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Mike Moreno

Originally from Houston, Texas, Mike began studying music formally at the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, a school that is renowned for it’s musical alumni. Which include names as Jason Moran, Beyonce, Robert Glasper, Brian Michael Cox, Eric Harland, Chris Dave, and Kendrick Scott. Much to be inspired by, this was a huge influence in the progression of his musical development.

After graduating High School, Mike quickly moved to New York City to attend the New School University with the highest scholarship the school had ever given to a guitar player. He soon began playing gigs, working his way into the New York Jazz scene. After several years of paying dues with many bands around town, Mike gained the recognition needed to be called to perform and tour with some of the biggest names in the jazz world. Thus now holding one of the most impressive resumes in the young jazz guitar world. The Joshua Redman Elastic Band, Lizz Wright Band, Nicholas Payton Quartet, Terence Blanchard Quintet, Greg Osby 4, Jeff "Tain" Watts Quintet, Kenny Garrett Quintet, and Ravi Coltrane Quartet. But Mike has also toured and performed with the rising stars of today including Jeremy Pelt, John Ellis, Yosvany Terry, Jon Gordon, Gretchen Parlato and Louise Setara.

Mike has recorded with major artists such as Interscope Records’ "Bilal", and Universal Motown’s "Q-Tip" Rising star Jazz Artists such as Jeremy Pelt, Robert Glasper, John Ellis, Yosvany Terry, Geoff Keezer, Frank Locrasto, and Kendrick Scott . Mike also leads his own band, which has recently recorded their debut CD Between The Lines, a quintet including tenor and piano, playing all his original music. His compositions have been called "masterful," and written with "sophistication that belies his age," gaining recognition and acclaim from masters such as Pat Metheny. With these opportunities he has been given to do so, Mike is pushing himself to have his voice defined in music, both as a sideman and as a band leader.

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Album Review

Wayne Escoffery: Like Minds

Read "Like Minds" reviewed by Dave Linn


Wayne Escoffery was born in London and raised in New Haven, Connecticut. He began playing the saxophone at the age of 11, later studying at the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In the late 1990s, Escoffery started gaining recognition on the jazz scene with his tenure in the Eric Reed Septet and later joining the Mingus Big Band. After completing his studies, Escoffery moved to New ...

4
Liner Notes

Jimmy Greene: Gifts and Givers

Read "Jimmy Greene: Gifts and Givers" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan


The two-tenor battle is not a new idea, with iconic pairings from the jazz pantheon running the gamut from Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray to Eddie “Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin. In more recent times, Eric Alexander and Grant Stewart have fueled the fire with their own incendiary adventures as heard on the current albums Wailin' (Criss 1258) and Cookin' (Criss 1283). As with any healthy blowing session, the idea is to keep each player on his toes while pushing ...

23
Album Review

Mike Moreno: Standards From Film

Read "Standards From Film" reviewed by Chris May


At last. An enjoyable alternative to the ghastly albums of “jazzed up" hymns and Christmas carols which spew forth every holiday season. There is nothing overtly Christmassy about guitarist Mike Moreno's Standards From Film, but it is appropriate that the album, recorded in New York in December 2021, was released in the UK in early December 2022 and came out in the US a month or so earlier. It nails the seasonal nostalgia spike and then some. ...

Album Review

John Ellis, Andy Bragen: The Ice Siren

Read "The Ice Siren" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Dopo Dreamscapes e MOBRO John Ellis e Andy Bragen firmano un altro lavoro d'ampio respiro, che si snoda in equilibrio tra scrittura cameristica, jazz e opera contemporanea. Ellis ha scritto la musica e partecipa come strumentista; Bragen ha composto il libretto, ispirandosi al filone gothic fantasy di autori come Tim Burton ne “La sposa cadavere" (titolo originale The Corpse Bride). L'opera è stata commissionata dalla Jazz Gallery di New York e presentata lo scorso anno durante ...

Album Review

Mette Juul: New York - Copenhagen

Read "New York - Copenhagen" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Questo EP della cantante Mette Juul prosegue quanto espresso nel precedente Change, selezionando cinque intime ballad, quasi tutte entrate nel novero degli standard. Il titolo del disco fa riferimento alle due metropoli che hanno ospitato le session: tre brani sono stati incisi a New York in duo col chitarrista Mike Moreno mentre gli altri tre a Copenhagen (e in Svezia) in trio con Lars Danielsson al contrabbasso e i chitarristi Ulf Wakenius e Per Møllehøj che si alternano.

4
Album Review

Charlie Porter: Hindsight

Read "Hindsight" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Trumpeter Charlie Porter has proved himself to be an inventive composer whose works are simultaneously thought-provoking and mellifluous. His third and perhaps most immediately relevant release, Hindsight, draws inspiration from the events that came to public attention in 2020. Musically, the nine originals are fluid yet complex and are peppered with sounds from other genres such as gospel, African folk and hip hop. The result is a seamless and delightfully unique fusion which delivers its message with intelligence and panache. ...

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Album Review

Charlie Porter: Hindsight

Read "Hindsight" reviewed by Paul Rauch


Portland based trumpeter/composer Charlie Porter is back, and following the trend industry wide over the past year, has released a finely crafted collection of pieces attached to a social narrative. Hindsight examines how we act in hindsight dealing with the long term societal struggles of racism, corruption and inequality. While two of the pieces feature the lyrics of Majid Khaliq and Madelaina Piazza, Porter has namaged to weave the emotional uncertainty of daily life during the Covid-19 pandemic into bittersweet ...

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Recording

Mike Moreno - First in Mind (Criss Cross, 2011)

Mike Moreno - First in Mind (Criss Cross, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland

Mike Moreno is a very talented mainstream jazz guitarist who is comfortable in a variety of contexts, but perhaps none more so than in small group post-bop improvisation. Joined by an excellent trio of musicians, Aaron Parks on piano, Matt Brewer on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums, the group works through a variety of standards and originals in a classy and thoughtful manner. In retrospect, I was too harsh a few years ago about Arron Parks' album Invisible Cinema, ...

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Interview

Guitarist Mike Moreno Interviewed at AAJ

Guitarist Mike Moreno Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz

A native of Houston Texas, Mike Moreno has been making waves. The guitarist first paid his dues playing gigs around New York, and has since been able to perform with some of the biggest names in jazz, including the Joshua Redman Elastic Band, Lizz Wright, Nicholas Payton, Greg Osby and Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Though he spends a lot of his time playing and touring as a sideman, Moreno leads his own band and has ...

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Event

Brian Patneaude CD Release Featuring Mike Moreno @ Massry Center for the Arts - Saturday, February 7, 2009

Brian Patneaude CD Release Featuring Mike Moreno @ Massry Center for the Arts - Saturday, February 7, 2009

Source: All About Jazz

Saxophonist Brian Patneaude will celebrate the release of Riverview, with a concert at The College of Saint Rose's Massry Center for the Arts in Albany, NY.

The performance and CD release will take place Saturday, February 7, at 8 p.m. in the new Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall, Massry Center for the Arts, 1002 Madison Ave., Albany. Admission is $10 or free with a Saint Rose I.D. Tickets are available online at brianpatneaude.com or by phone at 518-434-6756.

For this ...

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Performance / Tour

World Culture Music Presents: Julie Hardy and Mike Moreno at the Jazz Gallery

World Culture Music Presents: Julie Hardy and Mike Moreno at the Jazz Gallery

Source: All About Jazz

Friday, June 27th: 9 & 10:30 p.m. ($15) at the Jazz Gallery Mike Moreno & Julie Hardy Group featuring Mike Moreno - guitar, Julie Hardy - vocals, Aaron Goldberg - piano, Doug Weiss - bass, Jochen Rueckert - drums Guitarist Mike Moreno and vocalist Julie Hardy are two of World Culture Music's signature artists, each with an album to their credit on the World Music imprint. Tonight they'll be pooling their considerable talents and making music together in the company ...

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Performance / Tour

Guitarist Mike Moreno's Birthday Bash at the Blue Note on Monday, October 8th

Guitarist Mike Moreno's Birthday Bash at the Blue Note on Monday, October 8th

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity

Guitarist/Composer MIKE MORENO'S BIRTHDAY BASH @ THE BLUE NOTE Monday, October 8, sets at 8 & 10:30 PM Mike Moreno will be performing music from Between The Lines - his debut recording on Kendrick Scott's World Culture Music Label - with Kendrick Scott (drums), Marcus Strickland (saxophones), Aaron Parks (piano), and Doug Weiss (bass). “There are many other guitarists out there pushing towards a modern ideal, but none with the precise coordinates that Mike Moreno has charted." - Nate Chinen, ...

165

Recording

Kendrick Scott's World Culture Music Proudly Releases "Between the Lines" from Guitarist/Composer Mike Moreno, Available Now

Kendrick Scott's World Culture Music Proudly Releases "Between the Lines" from Guitarist/Composer Mike Moreno, Available Now

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity

Guitarist/composer Mike Moreno has established himself on the jazz scene in a big way, touring as a guitarist for headlining bands including the Joshua Redman Elastic Band, The Nicholas Payton Quartet, Lizz Wright, The Greg Osby 4, and The Jeff Tain Watts Quintet. All the while contributing enormously to the success of recordings by artists such as Marcus Strickland, Jimmy Greene, Q-Tip, Yosvany Terry, Eldar, Robert Glasper, Jeremy Pelt, John Ellis, The Kendrick Scott “Oracle", Myron Walden and others. Between ...

Moreno shines as a shrewd composer who is blessed with enviable chops and a wide-ranging jazz vernacular that bears a mark of distinction. -Glenn Astarita

Guitarist Mike Moreno shines. His liquid timbre pooling into solos that are conversational but as disciplined as poetry. --Michael J. West, Jazztimes Nov. 2007

There are many other guitarists out there pushing towards a modern ideal, but none with the precise coordinates that Mike Moreno has charted. --Nate Chinen, "The Gig" JazzTimes Magazine

Mike Moreno's appealing tone, cascading lines and inherent sense of lyricism mark him as one of the the most outstanding guitarists since Kurt Rosenwinkel. -Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes Magazine

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Brad Kang
guitar
The Beat Freaks
guitar, electric
Anton Chekurov
saxophone, alto
Daniel Tamayo
guitar, electric

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Like Minds

Smoke Sessions Records
2023

buy

Weathered Crown

Self Produced
2022

buy

Standards From Film

Criss Cross
2022

buy

Hindsight

OA2 Records
2021

buy

New York - Copenhagen

Universal International
2021

buy

Momenta

Sounderscore
2021

buy

My Truth feat. Gregory Porter

From: Like Minds
By Mike Moreno

Third Wish

From: Third Wish
By Mike Moreno

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