Biography
www.oscarperezmusic.com
ABOUT THE PIANIST / COMPOSER
Ever since he was seven years old, Oscar Perez has been expressing himself on a piano. Being raised on his father’s Cuban folk music, the piano lessons and playing in the church band was just a given. A young Oscar made the commitment to make music his life before even getting to ninth grade. As a native of the borough of Queens in New York City, he was exposed to many kinds of music. This was enhanced by his enrollment to the “FAME-d” LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. But it would turn out to be jazz that would take him on his musical and personal journey.
His training has been as diverse as his musical tastes. During his high school years, he studied with two very prominent classical pianists, Robert Harris (Juilliard Faculty) and Edgar Roberts (New York University Faculty). He later matriculated at the highly respected Jazz Performance Bachelor’s program at the University of North Florida. Under the American Music Scholarship, he studied with jazz pianists Harry Pickens and Kevin Bales. It was here that he started to compose for small group and big band. His hunger to revisit the beauty and energy of Latin music sent him off to the New England Conservatory in Boston, MA to study with Danilo Perez. After many weekend gigs in New York City, he saw his formal education come full circle when he finished his Master’s Degree at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in New York under the guidance of Sir Roland Hanna. Here his love of jazz was married with the piano literature of the classical composers. Also, during this time, he continued studying composition and arranging with Phillip Michael Mossman, who gave him many writing and arranging opportunities.
His early twenties saw him sharing the stage with jazz legends Bunky Green, George Russell, Curtis Fuller and George Garzone. Since moving back to New York, he has spent recent years traveling and playing in the musical groups of trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, saxophonist Virginia Mayhew, trombonist Steve Turre, vocalists Melissa Walker Maurice Hines and Roseanna Vitro along with vibraphonist Christian Tamburr with whom he has a recording entitled “Move”. In addition to employment as a jazz pianist, he toured with vocalist Phoebe Snow performing in venues such as The Theatre at Madison Square Garden and Webster Hall. Television appearances include a taping of The Rosanne Show with special guest Michael McDonald. He has also toured the country with singer/songwriter Coby Brown and appears on the group’s debut CD entitled “Homesick”. Recently, he has been appointed music director for St Edward’s Church in Harlem, N.Y. His longstanding commitment to church music has been embodied in the gospel music he explores as the accompanist for the Nightingale/Bamford Gospel Choir.
Latest travels have included many cities along the eastern seaboard. Great Midwestern U.S. cities such as Chicago, Iowa City and Minneapolis have also been part of his itinerary. Foreign tours include Colombia, South America; Costa Rica; the AgraJazz Festival on the Azores Islands of Portugal and a recent Jazz Cruise to the Bahamas and the Dominic Republic. He spent a month leading a quintet throughout Russia including Moscow and most of Siberia.
His close association with the Kupferberg Center at Queens College, the Juilliard School, Jazz Connections Camp at Montclair St. University, JazzHouse Kids and Jazz at Lincoln Center has provided him many teaching and performance opportunities with some of the world’s most innovative musicians such as Antonio Hart, Victor Goines and Christian McBride. He is the recipient of the 2006 ASCAP/IAJE Commission in honor Of Billy Strayhorn. Oscar’s group premiered the work at the 2007 International Association of Jazz Education Convention with special guest Antonio Hart on Alto. His latest project is the result of a New Works Grant by Chamber Music America for his septet aptly entitled Oscar Perez Nuevo Comienzo.
ABOUT THE BAND
Oscar Perez Nuevo Comienzo is an ensemble that was formed in 2004. The musicians were handpicked by Oscar Perez, each for their individual artistry and ability to interpret the music selflessly. Although they have played music by everyone in the group, most of the compositions and arrangements are penned by Oscar Perez. A classic 2 horn frontline (trumpet and tenor sax) supported by rhythm section is utilized. Other instrument doubles such as flugelhorn, soprano saxophone and Fender Rhodes are explored as well. Percussion was added to create a new dimension of rhythm, which allows for ultimate creativity. It also adds to the authenticity of the latin rhythms which is imperative for this group.
The ensemble's first gigs came in 2004 at various clubs in and around New York City. The first of five major performances was a tour to Russia in 2005. For a month they traveled to Moscow, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, and Tumen to perform original music. Upon returning home, the group, along with guest artists Peter Berstein (guitar) and Wycliffe Gordon(trombone) completed a CD made up entirely of original music.
Recently, this ensemble has been performing at NYC venues such as the Jazz Gallery and Fat Cat. As part of the Chamber Music America Commission the group recently performed at the Oscar Schindler Performing Arts Center during their Jazz Festival as well as the revered Newark Arts Museum Concert Series.
Instrumentation
Oscar Perez – Piano, Fender Rhodes
Greg Glassman - Trumpet
Stacy Dillard – Saxophones
Anthony Perez – Acoustic Bass
Jerome Jennings – Drums
Emiliano Valerio - Percussion
Charenee Wade - Voice
Discography
Oscar Perez - Nuevo Comienzo
Charenee Wade - You Stepped Out of a Dream
Christian Tamburr - Move
Coby Brown Group - Homesick
Cathy Elliott - The Turning Point
Links
| http://www.oscarperezmusic.com |