BIOGRAPHY:

Composer/drummer ROLAND VAZQUEZ (b. '51) decided to become a musician at a performance by the Mongo Santamaria Band in 1963. Soon after high school, he began working as a drummer with R&B and rock bands in and around L.A. Having completed his Bachelor's in Music, he began composing for his first jazz-fusion band - eventually forming the "Urban Ensemble" in 1976. As a member of Clare Fischer's all-star band "Salsa Picante" ('78-81), he played on the Grammy winning "Salsa Picante 2+2."

Roland's first international release, "Urban Ensemble: The Music of Roland Vazquez"(GRP'79) was called "a decade ahead of its time" by Billboard Magazine. Moving to NYC in 1981, he continued to develop his "funky-salsa-bebop" style with unique compositions for octet, quintet, and big band. Many of these works are featured on his albums "Feel Your Dream" ('82); "The Tides of Time" ('88); and "No Separate Love" ('91). These recordings, as well as "Best of the L.A. Jazz Ensemble" (a re-mixed compilation from early LA sessions), feature performances by a veritable "who's who" of East and West Coast contemporary jazz artists.

Vazquez' 1997 Quintet CD, "Further Dance (Walt Weiskopf, sax & flute; Mark Soskin, piano; Anthony Jackson, contrabass guitar; & Ricardo Candelaria, percussion) was recorded "live to 2-track" by Todd Whitelock (Sony Classical); and co-produced with Shirley Walker (film-composer); and was called "a brilliant document" by jazz-writer Bill Milkowski (Audio). During that year, the Quintet was featured at the Victoria, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Montreal Jazz Festivals and Roland's most recent CD, "Quintet Live" is from those performances. Vazquez' recordings are now available for purchase - and/or perusal -at CDBaby and at iTunes.

Roland's compositions began evolving towards chamber music during the early '90's; most notably his "Piano Analogies"; and then "Further Dance" & "The Blue Field" (commissioned & premiered by Christopher Lamb/ Principal percussionist of NY Phil.). In 1999, The Illinois Philharmonic (Carmon De Leone, conductor) commissioned / premiered "Ghost in the Mountain"- for string quartet & orchestra- a symphonic reflection on the life of Emiliano Zapata, peasant hero of the Mexican Revolution of 1910.

A member of the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Faculty from '88-'98; in Fall 2000, he and his wife (composer/performer Susan Botti) accepted positions at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. While a Lecturer there, Roland taught Jazz Composition; established a Latin Jazz Ensemble; and taught "Intro to Latin Music"- a historical perspective of the music of the Afro Latin diaspora. In early 2003, he received a Michigan Council for the Arts "Creative Artist" Grant to develop & perform his Afro Latin Jazz suite "Music for Percussion Quartet & 3 Jazz Players."

During '05-'06, Roland and his family lived at the American Academy in Rome. Susan had won the Rome Prize in Music Composition- and Roland was in residence at the Academy as a Visiting Artist. During that year, he toured with Roman composer/pianist Riccardo Fassi; performed with visiting US artists; and composed 9 new works ("Rome Quintets").

During this past year, Roland's family moved back to New York. The Roland Vazquez Quintet has been touring & performing his new works featuring Joel Frahm (sax), Mark Soskin (piano), Mike Lipsey (percussion), & Anthony Jackson (contrabass guitar). Roland & Susan are scheduled to perform her "Jabberwocky" at the Disney Center in Los Angeles on December 4, 2007 as part of the LA Philharmonic's "Green Umbrella" series. He has also been invited for a residency at the Eastman School of Music in February '08.