Justo Almario (tenor sax)
Justo Almario is a Colombian born woodwind player who is considered one of the top Latin jazz saxophonists in the world. He migrated to Boston in 1969 to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. He joined the Mongo Santamaria band in the 1970's, and became Mongos musical director. Justo has performed or recorded with Charles Mingus, Roy Ayers, Freddie Hubbard, Tito Puente, Linda Ronstadt, Chaka Khan, Queen Latifah, Herb Alpert, Dianne Reeves, Poncho Sanchez, Cachao, Placido Domingo, Jennifer Lopez, and many others. Along with Alex Acuna, Justo co-leads the powerful Latin jazz band Tolu.
His offical website is www.echomusicproducts.com
Danilo Lozano (flute /director)
Danilo was born into a great musical family, absorbing a great deal from his father, Rolando, a legendary Cuban flutist who worked with Orquesta Aragon, Mongo Santamaria, and Cal Tjader. Danilo has been a part of numerous bands, including Qwest and Miguel Cruz & Skins. He is a founding member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and was a featured soloist with the Mexican National Symphony Orchestra. Although he has appeared with many international stars such as Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Cachao, and Linda Ronstadt, he has maintained a personal commitment to education. He has taught at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, California Polytechnical University , UCLA, and is currently on the faculty of Whittier College . Danilo was the musical director of the HBO special & Americanos, and he also leads the Cuba L.A. band.
Visit www.cubanflute.com
Marvin Smitty Smith (drums)
Featured on more than 45 albums, additional performances
and recordings augmented with Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison, Ray
Brown and Phineas Newborn, George Shearing, Bobby Watson, Hamiet Bluiett,
Branford Marsalis, David Murray, Emily Remler, Peter Leicht, Kevin Eubanks,
Donald Byrd, Monty Alexander, Diane Reeves, Michel Camilo, and Grover
Washington Jr. Currently he's a member of Steve Coleman's Five Elements,
and The Dave Holland Quartet. Smitty is currently the house drummer for
NBC's Tonight Show Band.
Joey De Leon (congas)
An original Jazz on the Latin Side All Stars member since January of 2000, percussionist Joey De Leon Jr. is one the most gifted musicians of his generation. He has been knocking on L. A.'s doors for over 10 years and has amassed a most impressive resume to date.
The last few years have been especially gratifying for Joey. He is a member of Grammy award winning percussion icon Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band and also is the percussionist for rap mogul, actress, producer, and entrepeneur Queen Latifah.
When in town, he co-leads a project with percussionist Angel Rodriguez called "Lucky 7." "We want to preserve and capture the glorious sounds of New York City in the 60's," De Leon says, but also add the modern rhythmic and harmonic textures so that it may be paletteable for today's generation of enthusiasts. Look for a late 2009 release of the band on DIMELO Records.
Joey can also be seen conducting clinics and workshops throughout the world. He is currently endorsed by Latin Percussion, Remo, Vic Firth, Sabian, Gibraltar Hardware, and Rhythm Tech.
.www.joeydeleonjr.com
Alfredo Ortiz (bongo / vocals)
Alfredo is a member of the very talented Mexican-American Ortiz musical family. He is a fine singer and excellent percussionist. The heavy weight West Coast salsa band, Son Mayor, is the family band. Alfredo is better known for his recordings with the progressive charanga/jazz band Bongologic.
Rene Camacho (bass)
This very talented young Chicano bassist from Arizona , has earned a great respect from the top musicians in Los Angeles . His recording credits include sessions with Bobby Matos, Strunz and Farrah, Bobby Rodriguez and The Estrada Brothers. He has performed with the Pointer Sisters, Dizzy Gillespie, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Peter Erskine, Lew Tabacken, Poncho Sanchez, Sister Sledge, and Francisco Aguabella.
Jimmy Branly (Timbales)
Born in Havana , Cuba , Jimmy began playing drums at the age of 13. Without question, he is one of the top West Coast drummers. Jimmy Branly has performed with almost every major jazz, fusion and dance group in Cuba . His performing and recording credits include Gonzalo Rubalcaba, N.G. La Banda, Isaac Delgado, Cuarto Espacio, Ernan Lopez-Nussa, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, Celia Cruz, Tito Nieves, Strunz & Farrah, Sheila ‘E’, Jimmy Haslip, Francisco Aguabella, Luis Conte, Rebecca Mauleon, Justo Almario, Alex Acuna, The Jazz on the Latin Side All Stars, Otmaro Ruiz, Russell Ferrante, Poncho Sanchez, Franky Negron, among many others.
Scott Martin (baritone sax)
Scott is an accomplished saxophone player and flautist. He has been a member of the Poncho Sanchez Band for some 12 years now, recording on 11 Poncho CDs. Some of his original compositions on the Sanchez CD& have been Soul of the Conga and Latin Spirits (Concord Records). He has also performed or recorded with The Temptations, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Celia Cruz, Barry Manilow, The Righteous Brothers, Dr. Dre, and many others. His own release "Café Cubano" and latest cd, " Menudo & Gritz" is now available on his website. Click on the CD's below for samples.
Kamasi Washington (alto sax)
Life began for Kamasi Washington on February 18, 1981 in Los Angeles, California. In Kamasi’s senior year of high school he had the opportunity to compete in the John Coltrane Saxophone competition, in which he received the first place award. After graduating from high school Kamasi began his studies at U.C.L.A. were the facility included some of the finest musicians in the history of Jazz, such as Kenny Burrell, Billy Higgins, Harold Land, Lew Mathews, Garnett Brown, Jeff Clayton, Gerald Wilson, and many others. By the end of his first year at U.C.L.A. Kamasi began performing with many of his professors. In fact he joined Gerald Wilson’s big band and later became the only member of his regular Los Angeles band to be invited to play on his latest album “In My Time” which was recorded in New York. From this Kamasi ended up playing with many of the most legendary musicians of the current variety such as Snoop Dog, Raphael Saadiq, and many others. Yet during this time Kamasi despite his newfound respect for all of the forms of music realized that Jazz was still the music that was closest to his heart. So he started a new band that would be able to play the new music that he is creating. The new group is called “The Next Step” and that’s precisely what Kamasi intends on taking.
Luis Eric Gonzalez (trumpet)
Luis Eric was born in Cuba , and started playing trumpet
at the age of 7. He is a graduate of the Institute of Arts in Havana ,
and has several years of formal classical training. He not only performed
and recorded with Cubas top bands, but performed and recorded on operas,
ballets, radio, and documentary films. He has toured and recorded with
Don Henley, Celia Cruz, Raul Malo, Lou Vega, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Tito
Nieves, Juan Gabriel, Joan Sebastian and Carl Thomas. Luis Eric is also
a talented composer/arranger, with his own production company, Azulu Productions.
Sal Cracchiolo (trumpet)
Sal recorded on 18 CDs with Poncho Sanchez, and toured worldwide since 1975. He is one of the heavy weight Latin jazz trumpeters on the West Coast. Sal has also played with Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Cal Tjader, Stanley Turrentine, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Harris, and many others. He has toured with Tom Jones and Vicki Carr, and has recorded a CD with his wife, vocalist Melanie Jackson-Cracchiolo. Sal is currently a member of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
Eric Jorgensen (trombone)
Eric comes from the Barry Rogers school of blow. When
Eric takes a solo, everyone turns. He is one of the top trombonists in
the L.A. salsa circuit. Playing regularly with Son Mayor.
Francisco Torres (trombone / arranger)
This very talented young Mexican American is quickly becoming
one of the premiere Latin jazz arrangers on the West coast. He plays trombone
for the Poncho Sanchez band, leads his own Latin jazz band, and serves
as the musical director and leading arranger/composer for the Jazz on
the Latin Side All Stars. His performance credits include Celia Cruz,
Cachao, Tito Nieves, Son Mayor, and The Banda Brothers, among others.
Mike Daigeau (trombone)Born
in New Orleans, LA. - Currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.
Primary instrument is Tenor Trombone. Also proficient in playing Alto
and Bass Trombone, Tuba, Baritone Horn, Euphonium, and Keyboards.
Composer and arranger for all music styles and configurations of musicians,
from the Solo Performer to the Symphony Orchestra.
Member of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show Band led by Doc Severinsen
for two years. Lead trombonist with Doc Severinsen’s Big Band for
over a decade
Performed and recorded with many musical luminaries. These include: Doc
Severinsen, Don Henley, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gilespie, The Four Tops, Aretha
Franklin, Billy Preston, Rosemary Clooney, The Temptations, Gladys Knight,
Louie Bellson, Joe Williams, Chaka Kahn and Stevie Wonder.
Other performances include: - The Mambo Kings Orchestra, Tito Puente,
Ceilia Cruz, Luis Enrique, Jose’ Jose’, Luis Miguel, Jennifer
Lopez, Linda Rondstadt, Mel Torme, Maureen McGovern, The Manhattans, Neil
Diamond, Pat Boone, Tonya Tucker, George Clinton, Marvin Gaye, and many
more…
Adonis Puentes (Lead Vocals)
It's a role he was destined to play. On March 29th, 1974, Adonis was born into an atmosphere charged with Cuban music. His family lived 45 miles southwest of Havana, Cuba in the town of Artemisa. Father, Valentin Puentes taught music and played guitar, and he wasted little time before passing on his gifts to Adonis and his fraternal twin brother, Alexis. Already at the age of 6, Adonis was playing with a Children's Guitar Ensemble formed by Valentin. By the time he was 14, he was singing and writing his own music. Adonis thrives on the growth and acclaim for his original sonero sound. As he puts it, "I feel like a messenger of my roots and tradition, blessed that with me I have taken my music and heritage to many different places in the world; from Cuba, to Canada, USA, Mexico, Europe. My mission is to make you dance and enjoy my melodies and rhythms."
Joe Rotondi (piano)
Joe began studying piano with his
father, Joe Rotondi, Sr., and continued his musical studies at Los Angeles
Community College. He has performed and recorded with many Latin Jazz
greats in his musical career, including Herb Alpert, Pete Escovedo, Tolu,
Vikki Carr, Linda Ronstadt, Arturo Sandoval, Doc Severinson, Alex Acuna,
Justo Almario, the Estrada Brothers, Rudy Regalado and Chevere, Bongo
Logic, John Pisano and Candi Sosa. Joe was featured on the recent Latin
Jazz release of Herb Alpert, and the current Milestone CD of the Estrada
Brothers. He was the pianist on the Paul Rodriguez's TV show, and played
on the "Dirty Dancing" and "Mambo Kings" soundtracks.
Mahesh Balasooriya (piano)
Mahesh has played and worked with so many jazz greats including Christian Mc Bride, Larry Goldings, Roy Hargrove, John Clayton, Eddie Daniels, Johnny Mandel, Randy Brecker, Eric Reed, Hubert Laws, Patti Austin; He has been quoted by jazz radio sponsor Chuck Niles as "The Charlie Parker of Sri Lanka"; Mahesh also been opening acts for Elvin Jones, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Oscar De La Hoya, Phil Ramone, President Clinton, Hilary Clinton, Richard Riordin, and Several appearances at the Hollywood Bowl. He has been selected to do major recording projects at Paramount studios, Universal music productions, and Sony studios.
Jose Rizo (band leader / producer)
Jose Rizo was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and raised in Oxnard, California. He played trumpet in high school, but it was not until he was a student at U. C. Santa Barbara that he developed his passion for jazz. In the late 70's Jose was the founder of "Radio Chicano", a student and community broadcasting organization based on the Santa Barbara campus at KCSB, where he served as program director for two years. His Sunday night show at KCSB was called "Barrio Salsoul", where he explored latin-jazz music and salsa. In 1975, Jose also hosted the weekly music/public affairs radio show "La Voz de la Raza" at Santa Barbara's top-40 radio station KIST. As a UCSB student, Jose produced the yearly Cinco de Mayo Dance Concerts, where he began to work with such artists as Poncho Sanchez and Los Lobos. Read complete bio
