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Carli Muñoz
Carli Muñoz grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he played professionally from a very early age. As a pre- teen, Carli prodigiously assembled a group of friends from his neighborhood, told them that from then on they were going to be musicians, selected their instruments, taught them how to play them and went off to become one of the most popular dance bands in metro San Juan. “In 1960 I would come home with a $500.00 leader’s share in my pockets per week and the sidemen (more like sidekids) would take home at least $250 each. Soon enough we added some professional horn players and joined the local Musicians Union” says Carli.
In 1963, Carli joined a group of veteran jazz musicians led by Monchito Muñoz, who had a score of players in his band such as the famed Cuban percussionist Sabú Martinez, bassist Freddy Thomas, Juancito Torres on trumpet, jazz diva Myrna Pagan and drummer Joe Morello as a frequent guest.
In 1964 Carli was recruited by one of his peers to form a rock band that soon enough became house band to the famed 1960’s Rolling Stone club in Manhattan and landed a record deal with Capitol. In 1969, another friend asked Carli to join him on a weekend trip to L.A. California and the weekend lasted 16 years. While in L.A., Carli soon enough began gigging with a variety of local groups while word of his extraordinary musicianship got around and he started being solicited for studio and road work by artists such as Wilson Pickett, The Association, Jimmy Haskell, Jan and Dean, Peter Cetera, Blondie Chaplin, Evie Sands, Jorge Calderon, Henry Gross and The Beach Boys (eleven years). Curiously, after leaving the Beach Boys in 1981, Carli joins a Country Swing band for two years. This entire sojourn from 1963 to 1983 Carli calls “a 20 year sabbatical”.
During the 11 years with the Beach Boys and in-between touring and recordings, Carli formed his first jazz trio with Potter Smith on bass and Sam Provenzano on drums. He also led his own experimental fusion band “Your Own Space”, which rotated within the underground circle of jazz clubs in LA, along with Al Jarreau and Ricky Lee Jones. He also performed several times in concert with the Charles Lloyd band. But Carli’s heart was still longing for the purity of his first love: Jazz.
By the end of 1982 Carli had made the firm determination to respond to a different call and bounce back full time to jazz. Along with this shift Carli immediately landed concerts and recording gigs with artist such as George Benson, Chico Hamilton, Wayne Henderson and Les McCann among other artist. By 1985 Carli left the LA scene and returned to where it all began: Puerto Rico. It is in San Juan where Carli’s determination goes steady on mastering the art of the jazz trio.
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Carli Mu: Maverick
by Ernest Barteldes
Carli Muñoz is a self-taught pianist who began his career in dance bands in Puerto Rico in the early '60s, then left for the mainland. He returned home in 1986 and founded his own club, the Carli Cafe Concierto. Muñoz came to town recently to perform at Jazz Standard on November 30 for the release of Maverick. On the album Muñoz reveals various influences, going from swingers such as Three Little Steps to Heaven into more improvisational ...
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by Jerry D'Souza
A thunderous chord, flattened notes, and a rollicking melody turn out to be the calling cards for Carli Muñoz. He gets off to a fine start with Maverick, underlining his prowess as a pianist with some delightful runs and heady harmonics. But saxophonist David Sanchez cuts to the chase, dissecting the melody and spiriting it in to some high energy invention with a wealth of ideas.
The opening title tune casts the perfect shadow for Muñoz, who has been active ...
read moreCarli Mu: Maverick
by David Miller
The best jazz always comes from kindred spirits. When artists share a vision and a thirst for innovation, they can always come together and make a great record. It doesn't matter if they've ever played together, or if they've been gigging together. The best bands can just rip right into a tune without missing a beat. Sometimes, when artists share a heritage or nationality, they can be kindred spirits without ever meeting. Chick Corea and Gonzalo Rubalcaba ...
read moreCarli Mu: Maverick
by John Kelman
Some feel the only way to remain true to the jazz tradition is to focus one's energies exclusively within that domain. Others believe that all experience is valuable, and that a stylistically broad career needn't tarnish an ability to remain truthful to a jazz aesthetic.
Carli Muñoz clearly fits into the latter camp. The Puerto Rican pianist has been involved in the music industry for over forty years, both in PR and on both coasts of the United States. Over ...
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by Dan McClenaghan
Somebody, low in the mix, says, Yeah!" as bass and drums shuffle and throb into A Cool Night in the City," the fourth tune into Maverick. Yeah!"--like this sounds so good. And indeed it does. The tune serves as something of a centerpiece on pianist Carli Muñoz's excellent new disc, and it's not alone in the yeah!" factor among these nine tunes, which include three standards and six Muñoz-penned compositions.Muñoz has worked with Wilson Pickett and George Benson, ...
read moreCarli Munoz' MAVERICK CD Release Party @ Jazz Standard 11-30-05
Source:
All About Jazz
PUERTO RICAN PIANIST/COMPOSER CARLI MUNOZ RELEASES ALL-STAR TRIO CD MAVERICK" ON NOVEMBER 15th. *With Jack DeJohnette and Eddie Gomez, and guests David Sanchez & Don Byron. Kudos to Muoz for inspiring the best from the eminent, articulate and prolific sidemen that appear with him on his latest album, 'Maverick.' He can take pride in creating an outstanding set of performances on which his commanding musicianship stands on equal footing with that of his lofty associates." - Winthrop Bedford, Jazz Improv ...
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Carli Munoz MAVERICK CD Release Party @ The Jazz Standard
Source:
All About Jazz
PUERTO RICAN PIANIST/COMPOSER CARLI MUNOZ CELEBRATES THE RELEASE OF HIS ALL-STAR TRIO CD MAVERICK" ON NOVEMBER 30th @ THE JAZZ STANDARD IN NEW YORK CITY. *With Eddie Gomez, Lenny White and guest Chris Potter. Kudos to Munoz for inspiring the best from the eminent, articulate and prolific sidemen that appear with him on his latest album, 'Maverick.' He can take pride in creating an outstanding set of performances on which his commanding musicianship stands on equal ...
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“Virtuosic without being superfluous…” John Kelman,, All That Jazz
“…a force to be reckoned with…” Kevin Le Gendre, Jazz Wise UK
“…makes piano notes pop like small explosions…” Thomas Conrad, Jazz Times
“The electricity between the three is authentic…”
James Hale, Downbeat Magazine (about the trio with Eddie Gomez and Jack Dejohnette)
“…crisp attack, a distinctive piano sonority…” Thomas Conrad, Jazz Times
“…a mix of delicacy and deft percussive beauty…” Dan McClenaghan, All That Jazz
Primary Instrument
Piano
Willing to teach
Advanced only
Credentials/Background
Forums (CMPR) and master classes. Will teach piano jazz improvisation and composition via a unique self taught approach. No reading necessary. Only intermediate to advance. One to one or group, in person only. In San Juan (Miramar), Puerto Rico. Hours: Flexible Rate: $40 p/40 minutes
Clinic/Workshop Information
I have partial experience at doing clinics, through various clinics and forums I've done at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, my home town
Photos
Music
Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson