Perico Sambeat & Javier Vercher
Perico Sambeat: alto saxophone
Javier Vercher: tenor saxophone
Edward Perez: bass
1. Infinita
Recorded April 2007 in New York
Perico Sambeat is one of the most distinguished saxophonists of Spain, a versatile musician who is prominent in the classical Jazz as well as in the most contemporary or in the fusions (especially with flamenco), always offering an elegant phrasing with his saxophone.
Sambeat was born in Valencia 1962, he finished in Barcelona his classical studies on flute and attended the "Taller de Músics" jazz school, studying harmony with Ze Eduardo. In 1991 he moved to New York, where he had chance to play with great musicians such as Jimmy Cobb, Lee Konitz, Joe Chambers etc. Self-thought on saxophone, he has played as a leader and as a sideman in Jazz Festivals and Clubs all over the world. He has worked professionally with Pat Metheny, Steve Lacy, Louis Bellson, Daniel Humair, Jimmy Owens, Fred Hersch, Bob Mintzer, Maria Schneider, Michael Brecker, etc..
In recognition of his work he has been deserving of numerous prizes, included Better soloist (1990), Better saxophonist for popular vote (2001), of the Asociación de músicos de jazz de Valencia, Better saxophonist of the Associació de músics de Jazz Catalunya twice (1994 & 2000), Third place SGAE of composition of Latin jazz (La Habana 2002) or the Bird Award to the artist that he deserves more presses extense recognition in the Festival North Sea (2003).
JAVIER VERCHER
JAVIER VERCHER, Tenor Sax
Native of Madrid, Spain. At the age of 6, Javier began to study solfege, piano and clarinet under the guidance of his father. At 17, Vercher graduated with a degree in classical clarinet studies from the Joaquin Rodrigo Conservatory of Valencia. After graduating from the conservatory, Javier began to explore jazz music. He began playing the tenor saxophone and attended jazz seminars in Spain with teachers such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Perico Sambeat, Chris Cheek and Jorge Pardo.
At age 18, Javier was awarded a scholarship from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Berklee from 1997 to 2000, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in performance. At Berklee, Javier studied with teachers such as George Garzone, Frank Tiberi, Greg Hopkins, Jeff Galindo, David Johnson, Ken Cervenka and Andy McGhee. In 1999, he had the chance to meet legendary drummer/composer Rakalam Bob Moses in a session. Soon after their first meeting, Mr. Moses invited him to participate in one of his groups at the New England Conservatory. “It was one of the most powerfull musical experiences I had ever had”, says Javier. During that time, (1999 to 2000) Javier spent a lot of time with Moses, going to his house and playing duets, as well as listening and learning about some of the greats such as Jim Pepper, Harold Vick, Roland Kirk and master guitarist, Tisziji Muñoz. “Mr. Moses helped me understand music in a more organic and spiritual way, and I hope to keep growing in that direction”, says Javier.
In 2002, Vercher moved to New York City. In addition to playing regular sessions with many of the jazz musicians there, Javier took some lessons from one of his favorite saxophonists, Chris Cheek. In 2003, he formed a trio with Texas drummer, Brannen Temple, and bassist, Chris Higgins. Following a month long tour of Spain, Javier recorded his debut album for Fresh Sound New Talent Records, “Introducing the Javier Vercher Trio”. In the following two years, Vercher started to present his music in festivals with his trio featuring guitarist, Lionel Loueke. They performed at the Madrid Jazz Festival, Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival, Valencia Jazz Festival and other renowned Spanish venues. In November of 2006, Javier won the Tete Montoliu Outstanding Musician of the year award, given by the SGAE in Spain. Other honored guests that year included Chick Corea and Federico Lechner. Soon after that, Javier began to play duet sessions with Hungarian drummer, Ferenc Nemeth, and they released a duet album in 2007 entitled “Wheel of Time”. The album also features Lionel Loueke on guitar and renowned American songwriter, Chip Taylor.
Javier has played with musicians such as Ben Street, Bill Frisell, Jorge Rossy, Rubem Dantas, Mike Ciro, Ari Hoenig, Massimo Biolcatti, Robert Glasper, Lionel Loueke, Jorge Perez, Nathan Townsley, Steve Rodriguez, Selan Lerner, Eric McPherson, Viktor Krauss, Kenny Wollesen, Arturo Stable and Henry Cole among others. Recently, Vercher just finished a tour with Multi-Grammy Award Winning Alejandro Sanz. They played in Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Venezuela, Ecuador, Spain and USA.
In february 2010 will be released Vercher's latest album called "Wish You Were Here" featuring Lionel Loueke, Larry Grenadier, Sam Yahel and Francisco Mela.
EDWARD PEREZ
EDWARD PEREZ, Bass
Hailed by Jazz Times magazine for his “great dexterity,” and cited by critic Thomas Conrad for his musicality, New York bassist and composer Edward Perez is sought by fellow musicians for his creativity and experience in a great diversity of musical styles. In addition to his work with his own jazz quintet and his role as musical director of the afro-Peruvian band, Alcatraz, Perez’s bass lines have been the choice of a stunning array of bandleaders including jazz vocal legend Mark Murphy, latin-jazz Grammy nominees Hector Martignon and Jane Bunnett, Colombian singer Lucia Pulido, trumpet virtuoso Joe Burgstaller of the Canadian Brass, and a host of modern jazz musicians including Martin Bejerano, Anat Cohen, Javier Vercher, Misha Piatigorsky, Francisco Mela, and Gilad Hekselman.
As a sideman and bassist, Perez has performed in virtually all of New York’s most venerated jazz venues, including the Blue Note, Lincoln Center, Jazz Standard, Iridium, Dizzy's, Jazz Gallery, Zinc Bar, Smalls, Smoke, Fat Cat, Tonic, 55 Bar, and Nuyorican Poets Café. He has toured throughout Europe, South America, and Japan, including appearances in major jazz festivals such as Vitoria, Moers, and Palau de la Musica (Valencia), as well as world music festivals such as Stimmen and Rudolstadt. In addition to the aforementioned bandleaders, Perez has shared the stage or recorded with such jazz luminaries as Seamus Blake, Mark Turner, Kenny Werner, Lionel Loueke, Miguel Zenón, Ari Hoenig, and Perico Sambeat.
Perez began studying bass and piano early, and by age 13, he was a member of the symphony orchestra of his hometown in southern Texas. Two years later, he left to study music at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, where he graduated as valedictorian, played in the school’s award winning big band (Downbeat Magazine 1994), and received recognition from the NFAA for jazz performance. Perez later studied applied mathematics at Harvard, graduating cum laude. In his collegiate years, he simultaneously got an education in jazz by playing frequently in Boston’s nightspots, including a stretch as the house bassist at Wally´s Jazz Cafe, repeatedly the winner of Best of Boston magazine´s award for best jazz club.
Perez later moved to Lima, Peru, furthering his interests in a diversity of afro-latin musical styles and beginning a lifelong relationship with afro-Peruvian music. In his two years in Lima, Perez performed frequently with many of the greatest musicians of the genre including percussionists Julio “Chocolate” Algendones and Juan Medrano Cotito as well as the revered guitarists Sergio Valdeos and Andrés Prado. He recorded on five albums in the course of a year, including the Latin Grammy Nominee "Peru Blue" by Pamela, and he worked as an arranger for singer Pilar de la Hoz and for Manongo Mujica’s band Tribal. Perez’s own afro-Peruvian/jazz fusion band, Meridiano 75, performed in Lima's international jazz festival 2004. Upon, moving to New York, Perez founded the group Alcatraz, a quintet which plays his arrangements of afro-Peruvian classics.
Also active in education, Perez has worked as a private lesson instructor for the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in Manhattan, and his teaching experience also includes a year at the Indian Hill Music Center in Massachusetts, private lessons to improvisers on many instruments, and clinics and master classes in Austria, Peru, and various parts of the US.
ERIC McPHERSON
ERIC McPHERSON, Drums
Eric McPherson's potential was recognized by the time he made it to LaGuardia High School in the late 1980s, enough for him to be ultimately accepted into Jackie McLean's program at University of Hartford whereafter he was to become the drummer in McLean's band for the next fifteen years, recording with him first in 1992, and playing with him until his very last performance before his passing in 2006. McPherson was featured in Andrew Hill's trio for several years until his passing, appearing on Hill's award-winning last CD Timelines (Down Beat Magazine's Album Of The Year for 2006). McPherson has also recorded with Mark Turner, Jason Lindner, Luis Perdomo, Avishai Cohen, Jimmy Greene, James Hurt, Myron Walden, and with long-time associate Abraham Burton who is also featured here.
McPherson's talents are immediately obvious. He has a level of skill that gives him the facility to travel anywhere, from anywhere, in time, no matter how difficult the move. He's always listening hard and has heart and soul engaged, and that is reflected in an extraordinary musicality. He's very articulate, and the dynamics have just the right expressive weight. He can create a small world in there, and summon up the one-man multi-percussion orchestra when he needs to. But he's never showing off; he can just go wherever the situation calls for.
His musical cohorts are well matched and they know each other well. Abraham Burton and McPherson have been playing music together since childhood, and Burton's solid tone and powerful blowing carries just the feeling that McPherson wants. Two amazing bassists convey real gut feeling with virtuosity. They even pair up on Misako sand De Javu Monk's (sic). John Hebert played with McPherson in Andrew Hill's group and in Fred Hersch's group, and he's well known for accompanying top names. Dezron Douglas studied with Jackie McLean and Steve Davis in Hartford, and is rapidly distinguishing himself now as one of the top new talents. Pianist David Bryant has been playing with both McPherson and Douglas in Steve Davis group. He's got a beautiful touch, and should be heard more. Very tasty Fender Rhodes playing from Shimrit Shoshan on The Collective Expressions rounds out the bunch.
McPherson pays tribute with this volume to the generation before him. The tune The Collective Expression is in tribute to its composer, McPherson's mentor, the late Jackie McLean. “De Javu Monks (sic) is from Richard Davis, who is also McPherson's godfather and a source of inspiration to him. Black Pearl is a personal tribute to Eric's late mother with spoken eulogy. In the succession from one generation to the next, the future appears to be in very capable hands with Eric McPherson.
