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Juan Ibarra
Juan Ibarra was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and began his music studies at the age of 8. He started out by playing piano in music school and then called by the drums at 12 by the way of his parents, who listened and play The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater and Uruguayan music such as Jaime Roos and Eduardo Mateo. His strongest influence at that time was rock, ska, reggae and pop. After studying with various drum teachers in Uruguay such as Guzman Villamonte, Gustavo Etchenique, Mape Bossio, Osvaldo Fattoruso, etc. He moved to Bs.As, Argentina to starts his professional career as a musician, and began his master studies in the Technological Institute of Contemporary Music with the master teacher, Carlos Riganti, where he was exposed to Jazz music. From there, Juan began studying everything he could of Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones and Art Blakey to Bill Stewart and Steve Smith. The teaching of Carlos Riganti was a revelation for him, from there, it was all about studying drums. At the age of 23, he was trap by the Afro Uruguayan rhythm called Candombe and again, began to studying all about this beautiful rhythm. He was part of many groups and styles of music, such as rock bands, reggae bands, folk bands, percussionist player, guitar and piano player, jazz , candombe, and many more. Studied in different countries with Oscar Giunta, Oscar Linero and Carlos Riganti in Argentina. Edu Ribeiro in Brasil. Dan Weiss, Ali Jackson and Francisco Mela in New York. In 2015 studied with Gerald Cleaver, Michael Formanek, Tom Rainey and Tony Malaby in the School of Improvisational Music at the Brooklyn Conservatory, New York. In 2016 , was invited to the Made in Jazz Competition to play in the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, New York, with Santiago Beis and Antonino Restuccia. Recorded or performed with Susana Santos Silva, Urbano Moraes, Nicolas Ibarburu, Yotam Silberstein, Hernan Jacinto, Fernando Silva, Leo Genovese, Leo Masliah, Javier Malosetti , Santiago Beis, Gonzalo Levin, Nacho Labrada, Antonino Restuccia, Martin Ibarra, Melchaka, Juan Pablo Chapital, Nacho Mateu, Santiago Olariaga, etc. Currently he is living in Montevideo, playing with his own Juan Ibarra Quintet and teaching in the Sur Conservatory of Music. Released his first album called NauMay in 2018 and working on his Candombe book called Madera.
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Antonino Restuccia: Otro Camino
by Hrayr Attarian
Montevideo native and Barcelona-based bassist Antonino Restuccia is a talented composer and inventive improviser. His elegant and introspective third release, the absorbing Otro Camino exhibits these aspects of his artistry, together with his superb leadership skills to their fullest. Heading a cohesive quintet primarily of Uruguayan musicians, Restuccia interprets eight of his enchanting originals. The lyrical Himno (Al Bastion)" opens with pianist Mariano Gallardo Pahlen's contemplative chords which quickly meld into yearning and effervescent rhythmic flourishes. Within this ...
read moreJuan Ibarra: NauMay
by Jerome Wilson
One of the fun parts of listening to jazz musicians from foreign countries is when they combine some of the musical styles of their native land with jazz. Drummer Juan Ibarra is from Uruguay and he mixes a local rhythm called candombe with jazz on his first album. The result is a choppy rhythmic undercurrent that provides a stimulating foundation for stretching out into the direction of musicians like John Coltrane and Chick Corea. The local rhythms are ...
read more"They mess with the candombe and abstract it. It is not "smooth candombe", it is the candombe that "Weather Report" never played, with an enviable rhythmic work of drums, guitar and bass, interwoven in a texture of fascinating complexity." (Elbio Rodriguez Barilari) "NauMay" is a record to be listened to with dedication, because if you allow it, it will take you through multiple emotional paths and with several levels of depth. (Cooltivarte)