Born: July 7, 1975 Primary Instrument: Percussion
”Versatility, good taste, sense of the right volume, timing, and compositional skills are rare attributes to most contemporary percussionists. Arturo Stable has got those and much more.” —Paquito D'Rivera
The winds of change are blowing through the Latin jazz world. Increasingly, they are as fresh as they are strong, signaling the emergence of new stylistic directions for the venerable genre and the arrival of the idiom's next generation of innovators and leaders. In the vanguard of the movement's most talented young exponents is Arturo Stable, an energetic, resourceful and innovative free spirit whose broad range of talents defies easy categorization.
Stable was born in Santiago de Cuba, the cradle of the island nation's most important center of culture and home of such elemental music styles as the Guajira and Son. Nurtured in a family deeply involved in the performing and visual arts and encouraged by his father Arturo Sr., a musician and a painter, it's not surprising that the youngster began his formal study of music at the age of four, taking piano and theory lessons. When the family moved to Havana, he continued his music education. He earned his first degree, in percussion, at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, the same esteemed institution that has over the decades groomed the talents of countless other celebrated Cuban musicians, among them pianists Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Hilario Durán and saxophonist Yosvany Terry.
In 1993, Stable relocated to Puebla, Mexico, a bustling metropolis south of Mexico City. While there he polished his skills as a percussionist working as a sideman, performing everything from Latin jazz to rock and traditional Latin styles. He also began his career as an educator, teaching classical and Afro- Cuban percussion at the Puebla State University (Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla). At the same time, Stable continued his quest of knowledge, pursuing a post- graduate degree in music education from the Puebla State Development University (Universidad del Desarrollo del Estado de Puebla).
His rapidly expanding talents did not go unnoticed. In 2001, Stable received a scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music, where he earned a degree in Contemporary Writing and Production and cultivated friendships with many of the musicians who accompany him on his lates release as a leader, Notes on Canvas. Stable has gained invaluable experience performing or recording with such illustrious leaders as Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding, Dave Samuels, Paquito D’ Rivera, Jane Bunnett, David Sanchez, Victor Mendoza, Miguel Zenon, Lionel Loueke as well as with the Caribbean Jazz Project and the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, where he accompanied pianist Peter Nero. Today a resident of the PA, he endorses Ritmo Studio Percussions and he chairs the Had Percussion department at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
“Percussionist Arturo Stable and his bandmates have created a gem in Call.” —Ken Franckling, Jazz Notes
“Percussionist Arturo Stable resonates with a defined modern artistic presence that sits firmly in his work both as a performer and a composer.” —Chip Boaz, Latin Jazz Corner
“Arturo Stable has crafted a unique biographical blend of improvisational and visual art on his new disc, Notes on Canvas.” —Aaron Cohen, Down Beat Magazine
“Emotive melodies and masterful arrangements reflect his subjects’ origins, while Stable thrusts directly to the center with powerful rhythmic leadership.” —Forrest Dylan Bryant, Jazz Times Magazine
“A jazz project that is unique, inspiring, and superior to many of the jazz recordings that have flooded the market in the last years.” —Luis Tamargo, Latin Beat Magazine
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Primary Instrument:
Percussion
Location:
Paoli, PA
Willing to teach:
Advanced students only.
Credentials/Background:
Director Hand Percussion Department at University of the Arts in
Philadelphia PA
Clinic/Workshop Information:
-History of Latin American Music
-Percussion in a Jazz context
-Afro-Cuban Percussion
-History os Cuban Music
-Arranging for Latin Jazz Style
