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Hugo Alves

Born in Lagos - Portugal, being an autodidactic musician, initiated his musical studies at about the age of seven in the city's philharmonic. In 1991 in Faro he finds a small jazz community made up of local musicians, remnant of a former jazz club. In 1994 he begins private harmony, composition and Jazz classes with Zé Eduardo, participating in several workshops throughout the country. The first Big band appears in his career through Zé Eduardo in the ..Big Band Jazz in the Philharmonic... He studies in several workshops such as the Algarve Jazz Workshop (1996), or courses given by diverse musicians such as John Nugent, Doug Weiss and Dawn Thompson, Randy Brecker, Frank Tiberi, Scott Wendholt, among many others. After a quick stint in the "Big Band Almada Cool", he becomes part of 2000 the "Zé Eduardo Unit" in 2000 participating in the Matosinhos Jazz Festival alongside the high saxophonist Peter King. With the "Unit" he participates on José Duarte's TV program "Jazz in Black and White". In 2001 he becomes part of the "Matosinhos Jazz Orchestra", covering some of the most important country's Jazz Festivals until May of 2004. During this period the orchestra had noteworthy guests like: Bob Berg, Conrad Herwig, Ingrid Jensen, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Gary Valente. He was part of a big band which paid homage to Louis Armstrong, directed by Laurent Filipe, in which Angela Hagenbach and the guitarist Danny Embrey participated. In 2001, rehearsals began for the Quartet that had its opening night at Faro's 6th International Jazz Festival "Jazz in the Winter" that same year, he would come to record the "Strange Nature" CD in 2003, considered by Jose Duarte at www.jazzportugal.ua.pt as the "Best Portuguese Jazz CD of 2003". On "Strange Nature" the musicians are: Bruno Santos (guitar), Nuno Correia (doublebass) and Jorge Moniz (drums). Still in 2001 Hugo Alves participates for about a year on a weekly program on channel RTP1. In 2003 he starts a regular participation with the "Jorge Costa Pinto Orchestra" (Lisbon) and is named honorary partner of the Association "Córdoba Jazz" (Spain) as recognition for being one of the new and more important attributes of Current Portuguese jazz. In 2004 he establishes the "Lagos Jazz Orchestra", in Lagos a Big Band with 18 musicians - presently called Algarve Jazz Orchestra. In 2005 he edits the CD "Taksi Trio" once again with original music and alongside musicians Jorge Moniz (drums) and Zé Eduardo (doublebass), the CD was highly sponsored by Faro the National Capital of Culture, and recently distinguished as "One of the Best Portuguese Jazz CDs of 2005" (Jazz.pt magazine, Improvisos do Sul Blog).

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Multiple Reviews

Introducing Hugo Alves

Read "Introducing Hugo Alves" reviewed by Mark Corroto


What joy to discover a new jazz musician with talent, one “on loan from God," as they say. Hugo Alves, a Portuguese trumpet/flugelhorn player, might have escaped your attention, but be forewarned, he will be a name you hear for many years to come. Like American brass players Ron Miles, Ralph Alessi and Ron Horton, not commonly discussed in the Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove dialogue, Alves is creating a scene around his horn and playing. And like the ...

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133

Recording

Hugo Alves Taksi Trio

Hugo Alves Taksi Trio

Source: All About Jazz


... about the CD HUGO ALVES QUARTET GIVEN SOUL (listen here!)

"... As in the case of trumpeter Hugo Alves, whose CD Given Soul is a real breath of fresh air in the new Portuguese jazz. Not because he is going for new grounds as others, or representing a new facet of a certain Portuguese jazz. For years Hugo Alves comes across our path as a soloist, an orchestra musician, and a teacher. What he presents in all this humility is music well rooted in jazz, expressed safely, with melodic invention, vivacity and absolute sense of jazz. Accompanied by a sympathetic trio with it's concepts, especially the drummer Michael Lauren, Hugo Alves, once again, affirmes to be a trumpeter of international call." (classified with ****) Raul Vaz Bernardo, Expresso - Revista Actual, 09.Fev.2008

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Primary Instrument

Trumpet

Location

Faro

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Teacher at ESMAE (superior official school of music - jazz studies), pedagogical director and teacher at EJMMA.

Clinic/Workshop Information

Workshops all over Portugal, but also Spain, South Africa, Italy.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Double Dose

Unknown label
2010

buy

Given Soul

Unknown label
2007

buy

Taksi Trio

Unknown label
2005

buy

Estranha Natureza

Unknown label
2003

buy

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