Jazz Guitar Duet, is a guitar work developed in Guatemala City, Central America. We have recorded some covers of famous jazz artists and some originals with a special guitar touch and arrangement with two diferent styles, Alfredo with a jazz, brazilian and flamenco influence and Byron with a classical guitar and latin jazz influence.
We also would like to thank our Guatemalan Jazz composers German Giordano and Juan Carlos Murga for letting us record their beautiful compositions, we hope you`ll enjoy and purchase this recording, thanks a lot.
Bio.
ALFREDO CACERES:
Alfredo Cáceres has three records under his belt: Incienso (flamenco) 1998, Baracá(Latin-americanguitar)2003, and with his band Siroko (www.sirokojazz.com) the album ¨Mestisaje¨(jazz-flamenco), 2004.
He is featured as a composer, arranger and co-producer and has collaborated with well-known international musicians like Ed Calle, Dan Warren or John Beasley.
Winner of the 1st. National Jazz Composition Contest in 2004 (http://www.certamendejazz.org), with his composition ¨Colores Urbanos¨. This event was organized the the Mexican Embassy in Guatemala and the annual Antigua Jazz Fest. Among the jury were important musical figures from Mexico, Canada and Central America, like Eugenio Toussaint, director of the Fermatta Musical Academy in Mexico, Germán Giordano who is a recognized jazz guitarist in Guatemala and a Berklee School of Music graduate and Bill Welychka, TV host and music critic from Canadá.
He has played in several bands, ranging from Pop to Jazz, Latin American and Flamenco. Alfredo has attended many courses and master classes with internationally acclaimed guitarists like Chuscales, Niño de Pura, Antonio Carmona, Juan Manuel Cañizares and Manolo SanLúcar, thanks to a scholarship received from the Cristina Heeren foundation, in Seville, Spain. He also attended a special course with maestro Rafael Cañizares, in December of 2004.
Alfredo latest side-projects are Sosa & Caceres jazz guitar duet, Acustic Latin Jazz Quintet, Lester Godinez Jazz Train (Big Band), Siroko.
At the moment Alfredo has collaborated in more than 40 recordings in different Guatemalan and international productions with singers, gingles and other musicians.
BYRON SOSA CASTAÑEDA
( Guitarist & Composer, Musical Arrangement, Producer, Audio & Recording Engineering ).
Byron Sosa studied music and clasical guitar in the National Music Conservatori of Guatemala City. After that he went to Mexico City studding there for 4 years with Mario Beltran Del Rio classical guitar, and some Brazilian rithums. After that he return to Guatemala where he continue studing and start traveling to Houston Texas where he studied with different guitarist`s from the area, jazz harmony, improvising and jazz composition and musical recording techniques.
Took private lessons in Guatemala with guitarist German Giordano ( Berkley school of music ), and together they have given different concerts for National festival including guitarrist Alfredo Caceres. They have played as trio and also in the Jazz guitar reunion festival, concert organiced for recopilate the best jazz and rock guitarists in Guatemala.
Byron Sosa, also has traveled to New Orleans jazz festivals representing Guatemalan jazz musicians playing his original music with musicians of the area and also with Guatemalan jazz bands like “ Ensamble Acustico and jazz band Bambù “ , invitation made by Harpist Patrice Fisher and Carlos Valladares, musicians and producers from the area, Jazz Awarness Month, & Mardy Grass festivals.
Has founded jazz bands like; Ensamble Acùstico, Triangulo Acustico, Fusion jazz band, Orquesta Centroamericana y del Caribe de Jazz, and has played as guitarrist in bands like; Bambù, Terracota, Ensamble de Percusion, Scala jazz cuartet, Orquesta Casa Blanca, Oliver Griffith jazz quintet, Jazz guitar duet & others.
With his band “ Fusion “ opened concert in Antigua Jazz Festival with saxofonist Victor Tomasino from el Salvador alterning with Chuck Mangioni.
Has produced several recordings for different groups in different music styles and he has record two records
“ Transparencias “ Byron Sosa original music, Orquesta Centroamericana y del Caribe de Jazz, “ Live Recording “ , Byron Sosa “ SOLO “ Jazz Standards, etc.