EMILIO SOLLA & AFINES
Afines is Solla’s Barcelona based quintet, which he started when moving to that city since 1996. They recorded 4 CD for Fresh Sound records and toured extensively throughout Europe in many of the main jazz venues and festivals. The band is active and continues to play in Spain, Sweden and Germany where they managed to create a solid follow up.
In Emilio’s own words: The project Afines emerges from a desire to connect the essence of the two most authentic languages of argentinian music: tango and folklore. The goal is not to achieve an archeological or distilled revision of these languages, but to take a look that lets itself be affected by musical expressions from other times and latitudes, to converge as through a sounding crystal with influences from diverse ethnic sources as well as jazz and contemporary european music.
I was introduced to folklore through the friendship of my parents with important figures of our musical community, such as Jaime Torres and Hugo Díaz. Soon after I was born my family moved to Buenos Aires, where I grew up in contact with the music of Astor Piazzolla.
These elements merged with subsequent studies of more academic composition techniques, such as counterpoint and traditional harmony, into the music that I bring to you here. I hope that as you listen you will experience at least part of the pleasure that I felt in writing and playing these pieces.
Emilio Solla, piano & compositions
Gorka Benítez, tenor sax and flute
Carlos Morera, bandoneon
David Gonzales, double-bass
David Xirgu, drums
GORKA BENITEZ
Studied at Bilbao Conservatory and at Taller de Músicos, in Barcelona. Won a scholarship with which he spent three years in New York, where he attended classes with Dave Kikoski, Billy Hart, Jim Hall, Barry Harris and Cecil Bridgewater. In this city he played several gigs with his own trio, sharing stage with Walter Perkins, Jim Leff y Max Roach, among other. He is considered one of the most outstanding voices in the Spanish jazz scene. Living in Barcelona, he leads his own projects and plays with many local and international projects, like New York – Flamenco Reunion or the Mingus Dinasty Big Band.
DAVID GONZALEZ
Jazz bass Major from the ESMUC in Barcelona, this young player already has his own place in the Spanish jazz scene due to his strong musical personality as well as his ability to play different musical styles with maturity and soundness. He has performed in festivals and theatres in Spain, Cuba and Europe with Llibert Fortuny Electric Quintet and other groups, and leads his own project, Ylema. He has received many awards for his playing from different music associations in Spain, and has recorded and played with some of the best up and coming local players, such as Jordi Berni and Raynald Colom.
CARLOS MORERA
Piano professor, degree from the National Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires. His wide musical activity involves solo piano concerts, chamber music, jazz and participating in many groups of different styles. In the last years he is devoted to the bandoneon and tango music, playing concerts and shows in many European countries as part of duo La Mariposa Tango with singer Laura Hansen, (Dartington International Summer Festival, England, Festival International des Arts , France, Aarhus Tango Festival, Denmark, Battersea Arts Center, London, etc.)
As bandoneon soloist he has participated in many projects, like an homage to Astor Piazzolla performed by the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Finland or Erling Kroner Big Band.
DAVID XIRGU
He studied drums at the Conservatorio Superior de Música del Liceo, Aula de Música de Barcelona and the Taller de Músics. In 1992, he attended classes in New York with Charlie Persip and Vernell Fournier. During the 80’s, he was founder and member of some of the best jazz groups in Barcelona, such as Zé Eduardo Unit, Iñaki Salvador trio and Jordi Bonell quartet. Currently he plays with the Lluís Vidal trío, Carmen Canela + trío, Joan Monné trío, Andrzej Olejniczak quartet y Albert Bover trío, besides leading his own project. Much in demand by international jazz names when they tour in Europe, he has been called to collaborate with Mulgrew Miller, Fred Hersch, Norma Winston, John Abercrombie, Mark Feldman, Art Farmer, Ben Monder, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Donald Harrison, Dave Liebman, Sonny Fortune, Steve Brown, Vince Mendoza, Chris Cheek and Perico Sambeat, both in festivals and theatres such as Festival de San Sebastián, Jazz à la Défènse (Paris), Delta Jazz Festival (La Haya, Holanda), Leverkusen Jazztage y Stadgarten Köln (Germany) , Waiting for Jazz, Pekin (China). He has received many awards and you can hear him in dozens of recordings in some of the best local jazz projects and with the Teatre Lliure Chamber Orchestra.