Jazz
pianist/composer Aruán Ortiz, "the latest Cuban wunderkind to arrive in
the United States" (John Murph, BETJazz.com), hit the ground running when
he arrived on the American jazz scene in 2003. A classically trained violist
and pianist, this Santiago de Cuba native's sound is as marked by the influence
of the contemporary classical composers such as Schoenberg, Ravel, and Copland,
as it is by traditional Afro-Cuban sounds and jazz masters such as Bud Powell,
Monk, Andrew Hill and Muhal Richard Abrams. A major testament to his massive
talent, since setting foot in the States, Ortiz was quickly called upon to
perform and record with artists such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Greg Osby, Cindy
Blackman, Esperanza Spalding, Gary Thomas, Wayne Krantz, Rashied Ali, Stefon
Harris, Horacio "el negro" Hernández, Giovanni Hidalgo, Lionel
Loueke, Jane Bunnett, Jerry Bergonzi and others.
Ortiz is
currently featured on his own albums, "Orbiting" ("On Orbiting,
the erudite Ortiz has smashed every preconception of Latin pianists and his
penchant for innovative expression succeeds in surpassing the output of his
musical contemporaries." - All About Jazz.com), and "Santiarican
Blues Suite" on Sunnyside Records ("Ortiz's pen shines in a new
light, the music lyrical, dramatic, creating suspense." 4 1/2 stars -
DownBeat Magazine), plus, Steve Turre's newest recording, "Woody's
Delight", the new Wallace Roney album, "Home" (both on HighNote,
2012), "Textures and Pulsations" with fellow pianist Bob Gluck, and
The Aruan Ortiz/Michael Janisch Quintet, "Banned In London",
featuring Greg Osby. The NYJAZZ Quartet
releases its newest album, "Blue Divide" (Zoho Music, 2014), on
January 14th, featuring Aruan Ortiz, Rob Derke, Carlo de Rosa & Eric
McPherson.
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