EMILIO SOLLA & BIEN SUR!
This quintet is the regular New York based band since 2007.
The band NY debut included Jeff Ballard, Donny McCaslin and Pablo Aslan. They have performed at venues and festivals such as Blue Note, the Jazz Standard, Dizzie’s and many other around the US. They recorded Bien Sur! to outstanding reviews, with drummer Billy Hart as a guest. (See videos)
Ferenc Nemeth
Ferenc Nemeth is an accomplished and versatile musician who continues to push the boundaries of jazz drumming and composition. Nemeth has since the early days of his career, been one of the most sought after drummers both, in his native Hungary as well as in the United States.
From his early days at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Thelonius Monk Insitute of Jazz in Los Angeles, Nemeth has learned from and worked with the worlds finest jazz musicians and groups including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Terence Blanchard, the Billy Childs Trio, Bob Sheppard, Dave Carpenter, John Clayton, Jimmy Heath, The Henry Mancini Orchestra amongst others. Relocating to New York in 2003, Nemeths distinctive energy and drive saw his career continuing with many of the same musicians, and also expanding to include the likes of Christian McBride, John Patitucci, Lionel Loueke, John Abercrombie, Dave Samuels, Mark Turner, Hal Crook, David Benoit, Bud Shank, Greg Hopkins, Phil Wilson, Dave Grusin, Eddie Daniels, Eddie Henderson, Ron McClure, Chris Cheek, Aaron Goldberg, Kenny Wheeler, Eli Degibri, Jonathan Kreisberg, John Ellis, Omer Avital, Ilayaraja, the Kenny Werner Coalition and most recently Dhafer Youssef.
JULIEN LABRO
CHRIS CHEEK
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Chris Cheek began playing the alto sax at the age of 12. While attending Webster University, Chris played with a variety of local Jazz and Blues bands including legendary saxophonist Willie Akins’ group and the Bob Kuban Brass. Chris went to Boston in 1988 to attend Berklee College of music where he studied with Herb Pomeroy, Joe Viola and Hal Crook.
Chris moved to New York in 1992 and since then has toured the world and recorded with Paul Motian, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra,The Bloomdaddies, Bill Frisell, Brian Blade, Lee Konitz, Carla Bley,Tom Harrell, Eliot Zigmund, Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel and many others. Chris also plays with Steve Swallow’s Quintet, and the newly formed Axis Saxophone Quartet, alongside Josh Redman, Chris Potter and Mark Turner. In addition to appearing on numerous CD’s as a sideman, Chris has recorded 4 albums as a leader for Fresh Sound Records. He currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.
JORGE ROEDER
Originally from Lima, Peru, Jorge Roeder is one of the most versatile bass players in the New York jazz scene. He was awarded 1st prize at the 2007 International Society Of Bassists Jazz Competition, and he was a semi-finalist at the 2009 Thelonious Monk Jazz Bass Competition. At the age of 14, he began to study the cello and two years later was invited to pursue his classical studies at the Rimsky Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. After taking up the double bass at age 18, Jorge was appointed assistant principal bassist of the Lima Philharmonic and Opera orchestras for the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
Upon moving to Boston in 2002, Jorge received a scholarship from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied jazz performance with Danilo Perez, Charlie Banacos and John Lockwood among others.
Touring, recording, and performing actively in New York City, Jorge is currently part of several projects, including The Julian Lage Group, whose debut album was nominated for a Grammy for the “Best Contemporary Jazz Album” category in 2009; Shai Maestro Trio, Victor Prieto Trio, Ryan Keberle’s Catharsis, among others.
A musician with diverse interests and a wide range of abilities, Jorge has performed with luminaries such as Gary Burton, Alex Acuna, Geoffrey Keezer, Steve Lacy, Antonio Sanchez, Kenny Werner and Matt Wilson.