ARUÁN ORTIZ

Mark Weinstein's El Cumbanchero (Jazzahead), produced and arranged by Aruán hit #1 on the Jazzweek World music chart for the week of December 13, 2011 and was nominated in 5 categories in the 2011 Latin Jazz Corner Best Of The Year Awards. Aruán won 2011 Latin Jazz Arrangement of the Year for "El Cumbanchero." "Ortiz manages to tackle the traditions of charanga without resorting to cliché and his own compositions add another element to the music. His 'Av. Pinto Tapiro' and 'Danzón De Liz' are breezy and bright, but 'Aruancó' [sic] proves to be the standout original. The pianist juxtaposes relentless, clattering hand drums against Weinstein's flute, and uses his own piano to create hypnotic, cycling chords and some engrossing solo work." -- All About Jazz, 12/1/2011

NEW RELEASES!

Orbiting, Aruán's latest jazz album recorded in NYC with his quartet is slated for release on Fresh Sound Records March 2012.

Santiarican Blues Suite was commisioned for the 25th anniversary celebration performance of the José Mateo Ballet Theater in May 2011, and will be released  April 10, 2012 on Sunnyside Records.

INTERVIEW WITH ARUÁN IN VALENCIA at the Festival Internacional de Jazz Contemporáneo de Jimmy Glass (in Spanish)
November 2011

REZO A BABALÚ AYÉ

In fall 2011, Aruán was commissioned by the Folkloric Ballet, Oyu Oro in NYC to collaborate on the score for their latest work, "Rezo a Babalú Ayé." The work premiered at Hostos Community College on December 16, 2011.

ALAMEDA REVIEWED IN JAZZIZ
October 2010

"Ortiz concocts an exhilarating program of modern jazz, characterized by sharp, angular melodies, probing improvisations and rhythmic pulsations that betray interests in broken-beat and drm-'n'-bass as they do post-bop and free-bop."
--Downbeat, January 2010

Aruán Ortiz, “the latest Cuban wunderkind to arrive in the United States” (BET Jazz), 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.

Aruán’s jazz career took off in Europe after being 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). He soon became a first call pianist in Barcelona and Paris. Since arriving in the US, he has played steadily with Wallace Roney, Antoine Roney, Terri Lyne Carrington, Greg Osby, and Cindy Blackman. He has also played or recorded with Esperanza Spalding, Gary Thomas, Wayne Krantz, Rasheed Ali, Stefon Harris, Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, Giovanni Hidalgo, George Garzone, Jane Bunnett, and Jerry Bergonzi among other great jazz artists. 

Aruán considers himself “a curious person who loves music”, and incorporates classical music, Middle Eastern, African, and Afro Cuban rhythmic elements into his compositions. This is evident in his recordings Impresión Tropical, Universal 1996; Aruán Ortiz Trio, Vol. 1 (Ayva/Pimienta/Universal, 2004); and Alameda (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2009), which received 4 stars in the Jazzwise magazine from UK and named it one of the Top Ten Jazz CDs of the year.

Aruán’s ability to subtly incorporate world music elements into avant‐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 Raynald Colom (Ad Lib Arts/Harmonia Mundi 2009), Jure Pukl‘s Crazy (2010) 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), Christoph Seigrist’s Welcome to the Blues World (Fresh Sound 2010), Ligia França’s Meu mundo e hoje (Caligula Records 2010). In 2010, Aruán recorded on the innovative jazz album by Wallace Roney, If Only for One Night (High Note) and was invited by flutist Mark Weinstein to produce and arrange a CD, "El Cumbanchero," inspired by the traditional music of Cuba for string quintet, flute, piano and percussion. He won 2011 Latin Jazz Arrangement of the Year for the title track.

The music of his upcoming CD Santiarican Blues Suite (Sunnyside Records, 2012) was commissioned by the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre for the 25^th anniversary of the company. The ballet “Pagan or Not” by Jose Mateo was selected one of the best ballet performances in New England in 2011.

Aruán Ortiz is a critically acclaimed and recognized performer, composer, producer and educator on the New York City scene and around the world.

ARUÁN ORTIZ QUARTET

Ginga Carioca

Green City

“Jazz fans applaud, and novices mark your calendars. Aruán Ortiz, critically acclaimed Cuban pianist is a must see."
New York Post

About Alameda: "…an elegant, majestic album that is recommended unconditionally. Great music."
Tom Hall (Jazzwise)

The Aruán Ortiz Quartet is a contemporary jazz ensemble that has collaborated with some of the most creative and forward-thinking jazz musicians on the scene today. Headed by composer and pianist Aruán Ortiz, the quartet currently includes David Gilmore on guitar, Eric McPherson on drums, and Rashaan Carter on bass.

The Quartet was founded in 2005, and in 2009 the band released the album Alameda (FSNT, 2009), which combined jazz, classical, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. The album received 4 stars in Jazzwise magazine and was named one of the Top Ten Jazz CDs of the year, and garnered excellent reviews in all of the major jazz magazines, such Downbeat, Jazziz, JazzTimes, All About Jazz, JazzWise, JazzPodium, and more. Their second album, “Orbiting”, will be released in February 2012.




CAMERATA URBANA


San Pascual Bailón by aruanortiz

"Aruan Ortiz’s Santiarican Blues Suite... was exciting, beautiful and entertaining. The bright colors and Latin rhythms made were enrapturing, and before I knew it the piece had come to an end before I was ready." Boston Theatre Review

This new ensemble, Camerata Urbana, has the unique experience of interpreting Cuban-Haitian traditions in a new format that integrates all of the cultural traditions from Oriente, Cuba, including classical, folkloric, and jazz music. Lead by accomplished composer and pianist Aruán Ortiz, this ensemble boasts talent from various Latin American countries with Afro-Latin heritage. Each musician expands consciousness, pushes boundaries, and creates a unique sound that evokes their Afro-Latin, classical, jazz and contemporary classical musical training. Camerata Urbana’s past performances include Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Zinc Bar in New York City. They collaborated with the 25th Anniversary season performance of the José Mateo Ballet Theatre in Boston, and their first CD “Santiarican Blues Suite” will be released in January 2012 on Sunnyside Records.

Aruán Ortiz, piano, conductor and director
Zoe Hillengas, flute
Machiko Ozawa, violin
Luis Casals, violin
Samuel Marchan, viola
Brian Sanders, cello
Pedro Giraudo, bass
Mauricio Herrera, percussion

"

2012

Aruán Ortiz Quartet, Orbiting (Fresh Sound)

Aruán Ortiz and the Camerata Urbana, Santiarican Blues Suite (Sunnyside)

2011

Mark Weinstein, El cumbanchero (Jazzahead)

Matteo Fraboni, This is my music

2010

Aruán Ortiz Quartet Featuring Antoine Roney, Alameda (Fresh Sound)

Wallace Roney, If Only for One Night (High Note)

Jure Pukl, EARchitecture

Christoph Seigrist, Welcome to the BLUE World (Fresh Sound)

2009

Raynald Colom, Evocación (Ad lib art)

Ligia França, Meu mundo é hoje (Caligula Records)

Arturo Stable, Call (Origen Records)

2007

Arturo Stable, Notes on Canvas (Origen Records)

2006

Esperanza Spalding, Junjo (Ayva Música)

2005

Chie Imaizumi, A Change for the Better

2004

Aruán Ortiz Trio, Vol. 1 (Ayva Música)

1996

Aruán Ortiz, Impresión Tropical (Magic Music/Universal)

Management:

Emerson Bran Management
Tel. (310) 295-4259
bookings@emersonbranmanagement.com

For press inquiries:

Jason Paul Harman Byrne
Red Cat Publicity
Tel. 347-578-7601
redcatjazz@me.com


For general inquiries: aruanortiz [at] yahoo.com