Papo Vazquez Master Class
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https://clefclubofjazz.org/papo
Papo Vasquez
Composer and Trombone
Grammy® Award nominee and NEA Master Artist , Angel R. “Papo” Vázquez is a Latin and Jazz trombonist with his own style, arranger, composer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, grew up in a Puerto Rican-influenced environment and in Puerto Rico. In the late 70’s he became a key player in NY’s burgeoning Latin Jazz scene. Vazquez went on to perform with Jazz luminaries Ray Charles, Slide Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Ray Barreto, Wynton Marsalis, among others. Founding member of Jerry Gonzalez Fort Apache, Conjunto Libre and Batacumbele. In 1984, Papo made a conscious decision to embark on a different direction with his music. Create new variations of what is known today as Latin Jazz and Afro Caribbean Jazz. His appreciation and knowledge of the indigenous music of the Caribbean provides a unique ability to fuse Afro-Caribbean rhythms, with freer melodic and harmonic elements of progressive Jazz. Celebrating a career that now spans over four decades, in the Jazz and Latin world.
Ivan Renta
Tenor and Soprano Sax
Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico and raised in Coamo, Puerto Rico, Ivan
Renta has become one of the premiere saxophonists in the Jazz, Latin
Jazz and Latin Music Industry. His ability to adapt to any musical
situation has landed him on stage at many of the world’s most
prestigious venues and music festivals. His credentials include
performances with artist such as Tito Puente, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie
Palmieri, Willie Colon, Ron Carter, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez,
Jimmy Heath, Ray Barretto, Papo Vazquez, Diego Torres, Gilberto Santa Rosa,The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Bebo Valdez, to name a few. Mr. Renta has collaborated on seven Grammy Award winning recordings. Mr. Renta is also an active Music Educator and Yamaha Clinician.
Ivan Renta began playing Alto Sax at the age of 13 in his hometown of Coamo, Puerto Rico. His band director, Luis “Wito” Santiago, recognized his talent right away promoting him to lead Alto Sax in the school band. Soon after, Ivan joined “La Escuela Libre de Musica Antonio Paoli” in Caguas, Puerto Rico and began studying with Professor Willie Corps. Wanting to learn Jazz Improvisation he began private lessons with Jose “Cheguito” Encarnacion who introduced him to Jazz Harmony and Improvisation. “When I first heard Miles Davis with John Coltrane’s “58 Sessions” at Cheguito’s house, I knew that this was what I wanted to do” Renta recalls.
Rick Germanson
Piano
Jazz Pianist RICK GERMANSON has been highly in-demand on the New York City jazz scene for two decades. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rick relocated to New York after winning the GRAND PRIZE at The American Pianists’ Association Jazz Piano Competition in 1996. Since then, Rick has released five recordings as a leader and is documented on over fifty recordings as a sideman. In 2004, Rick was named “Best of New Talent” by the monthly publication All About Jazz.
Rick has toured around the world appearing at major concert halls, festivals and clubs. His talents have been summoned by many top jazz musicians: Elvin Jones; Louis Hayes; Jimmy Cobb; Joe Chambers; Grady Tate; Bobby Durham; Ray Appleton; T.S. Monk; Will Calhoun; Pat Martino; Russell Malone; Slide Hampton; Curtis Fuller; Papo Vazquez; Steve Turre; Delfayo Marsalis; Steve Davis; Frank Morgan; Gary Bartz; Charles McPherson; James Spaulding; Donald Harrison; Vincent Herring; Jeremy Pelt; George Coleman; Eric Alexander; Javon Jackson; Eddie Henderson; Tom Harrell; Brian Lynch; Jim Rotondi; Regina Carter; Marlena Shaw; Ray Mantilla; Cecil Payne; Charles Davis and Steve Nelson; among many others.
Rick has a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwauke, and also studied with David Hazeltine at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music He later did graduate work at Manhattan School of Music, studying with Jaki Byard. As an educator himself, Rick is Senior Artist Professor of Jazz Piano Studies at The Jackie McLean Institute; Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. He has held this position since 2014.
Ariel Robles
bass
ARIEL ROBLES (BASS): Is active in the Caribbean folklore, rock and independent music scenes. With an extensive discography that includes Calle 13’s Grammy Award-winning Multiviral album, he has shared the stage and/or recorded with artists such as Dave Valentín, Giovanni Hidalgo, Danny Rivera, Mima and Rita Indiana, as well as Puerto Rican folklore legends Andrés Jiménez, Antonio Cabán Vale “El Topo”, and Angel Luis Torruellas. In 2014, he played at Carnegie Hall with Edgar Abraham’s Trio. From 2012-2014, he worked as an Associate Producer at the Banco Popular music special and recorded on all three musical productions during that period, nominated to the Latin GRAMMYS. Since relocating to NYC in 2015, he has played with Papo Vázquez and the Mighty Pirates Troubadours, various theater productions at Pregones (Bronx), and small jazz ensembles across the city. Ariel Robles holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music, Classical Double Bass studies, from the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music.
Alvester Garnett
drums
As a graduate of VCU, Mr. Garnett moved to NY in 1993 working in both the bands of legendary Jazz vocalists Betty Carter & Abbey Lincoln. He has worked with the artists Harry Belafonte, Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Benny Golson, Regina Carter, Dianne Reeves, Patti LaBelle, Fantasia Barrino, KD Lang, Vanessa Williams, Stefon Harris, Papo Vázquez, Steve Turre, Teddy Edwards, Cyrus Chestnut & Charenee Wade to name a few. He was the principle drummer on both After Midnight on Broadway as well as Shuffle Along.
Whether performing in the classic Jazz Big Band Swing settings of shows like After Midnight on Broadway, the Afro Puerto Rican Bomba & Plena Jazz ensembles of NEA Latino Jazz Master Papo Vazquez, the early 1920’s period Jazz of the Broadway show Shuffle Along or the reimagining of classical folk music of the African Diaspora in a jazz setting with MacArthur Genius Grant recipient violinist Regina Carter, Mr. Garnett always brings a joy, respect and passion for the art of accompanying and uplifting each and every production with which he works as a drummer/percussionist.
Mr. Garnett is also a longtime volunteer and board member of the inner-city youth development program The All Stars Project of NJ.
Carlos Maldonado
percussion
Grammy winning multipercussionist,educator, arranger and composer Carlos “Carly” Maldonado was born and raised in Carolina, Puerto Rico. A talented musician, Carlos stands out brilliantly in the music world as Afrolatin,Symphonic & Mallet percussionist. Mr. Maldonado received his B.M.in Symphonic Percussion from the Puerto Rico Music Conservatory and his M.A. in Jazz Arranging & Performance from The Aaron Copland School of Music in New York.
During his career Mr. Maldonado has been blessed to share the stage or record in studios with international artists and orchestras from many different genres such as:Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Eddie Palmieri, David Sanchez, Wynton Marsalis,Randy Weston, George Coleman, Alex Acuña, Steve Khan,Plena Libre, Antonio Sanchez, Lionel Loueke,Donald Harrison,Victor Manuelle, Ray Santos, Chucho Valdes, Mark Ronson, Pleneros de la 21, Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra,Millo Torres y El Tercer Planeta,La PVC, Orchestra of St. Luke, Rudresh Mahanthappa.
Since arriving in New York in 2009, he became member of the innovative jazz & puertorrican music ensemble Papo Vazquez Mighty Pirates.As an educator Carlos has been part of the faculties of Queens College, Brooklyn Music School, Bronx Art Ensemble, Multicultural Music Organization,Jazz House Kids and Puerto Rico Music Conservatory. Also as clinician he have gave masterclasses in many prestigious music schools as: Manhattan School of Music, California State University, Miami Dade College, Duke University, Harlem School of Arts, University of Vermont, Brooklyn College, Berklee College of Music,NYU in Abu DhaBi,UCLA,CUNY,Wayne State University and Puerto Rico Music Conservatory.He is also an exclusive artist for JRF Percussion,Innovative Percussion Sticks, Meinl Percussion & Meinl Cymbals.
Reinaldo DeJesus
percussion
Reinaldo De Jesus was born in Barrio Obrero,Santurce, Puerto Rico. He is a world-class percussionist with many years of experience in playing different styles of music. At the age of ten he started on the drum set and began to pursue a music career. Having being inspired by the rich hand drumming tradition in the streets of Puerto Rico and the teachings and encouragement of great Puerto Rican percussionists like Giovanni Hidalgo, Ray Barreto, Angel ‘Cachete” Maldonado, Anthony Carrillo, Richie Flores and Paoli Mejias. Reinaldo committed to a daily regimen of practice and studies with the goal of attaining a good feel, technique and sound on Afro-Caribbean percussion instruments like congas, timbales and bongo. Reinaldo attended high school
at the Escuela Libre De Musica in Hato Rey, P.R. where he expanded his music comprehension theory and ear training. He went on to enroll at the University of Puerto Rico and eventually at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, where he studied classical percussion. Reinaldo was awarded a scholarship to
attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. Reinaldo’s first world tour was with Trombonist, William Cepeda and the Afro-Rican Jazz. After the tour Reinaldo decided to continue his musical career in the United States. Rei has since worked with a wide array of musicians and artists in the USA and Puerto Rico such
as: Antibalas, Marc Ribot, Lauryn Hill, Dispatch,Ralph Irizarry & Timbalaye, Cultura Profetica, DLG, Obie Bermudez, Rey Ruiz, Danilo Perez, Humberto Ramirez, Brian Lynch, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Jerry Gonzalez, Andy Gonzalez, Eddie Palmieri, Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Greene, Ralph Peterson,
Papo Vazquez ,The Curtis Brothers.
Also, Reinaldo was a member of the band for the
Tony Award winning Broadway Musical FELA from 2009 to 2013 including the show’s historical trip to Lagos, Nigeria.
As part of the Jazz Ambassadors Program at the Kennedy Center in D.C. Reinaldo toured West Africa with Alto-Saxophonist, Miguel Zenon & the Rhythm Collective. Rhythmic Prophecies is the name of the group under Reinaldo’s leadership. This group was chosen for the Rhythm Road program sponsored by the Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Department of State. Rhythmic Prophecies role in this program was to bring a multi-cultural American music experience to Southeast Asia. Also he has have the experience of being in a NBA commercial with basketball star Carmelo Anthony.
Currently, Reinaldo resides in New York City where he teaches, composes, records and produces music for various projects. He still performs and tours with acts such as; the Afro-Beat band Antibalas, Marc Ribot, The Curtis Brothers Quartet and Miguel Zenon & The Rhythm Collective and others.
José Mangual Jr., a legendary percussionist, lead vocalist, composer, bandleader and award winning producer was born and raised in East Harlem, the Spanish Quarter of New York City known as “El Barrio”.
In 1968, Mangual Jr. was invited to play bongos and sing background vocals for a fledgling orchestra led by a young man named Willie Colón. The lead vocalist for this group was also a young singer named Hector Lavoe. Along with his perennial rhythm section “compadre”, legendary percussionist Milton Cardona, Mangual would become a part of history, as they made some of the most important recordings in the annals of salsa music.
Jose Mangual
vocals
José Mangual Jr. who took over the musical direction of Lavoe’s band after Willie Colón and Hector Lavoe parted ways. Shortly after, Mangual formed his own record label, True Ventures Inc., and released A Tribute to Chano Pozo. This album features the classic recordings, “Campanero” and “Cuero ‘Na Ma”. It also established Mangual as a lead vocalist to be reckoned with, and a serious record producer.
During the 1980’s, José Mangual Jr.’s became a premier artist for Velvet Records, and further solidified his fan base in South America, Europe and the Orient. His skills as a percussionist, vocalist, composer, and musical director were sought out by many including Juan Luis Guerra, Rubén Blades, Herb Alpert, Dizzy Gillespie, David Byrne, Celia Cruz, Ramon Orlando, Mario Bauza, Mongo Santamaria, The Fania All-Stars, Junior Gonzalez, Ismael Miranda, Louie Ramirez and many others.
Jose Mangual is a three-time recipient of the New York Latin Critics’ ACE Award as Best New Latin Release. The first award was for an original composition, “El Jibarito. A second ACE Award was in 2002 for “Boricua Blues” and a third award followed in 2003 for “Son Boricua’s” 2002 release.
Sherman Irby
Co-Producer and Alto Sax
Alto saxophonist and composer Sherman Irby, was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Clark Atlanta University, then joined the quintet of Johnny O’Neal, a former member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Irby has recorded two albums for Blue Note Records, and worked with Marcus Roberts, Roy Hargrove, Papo Vazquez, Paco de Lucia, Elvin Jones, and McCoy Tyner. He is currently a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led by Wynton Marsalis. His latest releases are Sherman Irby’s Inferno, and Cerulean Canvas.
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