Born: October 30, 1954 Primary Instrument: Drums
EL ECO with Guillermo Nojechowicz -- the Brazilian-Argentine jazz ensemble that has been called “the seedbed” of much of the Latin jazz scene in the Northeast (US)-- performed live on NPR's “Jazz Set” with host vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater earlier this year. The Brazilian Argentinean jazz ensemble, based in Boston and New York City, offers true world music at its best. Their material is strikingly original, delivered with strong vocals, percussive drive, and real lyric focus.
Their upcoming SCULLER'S peformance will feature Grammy Award vocalist Kim Nazarian. EL ECO combines the warm and lustrous sounds of samba and candombe with the tighter lines of bebop and straight-ahead jazz, darkened by echoes of Piazolla. A drummer, Nojechowicz writes from the beat, delivering a complex mix of Cuban, Afro-Cuban, Bossa Nova,and Funk rhythms.
EL ECO's sound is both intimate and explosive, driven by the freedom of musicians who have performed together for years. These world class players know each other's vibes, moods, and moves. With solo work and improvisation that excites and surprises, EL ECO offers music that crosses frontiers.
EL ECO's band leader BIO: Guillermo Nojechowicz (No-hay-cho-wees) is a composer and a drummer. The son of an actress and a painter, he was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was raised surrounded by the tango of Astor Piazzolla, the rock songs of Luis Alberto Spinetta, and the jazz of Oscar Peterson.
While in Argentina, he played with many well known artists and recorded for CBS with the rock group Rayuela. He then attended the National Conservatory of Music Lopez Buchardo. A Fullbright scholarship recipient, he moved to the US in 1980 to study at Berklee College of Music where he received a degree in Film Scoring.
His group EL ECO was recently featured on National Public Radio's Jazz Set with host Dee Dee Bridgewater (Tony and Grammy winner vocalist). His band has performed at many venues and festivals including the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada, Freihofer Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, Blue Note in New York City and at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and is now getting national and international attention. Recently EL ECO performed at Telluride Jazz Celebration in Colorado with guest Airto Moreira. On this festival his group performed along artists like Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard, Airto and Flora Purim.
From 1987 to 1993, Guillermo was an artist in residence at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge,MA where he worked with film composer Elliot Goldenthal (Frida) and director Andrei Serban. Most recently he wrote original music for “Paradise Found: Phoenix Islands,” a New England Aquarium World of Water Film, sponsored by the National Geographic Magazine and directed by Kate Raisz. Guillermo also wrote music for the TV special “Growing up on a Fast Forward” for Boston's ABC affiliate WCVB-TV produced by Debra Shapiro. This special got the National Gabriel and Peabody Award. Guillermo's music has been also featured on PBS (La Plaza) and on the news program “Chronicle” (WCVB-TV).
Guillermo has performed with Carly Simon, Claudio Roditi (Dizzy Gillespie), Jon Faddis, Danilo Perez, Airto Moreira, Tiger Okoshi, Cafe, Romero Lubambo, Walter Vanderlei, Hendrik Meurkens (Ivan Lins) and Pedro Aznar (Pat Metheny), among others. He has also taught at the New England Conservatory and at Berklee College of Music. He teaches drums at The Drum Studio in Boston and at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School where he recently established the high school’s first Drum Line and World Jazz Ensemble. Guillermo has studied with Charlie Banacos, Herb Pomeroy, Duduka DaFonseca, Gary Chaffee and Portinho in the US and with Beatriz Tabares and Chiche Heger in Argentina.
“Guillermo's tunes are fabulous and I loved the performances on this disk. El Eco's CD is simply fantastic.” --Paquito D'Rivera
Primary Instrument:
Drums
Location:
Jamaica Plain, MA
Willing to teach:
Advanced students only.
Credentials/Background:
Guillermo Nojechowicz has taught at New England Conservatory's Jazz
Department in Boston and at Berklee College of Music. Currently he teaches
drums, percussion ensemble and World Jazz Ensemble at Cambridge Rindge and
Latin School (Visual and Performing Arts).
