|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Gonzalo Rubalcaba Quintet at Catalina Jazz Club, April 11th-15th |
|
|
|
Written by Ronaldo Oregano
|
|
Saturday, 07 April 2007 |
 Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Gonzalo Rubalcaba was born in Havana, Cuba, May 27, 1963, into a musical family rich in the traditions of the country’s artistic past. During his childhood, in addition to the standard fare of elementary schools, Gonzalo was absorbing his Cuban musical heritage through personal contacts within his family, notably his father, pianist Guillermo Rubalcaba, and leading musicians who were frequent house guests: Frank Emilio, Peruchin, Felipe Dulzaides and others. He also assimilated through scarce and treasured recordings the tunes and styles of 40’s – 70’s US jazz masters: Thelonius Monk, Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson among pianists; and instrumentalists Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey.
Gonzalo loved drumming, and early in his career studied both piano and drums. He began his classical musical training at Manuel Saumell Conservatory at age 9, where he finally had to choose piano; he moved up to “middle-school” at Amadeo Roldan Conservatory, and finally earned his degree in music composition from Havana’s Institute of Fine Arts in l983. By that time he was already playing in clubs and music halls in Havana. He toured France and Africa with Orquesta Aragon in 1980. He introduced his own Grupo Projecto to the North Sea and Berlin Festivals in l985. In July 1990 he appeared as a surprise guest with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian at Montreux Festival, Switzerland, in a historic performance (available as the CD Discovery).
Through Charlie Haden Gonzalo came to the attention of Blue Note Records’ president, Bruce Lundvall, and thus began an association, first with Toshiba/EMI of Japan, and later with Blue Note in the US, which has resulted in eleven discs being released. These collaborations brought Gonzalo this year (2002) both a Latin Grammy for Jazz Album of the Year, Supernova, as well as a Grammy for co-production with Charlie Haden of Nocturne, a Verve release of Cuban and Mexican boleros and ballads.
To complement these wins, Gonzalo, in addition, has to his credit eight Grammy nominations, including four for Jazz Album of the Year (Rapsodia in 1995, Antiguo and Inner Voyage in 1999, and Supernova in 2002.) Among other recent honors, in June 2001 Gonzalo received the SFJAZZ Leaders Circle Laureate Award, and in 2002 he performed as Artist in Residence at Montreal Jazz Festival together with Chucho Valdez.
Come hear Gonzalo Rubalcaba with his quintet at the Catalina Jazz Club, 6725 West Sunset Blvd. Hollywood California
on Wednesday, April 11th through Sunday, April 15th. For tickets or more information visit www.catalinajazzclub.com or call (323) 466-2210. |
|
 Sunday, 20 July 2008
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
