Albert Rivera

Quotes

• “Albert Rivera Organ Sextet opened Saturday's proceedings, with the tenor-playing leader and band hitting the mark on a slow, sultry "After Hours" and a dramatic original, a brooding reflection on 9/11 called "Remembrance."

  —Sandy Ingham

• “Three young artist (Albert Rivera, Luques and Zaccai Curtis) who are part of the next wave in this jazz ritual.”

  —DownBeat Magazine

• “Rivera has a timeless tenor tone and a special sensitivity on soprano.”

  —Tony Hall
  Jazz Wise Magazine

• “While Rivera's compositions are diverse, these musicians hit the pocket and sustain a powerful group dynamic.”

  —All About Jazz NY

• “A Modern Jazz Messenger!”

  —Owen McNally Hartford Courant

• "Albert Rivera came to town for a show that blew us all away"

  —Ken Laster(Radio Host) - WWUS 91.7

• "Albert and the band played straight ahead jazz the way it was meant to be played. If you weren't there you just MISSED"

  — Stanley Danner (Gerald Veasly Jazz Base)

• "he asserts his more confrontational personality on the smaller, more sensitive-sounding instrument. Rivera’s soprano sound is equally as compelling as his tenor technique; he wrestles a deep, rich tone from the bright, tiny saxophone."

  —Jon Ross - artscriticatl.com

Albert is proud to endorse Vandoren products, Mouthpieces and Reeds! Check out the V16 - T11 spefically made by Bernard Vandoren himself with Albert Rivera in mind! www.Vandoren.com for more info

Albert Rivera is proud to have joined forces and use RS Berkeley musicial instruments!

For More info visit them at www.RSBerkeley.com

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Albert Rivera and Curtis Brothers at Studio @ Billings Forge

In what might well be one of the hottest jazz events of the chill winter season, Albert Rivera, a young, formidable, Bronx-based saxophonist, combines forces with Hartford’s gifted Curtis Brothers Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. at The Studio @ Billings Forge, the city’s newest performance and exhibition space.

Rivera has developed a loyal local following through his appearances at venues ranging from West Hartford’s Szechuan Tokyo Restaurant to Hartford’s La Paloma Sabanera when it was owned by the Cotto family and was for a few golden years one of the most exciting jazz spots in town.

As a composer in search of new sounds, Rivera uses the modal aspect of John Coltrane’s music as a creative launching pad, mixing this strategy with a variety of grooves and rhythms. For his performance at The Studio, a new multi-purpose community space on Broad Street, Rivera leads his quintet featuring pianist Zaccai Curtis, bassist Luques Curtis, trumpeter Jean Caze and drummer John Iannuzzi.

The Curtis brothers are featured on Rivera’s recent album, "Re-Introduction" (Turnaround), a sparkling blend of smart, swinging sounds. Curtis is also the bass player for vibraphonist Gary Burton’s newest incarnation of Generation bands. Curtis’ instrumental and compositional skills are featured on the group’s acclaimed CD "Next Generation."

Caze, Rivera’s collaborator on the front line, was winner of the 2006 International Trumpet Guild Jazz Competition and the 2004 National Trumpet Jazz Competition.

For a preview of the Rivera concert, check out "Re-Introduction." It ranges from fine and mellow on "New View" to robust and wailing on "My Way of Saying It," a syncopated statement of the saxophonist/composer’s artistic credo.

One track, "The New York-Hartford Connection," is a celebration of the New York-based saxophonist’s productive alliance with Hartford and Hartford-based musicians. On that track, he is joined by tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene, yet another of Hartford’s great gifts to contemporary jazz.

The Studio @ Billings Forge is at 563-565 Broad St., near the Firebox Restaurant. Admission: $10, adults; $7, students.