on backing rhythms. Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy the music.

Craig Cootsona

Born: October 29

Craig Cootsona began playing drums at age 11 and soon developed a love for the instrument. He received formal education in school concert bands and also learned drum set by playing along with his favorite recordings.

He considers himself fortunate to have woven a passion for music into funding for education, because this opened up many career opportunities and taught him how to read and transcribe charts. After high school Craig leveraged music scholarships to fund a bachelor's of science degree at University of Puget Sound.  Once he stepped into the Olympia music scene, he played every gig that came his way to fund a master's degree at University of Washington College of Forestry. He formed so many friendships that he continued to play music throughout his career as a scientist at Weyerhaeuser. Now Craig owns his own manufacturing business and it allows him even more time to enjoy music.

Chacho Ramirez

Born: March 21, 1951

Berardo “Chacho” Ramirez is bandleader, composer and drummer of his band “MetroTang” playing Latin Jazz with an Afro-beat. MetroTang opened the Narrowsburg JazzFest in May 2006 as its premiere performance. The recently released CD, “Lights Out,” presents original tunes plus one by Paquito d’Rivera and one by Bobby Martone. The CD is receiving accolades, as “Chacho has created a contemporary sound that expresses today’s cultural milieu” (Hal Galper).

Born in New York City in 1951 of Cuban and Puerto Rican background, Chacho began playing drums at the age of 12. His parents didn’t want to buy him a drum set, so he arranged grocery store boxes as a set around him; he had to replace boxes frequently. Later, with a drum set and living in apartments, Chacho was frequently chased from his rehearsal space down the block, sometimes with a broom. Nevertheless, he persevered through the years, studying intermittently with Ian Finkel (Xavier Cugat Band), Steve Barrios (Mongo Santamaria, Fort Apache Band), Freddie Waits (McCoy Tyner, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye), and Pablo Rieppi (Professor, Columbia University, Hofstra University). Chacho also taught in workshops, drum clinics and Master Classes alongside Max Roach, Alan Dawson, Joe Morello, Bernard Purdie, and Jim Chapin.

Rutger Mathys

Born: April 14, 2000

The Belgian-Dutch jazz scene hails Rutger Mathys as one of today’s most promising talents. A master of the chromatic harmonica, Rutger graduated Cum Laude in 2024 from the jazz department of the Conservatory of Rotterdam. He has performed with legends such as Philip Catherine and Bert Joris, played at major festivals like the Gent-, Brussels-, and North Sea Jazz Festivals, and won several prestigious awards, including the Toots Thielemans Challenge in 2022 and the Dinant Jazz Contest in 2023. In 2024, he was selected as one of the "Twintigers" by the Belgian radio station Klara, where his music is frequently featured

Keith Daniels

Keith Daniels Llantén is a Chilean-Guyanese composer, arranger, saxophonist and flutist based in Brooklyn, New York. He specializes in the fusion of Latin American folk with jazz, classical and rock music, writing for jazz big bands and combos, symphony orchestras, chamber music ensembles, singers and vocal groups. His music has been played and/or commissioned by musicians and ensembles such as the GRAMMY Award-winning Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra featuring The Villalobos Brothers, the One O’Clock Lab Band featuring Melissa Aldana, Kristiana Roemer, Edgardo Benedetti, Hardy Llorca, Alameda Memoria, Sexto Piso, La Chile Big Band and Ipshita Roy.

Paul Vornhagen

Born: August 18, 1950

Paul performs on saxophones, flute, piccolo, clarinet and vocals with styles reminiscent of Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Mann, Hubert Laws and Chet Baker (vocals). Based in Ann Arbor, he has released numerous recordings as a bandleader for several labels including Schoolkids, BOPO, PKO, Inner Light and Global Pulse.  His Quartet performs throughout Michigan and northern Ohio on a monthly basis as well as touring in California and the Chicago area.  His latest Quartet recording was released on February 3, 2025 on Global Pulse Records entitled Paul Vornhagen-Live at the Blue LLama to NPR and Internet Programs.  

Brendan Nie

John Damberg

Born: September 27, 1952

John Damberg is a master vibist, marimbist, percussionist,composer, and educator who has enjoyed a successful careerin music spanning 35 years. John currently resides inAnchorage, AK where he is the leader of the John Damberg LatinJazz Quintet, a member of the Jo Ma La Jazz Ensemble, theInstructor of Percussion at the University of Alaska Anchorage,the President and founder of the Alaska Jazz Workshop, a 501(c) (3) community service organization, which promotesappreciation for jazz through performance and educationalclasses. John is an activer performer on the Alaska and PacificNorthwest music scenes

Cassio Vianna

Born: July 30, 1976

Cassio Vianna is a pianist, arranger, music educator, clinician, and a Latin GRAMMY-nominated composer whose work reflects a broad range of musical and cultural influences. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Vianna started his music studies in classical music, while developing his skills as a composer and interpreter of popular music and Brazilian jazz. Between 1993 and 1995, Vianna studied under Hungarian teacher Ian Guest, who had a great impact on Vianna's decision to pursue a career as a composer.

​From 1996 to 2009, Vianna engaged in recording and performing projects in the vibrant Rio de Janeiro music scene, including a successful career with the Brazilian jazz trio Dialeto Brasileiro

Mike Prigodich

Born: March 16, 1970

Mike Prigodich: Pianist, Composer, and Band Leader

Mike Prigodich is a trailblazing jazz fusion pianist, composer, and bandleader whose music defies genre boundaries and embraces complexity with unflinching clarity. Based in Oregon, Prigodich draws inspiration from artists like Chick Corea, Dave Grusin, Yellowjackets, and others, but his sound is unmistakably his own—melding jazz with Latin, rock, and global influences to create emotionally rich, rhythmically daring compositions.

Prigodich made his mark with the release of his acclaimed 2011 debut album, A Stitch in Time, featuring an all-star lineup including Damian Erskine, Reinhardt Melz, and John Nastos. Funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign following a life-altering cancer diagnosis in 2008, the album was both a personal and artistic milestone. His story—of transformation through adversity—has become part of the music’s emotional DNA.