Edsel Gomez

2007 Grammy award nominee Edsel Gomez is today one of the premier Latin Jazz pianists in the world. Born in Puerto Rico in 1962, he began piano studies at age five. He grew up in a musical environment that allowed him to master afro-Caribbean rhythms in depth, working since childhood with an incredible array of Latin music idols such as Marvin Santiago, Celia Cruz, Carlos ?Patato? Valdes, Santitos Colon, Cheo Feliciano, Roberto Roena, Willie Colon, Ismael Rivera Jr., Luis ?Perico? Ortiz, Olga Guillot, Lola Flores, Marco Antonio Mu?iz, among many others.

He gained a Bachelor of Music Degree at Berklee College of Music with a Count Basie Award for outstanding musicianship in 1985 while expanding his performance credits working with such renown Jazz artists as Gary Burton, Claudio Roditi, Bill Pierce, Don Byron, Chick Corea and Jerry Gonzalez among many others.
Relocated to Brazil from 1986 to 1996 he studied extensively Brazilian Music and worked accompanying such renown artists as Cauby Peixoto, Wilson Simonal, Paulinho da Viola, Amelinha, Caetano Veloso, Joao Bosco, Lucinha Lins, Angela Maria and Trombonist Raul de Souza, recording de Souza's ?The other side of the moon? (BMG,Brazil). Within the Brazilian landscape he worked as a Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor/Musical Director of Broadway-like shows, educator, producer and managed his own recording studio/production company. Within a short time, most Brazilian musicians considered him ?one of ours.? Gomez's personal approach to fusing jazz, Latin and Brazilian music gives him a unique personality and musical voice.
Since relocating to New York in 1997, he has been featured in saxophonist David Sanchez's ?grammy nominated? albums, ?Obsesion?, ?Melaza?, ?Travesia? -(Sony/Columbia.) and a fourth, the new ?Coral? -LATIN GRAMMY WINNER (with the Prague Radio Symphony Orch); Clarinetist Don Byron's ?Tuskeegee Experiments? (Electra/Nonesuch,1994) ?Music for six musicians? and ?You are number six?(Blue Note); Richard Bona's ?Scenes from my life? and ?Reverence? (Sony/Columbia) and has toured extensively around the world. Edsel has released an album dedicated to the music of Chico Buarque (Celebrating Chico Buarque de Hollanda, 1999, on Mixhouse, Brazil) and recorded a new album, Cubist Music -(Zoho Music,2006, produced by Don Byron), featuring Edsel's original compositions reflecting his own improvisational concept based on Cubist Art, performed by a stellar group comprised of Clarinetist Don Byron, saxophonists David Sanchez, Steve Wilson, Greg Tardy, and Miguel Zenon, bassist Drew Gress and Drummer Bruce Cox.
Edsel works around the world as Dee Dee Bridgewater's pianist/arranger, along with new proyects that include Jack DeJohnette's ?Latin Proyect? featuring Giovanni Hidalgo, Don Byron, Luisito Quintero and Jerome Harris; Conrad Herwig's "Latin side of Miles" (?Another Kind of Blue-Live at the Blue Note?-Half note records and ?The Latin Side of Coltrane?-Criss-Cross) featuring Paquito D'Rivera, Dave Valentin, Brian Lynch, Richie Flores, Mario Rivera, Robbie Ammeen and John Benitez, and a collaboration with Vocalist Janis Siegel.

Selected Discography
as a leader:
In Brazil - Edsel Gomez Trio -Eldorado Records, in 1991.
Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival 93 -with Eddie Gomez and Ignacio Berroa.
Celebrating Chico Buarque de Hollanda -Mixhouse-Eldorado, in 1999.
Cubist Music ? Zohomusic.com
America - Edsel Gomez & Arismar do Espiritu Santo - Lua Music, Brasil, 2006 - www.luamusic.com.br

as a sideman:
DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER -RED EARTH -A MALIAN JOURNEY
Coral ? David Sanchez-Sony/Columbia Records (LATINGRAMMY WINNER 2004)
Que Viva Coltrane- Conrad Herwig/Brian Lynch- Criss Cross Records, 2005
SPIRITS OF MOZART - DVD-EUROARTS - Dee Dee Bridgewater/Vienna Philarmonic Orch.-2006
1000 BEAUTIFUL THINGS- Janis Siegel Telarc, 2006
THE BRIAN LYNCH/EDDIE PALMIERI PROYECT - Artistshare, 2006
Obsession - David Sanchez- Orch arranged/conducted by Carlos Franzetti (2000 GRAMMY Nominated) Sony -Columbia
Melaza - David Sanchez (2001 GRAMMY Nominated) Sony -Columbia
Travesia - David Sanchez (2002 GRAMMY Nominated) Sony -Columbia
Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest 2000 ?David Sanchez- HNK Records 2000
Tuskeegee Experiments - Don Byron-Electra/ nonesuch
Music for six musicians - Don Byron-Electra/ nonesuch
Feet to the city - Don Byron - Film soundtrack
You are #6 - Don Byron - Blue Note 2001
Scenes From My Life - Richard Bona - Sony / Columbia
Reverence - Richard Bona - Sony - Columbia
The Other Side of the Moon - Raul de Souza - RGE
The Latin Side of Miles -Conrad Herwig and Paquito D'Rivera ? recorded live at the Blue Note, N.Y. C. ? Half Note Records
The Latin side of John Coltrane Conrad Herwig ? Criss Cross
Pi?ero - Kip Hanrahan - Film soundtrack
Branchin Out - William Cepeda -Bluejackel
Boogaloo Brasileiro - Freddie Bryant - Fresh Sound records
Live at Smoke's - Freddie Bryant - Fresh Sound records
Soulful People - Sandro Albert ?Featuring Peter Erskine, Kenny Garret, Jimmy Haslip, Antonio Sanchez, Milton Nascimento- Meridean Music
The Color of Things ? Sandro Albert ? Meridean Music
In Tradition - Luis ?Perico? Ortiz
Arismar - Arismar do Espirito Santo ? Velas Records Brazil
Cauby sings Sinatra - Cauby Peixoto Featuring Caetano Veloso, Ney Matogroso-Joao Bosco, Leny Andrade ?Sharp Records Brazil
Blen Blen Club - Heartbreakers - Eldorado Records Brazil
You Don'T Know What Love Is - Tony Lujans - Bella Records 2001
Tomorrow's Destiny ? Toni Lujans ? Bella Records
Rumbantela - Humberto Ramirez - AJ Records