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Xavier Casellas

I was born in Calella, a town by the Mediterranean near Barcelona, Spain. My father was definetly not a musician, but he had this obsession with the great old crooners and big bands from the 40's. Frank Sinatra, conducted by Nelson Riddle, Tony Bennet, Ella Fitzgerald and Loui Armstrong, Nat Cole, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington... and so many others. All those great musicians and singers use to open wide my ears and my soul to a music that I always felt very close. I spent hours singing along to the vinyl records that he used to play all the time.

Many years later, and I bet my "singalongs" had a lot to do with it, I made a profession out of singing. I had the chance to play other styles of music in live venues and TV. Music like rock and roll, country music, dance, latin, pop, etc.

But oddly enough, jazz music was left forgotten where your deepest feelings rest surrounded by the most intimate memories, save and dormant.

Tired of not finding a way to express myself to full extent though, I took a degree in Audiovisual Comunication at the Pompeu Fabra University trying to pursue my other passion: fiction writing. It was great but somehow, not enough.

As time went by, and almost by accident, those childhood memories started coming back. The music that made me daydream as a kid became alive again and has become the main means for my musical expression and the most rewarding. Also, lyric writing was also there to fulfill my literary needs. One thing’s for sure, it felt good!

With a respectful gaze of almost veneration for those classics, I want to walk forward to return them what they gave me, willing to make my modest contribution to the music.

And the first results are all packed up in this new release by Fresh Sound Records label, Yesterday's Sun (Fresh Sound/2006). And there’s for sure many more to come!

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1

Performance / Tour

Xavier Casellas NY Quintet @ Zinc Bar In New York City

Xavier Casellas NY Quintet @ Zinc Bar In New York City

Source: Xavier Casellas

XAVIER CASELLAS NY QUINTET (Presenting “Unguarded Smiles") Xavier Casellas, voice & lyrics Emlio Solla, piano & arrangements Nate Radley, guitar Edward Perez, double bass Greg Ritchie, drums “Catalan jazz vocalist Xavier Casellas, after a first album as leader that took him to present it at 38th Voll Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival and Dizzy's Club at The Lincoln Center in NY, for four days, now releases Unguarded Smiles, his new musical ...

140

Recording

Xavier Casellas' New Album Unguarded Smiles Now Available at E-Music Sites

Xavier Casellas' New Album Unguarded Smiles Now Available at E-Music Sites

Source: Michael Ricci

Now, after the release of YESTERDAY'S SUN (Fresh Sound Records) in 2006, the presentation of which brought him to present it at 38th Barcelona International Jazz Festival and the renown Dizzy's Club at Lincoln Center in New York, Xavier Casellas has just released his second album entitled UNGUARDED SMILES. Casellas has penned tunes by great artists such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Brad Mehldau, Emilio Solla, Oscar Feldman or Frederic Mompou enlisting a wonderful NYC jazz scene line up led by Emilio ...

193

Recording

Vocalist Xavier Casellas Newly Uploaded Tracks from Upcoming Album Now Available!

Vocalist Xavier Casellas Newly Uploaded Tracks from Upcoming Album Now Available!

Source: All About Jazz

Please check out some of the tunes from new recording, newly uploaded and available on Myspace player.

FEATURED TRACKS: “Failure gates" (based on 'Brooklyn sometimes' from album Deep Song) by Kurt Rosenwinkel/lyrics by Xavier Casellas “Unguarded Smiles" (based on 'Ron's place' from The Art of Trio Vol. 1) by Brad Mehldau / lyrics by Xavier Casellas “What Love Can Do" by Stephen Bishop (a new vision of a great 70's tune written by former Grammy & ...

130

Performance / Tour

Xavier Casellas NY Quintet @ Tea Lounge in Park Slope

Xavier Casellas NY Quintet @ Tea Lounge in Park Slope

Source: All About Jazz

Second of the gigs prior to recording sessions for upcoming album.

XAVIER CASELLAS NY QUINTET Xavier Casellas, vocals & lyrics Emilio Solla, piano & arrangements Ben Monder, guitar Jorge Roeder, double bass Ted Poor, drums

New material to be recorded right after gigs at Bennett's. Music includes great stuff from artists such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Brad Mehldau, Emilio Solla and more, on a new vocal approach with original lyrics by ...

140

Performance / Tour

Xavier Casellas NY Quintet @ Smalls Jazz Club, NY

Xavier Casellas NY Quintet @ Smalls Jazz Club, NY

Source: All About Jazz

XAVIER CASELLAS NY QUINTET Xavier Casellas, vocals & lyrics Emilio Solla, piano & arrangements Ben Monder, guitar Jorge Roeder, double bass Ted Poor, drums

special guests: Vctor Prieto, accordion Oscar Feldman, alto sax

New material to be recorded right after gigs at Bennett's. Music includes great stuff from artists such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Brad Mehldau, Emilio Solla and more, on a new vocal approach with original ...

129

Performance / Tour

Xavier Casellas NY Quintet @ Smalls Jazz Club

Xavier Casellas NY Quintet @ Smalls Jazz Club

Source: All About Jazz


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Performance / Tour

Xavier Casellas NY Quintet @ Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola "Sing into Spring 2007 Festival" April 4th -7th

Xavier Casellas NY Quintet @ Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola "Sing into Spring 2007 Festival"  April 4th -7th

Source: All About Jazz

A voice that's driven by subtle emotion, embracing both tradition and a contemporary standpoint in today's jazz scene, vocalist XAVIER CASELLAS makes his New York City debut as part of Dizzy's Club Coca- Cola “Sing Into Spring 2007 Festival", LATE NIGHTS (following Claudia Acuna), Wednesday through Saturday, April 4th -7th, 2007.

Emerging as a skilled vocalese writer in his own right, Casellas delivers meaningful lyrics in such a way that one would think they had been there all along.

Celebrating ...

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Performance / Tour

Xavier Casellas NY Quartet Introduce "Yesterday's Sun" at the Cornelia Street Cafe on Marh 28th

Xavier Casellas NY Quartet Introduce "Yesterday's Sun" at the Cornelia Street Cafe on Marh 28th

Source: All About Jazz

Barcelona based jazz vocalist Xavier Casellas presents his new release for the Fresh Sound Records label (Fresh Sound - 2005) Yesterday's Sun at the Cornelia Street Cafe in NYC on Narch 28th. Xavier Casellas, vocals; Emilio Solla, piano; RJ Miller, drums; Matt Pavolka, double bass. “A voice that's driven by subtle emotion, embracing both tradition and a contemporary standpoint in today's jazz scene alike is the pivoting centre around which the excellent arrangements by ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

In a Sentimental Move

Fresh Sound Records
2019

buy

Unguarded smiles

Quadrant Records
2010

buy

Yesterday's Sun

Blue Moon
2006

buy

I'll remember April

From: In a Sentimental Move
By Xavier Casellas

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From: Yesterday's Sun
By Xavier Casellas

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