“Utterly refreshing.” - Village Voice
“Jazz fans applaud, and novices mark your calendars. Aruán Ortiz, critically acclaimed Cuban pianist is a ‘must see.’ Recognized as a virtuoso by critics around the globe, Ortiz has helped usher Cuban music into the European and American mainstream.” - New York Post
“Intriguing original music that reveal[s] an impressive approach to improvising and composing.” - All About Jazz – New York
“Aruán Ortiz is the latest Cuban wunderkind to arrive in the United States.” - John Murph, BETJazz.com
“Mr. Ortiz, a young Cuban pianist with a modern jazz pedigree, leads a promising ensemble...” - Nate Chinen, New York Times
Jazz pianist Aruán Ortiz, “the latest Cuban wunderkind to arrive in the United States,” hit the ground running when he came on the American jazz scene in 2003.
A former 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 by traditional Afro Cuban sounds and jazz greats Bud Powell, Art Tatum, and Thelonious Monk. After winning Best Cuban Composition at the Symposium of Cuban Music in Jamaica in 1995, Aruán was discovered by the Spanish record label Magic Music/Universal Latino, which brought him to Spain.
There he participated in the compliation project La Isla de la Música (1996), which was acclaimed by the international press and recognized as one of the first albums to bring Cuban music to the European and American mainstream. While in Europe he was the recipient of various awards including Best Jazz Interpretation, Festival de Jazz in Vic, Spain (2000) and Semifinalist, Jas Hennessy Piano Solo Competition, Montreux, Switzerland (2001).
Aruán’s jazz career took off as a sideman in Barcelona and Paris, and later in the U.S. with Wallace Roney, Antoine Roney, Terri Lyne Carrington, Greg Osby, Cindy Blackman, Esperanza Spalding, Gary Thomas, Wayne Krantz, Rasheed Ali, Stefon Harris, Horacio “el negro” Hernández, Giovanni Hidalgo, Lionel Lueke, Jane Bunnett, and Jerry Bergonzi.
While Aruán considers himself a jazz musician before a Cuban jazz musician, he incorporates Middle Eastern, Asian, African, and Cuban rhythmic elements into his compositions. This is evident in the original compositions in his recordings as a band leader (Impresión Tropical, Universal 1996; Vol. 1: Mandarín en el Espacio, Universal, 2004; Alameda, Fresh Sound, 2009), where Aruán pays homage the jazz trio and quartet formats, recalling the stylings of jazz greats such as Andrew Hill and Phineas Newborn while incorporating the rhythms of his Cuban antecendents.
Aruán’s ability to subtly incorporate world music elements into avante garde jazz makes his sense of creativity unique and recognizable in different styles. This musical vision led him to be featured on dozens of albums such as the Flamenco influenced recording ‘Evocación’ by the Spanish trumpetist Raynald Colom (2009), Esperanza Spalding’s “Junjo,” (Ayva Música, 2005), Arturo Stable’s “Notes on Canvas” (Origen Records, 2005) and “Calls” (Origen Records, 2009), Russell Kirk’s “Path to Journal Square” (Inner Circle Music, 2009). In 2006 Aruán was invited to play Nat King Cole’s music in Monroe Kent III’s solo performace “Unforgettable,” The Nat King Cole Story, at the Stoneham Theatre. Most recently, Aruán recorded on the innovative jazz album “Wallace Roney, Live at the Iridium” (High Note, 2009).
For the last two years, Aruán has been a member of this multi award winning jazz legend’s quintet, Sound of the Future, touring and recording extensively around the world. Rocky Mountain Jazz says, “Wallace Roney is a Miles Davis disciple and last night’s show had Miles stamped all over it… Aruán Ortiz on keyboards was a particular highlight”.
Aruán has regularly been taking on the critical jazz ear of the New York City public since late 2005 to excellent reviews. The New York Post raves, “Jazz fans applaud, and novices mark your calendars. Aruán Ortiz, critically acclaimed Cuban pianist is a ‘must see,’” and All About Jazz – New York says, “Ortiz give[s] positive meaning to the term intelligent design.” Aruán has also been highly lauded by the international press.
Program
- 07.30.2010
20:00 h Raynald Colom, European Tour... TBA Europe
- 08.06.2010
20:00 h Raynald Colom... Marciac Jazz Festival Marciac, France
"Alameda", live at the Berklee Performance Center, Oct 4, 2006
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