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Carlos Vega

Saxophonist and composer Carlos Vega was born and raised in Miami, Florida. As a young musician in Miami, Carlos Vega pursed his passion of studying jazz in college during the day while also immersed in playing Latin and Salsa six nights a week with some of Miami's most innovative and authentic Latin bands. These early eclectic musical experiences helped to form the foundation for Vega's dynamic and unique approach to composition as well as jazz improvisation.

Throughout his career, Carlos Vega has had the great fortune of touring extensively in the United States, Europe, South America and Africa. He has also performed with a variety of high profile artists including Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, Arturo Sandoval, Ira Sullivan, Tito Puente, Tito Puente Jr., Chicago Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble (CALJE) and trumpet legend Doc Severinsen, to name a few.

In 2005, he traveled to pursue a graduate music degree at the University of Illinois and quickly became part of the very exciting and dynamic Chicago Latin & Jazz scenes, playing with some of Chicago's finest musicians in some of the most famous venues and events. He had such positive musical experiences in Chicago that he decided to record his first release as a leader accompanied by four of Chicago's finest jazz musicians - Victor Garcia on Trumpet, Stu Mindeman on Piano, Josh Ramos on Bass and Xavier Breaker on Drums. This release showcases a set of exciting and very musical versions of all originals tunes composed by Carlos.

Vega is currently Associate Professor of Saxophone and the director of the Latin Jazz Ensemble at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Florida.

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Radio & Podcasts

Ira Sullivan, Sonny Rollins & Carlos Vega

Read "Ira Sullivan, Sonny Rollins & Carlos Vega" reviewed by Joe Dimino


We start the 726th Episode of Neon Jazz with the distinctive sound of Miami-based saxophonist Carlos Vega. From there, we present Francesco Amenta, Oscar Rossignoli and Jake Baxendale. The show concludes with JC Sanford and material from his new release Imminent Standards Trio. Dig this hour of jazz music, my friends. Playlist Carlos Vega “Something to Say" Art of the Messenger (Origin Records) 00:00 Host talks 6:16 Ira Sullivan “Blue Stroll" Blue Stroll (Delmark) 8:19 Francesco Amenta “Burgandy ...

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Album Review

Carlos Vega: Art of the Messenger

Read "Art of the Messenger" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Tenor saxophonist Carlos Vega is a steeped-in-the-tradition fan of early bebop, displaying his passion for the genre with his nods to alto saxophonist Charlie Parker on Bird's Ticket (2016) and Bird's Up (2017), both on Origin Records. With Art Of The Messenger he shifts his focus to Art Blakey, the drummer who led the Jazz Messengers from 1955 onward for thirty-five years, helping define—in the early years—the hard bop Blue Note Records approach to jazz. Vega and his ...

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Album Review

Carlos Vega: Art of the Messenger

Read "Art of the Messenger" reviewed by Jack Bowers


In case you didn't quite catch the “message" subtly embedded in the title of Chicago-based tenor saxophonist Carlos Vega's new recording, Art of the Messenger, here is a brief reminder that it was drummer Art Blakey who formed the Jazz Messengers in the mid-1950s and led the celebrated hard-bop ensemble until his death in 1990. The Messengers' roster of alumni reads like a Who's Who of Jazz Hall of Fame members. With that in mind, Vega assembled ...

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Album Review

Carlos Vega: Bird's Ticket

Read "Bird's Ticket" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Saxophonist Carlos Vega's band crackles. The sound of “A Confluence in Chi-Town," the opener on his Bird's Ticket recording, has an on-the-edge urgency in its distinctive approach to the standard jazz quintet format--bass/drums/keyboard rhythm section and a trumpet and a saxophone--a line up like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie used. Vega, a veteran of trumpter/band leader Doc Severinsen's band, sets up, with that high octane opener, an expectation for high level interaction, brash solo slots for himself on ...

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"Saxophonist Carlos Vega's band crackles...crafty arrangements, spirited group interplay, and ear-grabbing freshness and spontaneity in their soloing." —ALL ABOUT JAZZ

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Art of the Messenger

Origin Records
2021

buy

Bird's Up

Origin Records
2017

buy

Bird's Ticket

Origin Records
2016

buy

Art of the Messenger

From: Art of the Messenger
By Carlos Vega

Bird's Up

From: Bird's Up
By Carlos Vega

Videos

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