Home » Jazz Musicians » Leo Alvarez

Leo Alvarez

Born in 1969 in San Antonio de Padua, Buenos Aires. Leo started studying guitar at the age of fourteen. He was highly influenced by his grand father who used to sing and play very well the guitar performing beautiful folk tunes. He first studied with a local teacher close to his home, who introduced Leo into the fascinating world of jazz. Later, he studied for more than five years with Armando Alonso, founder of the Jazz career at the Official music school EMPA (Escuela de Musica Popular de Avellaneda). Leo is a composer, guitar player and arranger. Currently, he is also teacher at the upper stage of the Jazz Guitar career at the EMPA. He leads his own project since 1995 (Leo Alvarez Jazz Quintet) with original compositions, and has recorded two CD’s (“Contraluces” and “Algunas Consideraciones”) which received very good reviews. He has developed a very solid soloist career as well as a sideman on stage and studio, performing with renowned local singers as Sandra Mihanovich, Livia Barbosa, Monica Posse, among others. He has been selected by the Nation’s Ministry of Culture for the program “Culture at the University”, where he presented his last CD and gave clinics on jazz improvisation at different universities in a small tour inside Argentina. He was associate musical director of the famous musical “Hair” in 2003. Leo has participated in several bands with renowned musicians of the local jazz scene such as: Oscar Giunta, Juan Cruz de Urquiza, Guillermo Delgado, Ricardo Cavalli, Enrique Norris, Gustavo Bergalli, Horacio Larumbe, Guillermo Calliero, among others

Tags

La Nacion : …"con un elegante swing, algo melancólico y con un suave balanceo, construyen un groove que parece sacado de un sótano neoyorquino…." "…Una de las mejores impresiones de los últimos tiempos..." ..."... La propuesta de Alvarez viene a colorear la rica escena porteña con la singularidad de sus composiciones, que aunadas a una calidad estilísitica, hacen de este proyecto un reflejo de la calidad de este guitarrista..." Bs.As Herald:..."Guitarrista y compositor de tendencia hard-bop plantea sonidos originales con temas de su autoria; con una sonoridad limpia y un swing natural, logra que su musica fluya con gran expresividad..." Tiempo Argentino: ..."Como en el álbum anterior, Alvarez se luce como instrumentista y compositor..." Antonio Hart: "An incredible guitarist with wonderful language rooted in jazz and a lot of Groove".
Primary Instrument

Guitar

Location

Buenos Aires

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Music

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.