Victor Noriega, Emerging Artist of the Year (2005 Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Awards), is an active pianist/composer based in the Pacific Northwest. He has impressed jazz audiences worldwide with his dynamic command of the piano and his inventive and compelling improvisations. His compositions showcase powerful melodies layered with sophisticated harmonies and rhythms, creating an original and exciting style of jazz piano.
Since he was 18, the young musician has been playing piano solo, with his trio and with other jazz groups in premier venues, including the Triple Door, Jazz Alley and at the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle. He has performed and recorded with many well-known Northwest-based jazz musicians, including Rick Mandyck, Jay Thomas, Jeff Johnson and Julian Priester. At the 2004 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, Victor worked with top international musicians Dave Douglas, Bill Frisell, James Genus, Clarence Penn, Brad Turner, Mike Murley, Jason Moran, Han Bennik and Mark Feldman. He also recorded and performed in concert and club settings with George Lewis and Mark Turner.
In early 2005, Victor performed in Shanghai, China, where jazz music enjoys growing popularity. At steady bookings at premier jazz venues in Shanghai, Victor played his original music with musicians from around the world. Upon his return, his trio embarked on a successful west coast tour. In January 2006, Victor's journeys took him to New York City, where he performed with New York-based musicians for a variety of audiences.
Victor's debut CD, Stone's Throw, released in 2004, earned favorable reviews from critics for its masterful improvisation and memorable original compositions. The record also features first-call musicians Willie Blair on bass and Eric Eagle on drums. In 2005, Victor was awarded a grant from the Jack Straw Artist Support Program to arrange an album of traditional Filipino tunes. This full-length album, entitled ALAY, released in March 2006, is a boundary-breaking musical journey with Victor's trio, featuring original compositions and contemporary, thought-provoking arrangements of traditional Filipino songs.
THE VICTOR NORIEGA TRIO, with Willie Blair on bass and Eric Eagle on drums, has been playing music together for the past six years. Willie, a graduate of Cornish College of the Arts, and Eric, of William Paterson University, are both very accomplished musicians in their own right. This dynamic trio was honored as a nominee for the 2005 Golden Ear Awards in the category of Northwest Acoustic Jazz Group.
