Benjamín Brea
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Brea is a Venezuela
n woodwind player, music teacher and arranger
, mostly associated with jazz
, although he has a wide career involved with other genres.
He is mostly known for his collaborations with other artists and is noted to have a brilliant execution, a quality which has granted him various awards in his own country.
He currently resides in Caracas
, Venezuela
.
, clarinet
, flute
and oboe
, apart from being a very demanded arranger and music educator. He is also acclaimed in many genres, specially classical music
and jazz
, and has a long history as a session musician in genres like pop
, folk
, Latin, world music
, among others. He has performed alongside artists and bands like The Jackson Five, Maria Teresa Chacin
, Serenata Guayanesa
, Andy Duran, El Pavo Frank, Paquito D'Rivera
, Alberto Naranjo
, Porfi Jimenez Big Band, Gerry Weil
, Julio Iglesias
, Armando Manzanero
, The Supremes
and so on. He was a member of the now defunct Caracas Philarmonic Orchestra, in which he has enrolled as an instrumentalist as well as director on occasions.
He has worked mostly as a sideman and has only released 3 solo albums: his first solo album "Another Point Of View" was released in 1995 and consists of his takes on jazz standards of people like Duke Ellington
and Glenn Miller
, arranged with more contemporanean brushes; it includes pieces like "Moonlight Serenade" and "Summer Time" as well as a jazzy version of the andean classic "El Cóndor Pasa" (The Condor Passes Through)
His second album "Un Viejo Amor" (Ancient Love) is a more romantic offering and less jazzy, while "Christmas Saxes" was a production made by him in solitary, recording the 4 sax tracks himself in counterpoint
and with the aid of sound engineer Javier Alquati in his own home studio; this last album is a compilation of traditional Christmas pieces from Venezuela and beyond.
Apart from his own studio projects, he also organises a jazz band to play at gigs, and also participates in the "El Hatillo Jazz Festival" which is an annual event celebrated in the small town of El Hatillo.
1997 Un Viejo Amor (World Music)
1999 Christmas' Saxes
Several other CDs:
Bob Flemming (Foca Records)
Venezuelan Creole Music (Discorona)
1974 María Teresa Chacín; "Mi Querencia"(Flute)
1975 Vytas Brenner; La Ofrenda (Flute)
1975 Los Cuñaos; "Volumen 2"(Sax, Flute)
1976 Frank Quintero; "Después De La Tormenta" (Sax, Flute)
1976 La Retreta Mayor; "La Retreta Mayor"(Sax, Flute)
1976 Los Cuñaos; "Los Cuñaos 4" (Sax, Flute)
1979 Alí Primera; "Canción Mansa Para Un..." (Flute)
1979 Alí Primera; "Cuando Nombro La Poesía" (Sax, Flute)
1979 Gerry Weil; "The Message" (Baritone Sax)
1980 María Teresa Chacín; "En Azul, Amarillo y Rojo" (Flute)
1981 Guillermo Carrasco; "Guillermo Carrasco" (Sax)
1981 Rosa Virginia Chacín; "Mi Nostalgia" (Flute)
1982 Yordano; "Negocios Son Negocios" (Sax)
1983 Ilan Chester; "Canciones de Todos..." (Sax)
1984 Alí Primera; "Entre La Rabia y La Ternura" (Sax, Flute)
1984 El Medio Evo; "Bolumen 4" (Sax, Flute)
1984 Franco De Vita; "Franco De Vita" (Sax)
1985 Alí Primera; "Por Si No Lo Sabía" (Sax, Flute)
1985 Andy Durán; "Mambo-Salsa" (Sax)
1985 El Medio Evo; "Medio Evo De Nuevo" (Sax)
1987 Jorge Aguilar; "Calor" (Sax)
1988 Guillermo Carrasco; "Visual" (Sax)
1988 Pentágono; "Más Romántico" (Sax)
1988 Ricardo Montaner; "Ricardo Montaner 2" (Sax)
1989 Alberto Naranjo; "Imagen Latina" (Sax, Flute)
1989 Pentágono; "Pentágono 3" (Sax)
1990 Agni Mogollón; "Entre Duendes" (Sax)
1990 Federico Britos Ruiz; "Conexión Jazz" (Clarinet)
1990 Franco De Vita; "Extranjero" (Sax)
1991 Pentágono; "Aguanta Corazón" (Sax)
1992 Charlie Nagy; "Para Todos Charlie"(Clarinet)
1992 El Pavo Frank; "Latinos De Etiqueta" (Sax, Flute)
1992 Iván Pérez Rossi; "No La Quiero" (Clarinet)
1992 María Teresa Chacín; "Yo Soy Venezolana" (Sax, Flute)
1993 Andy Durán; "A Jazzy Latin Beat" (Sax)
1993 Cecilia Todd; "Una Sola Vida Tengo" (Clarinet)
1993 Chiqui Rojas; "Sin Fronteras" (Sax)
1993 Maricruz Quintero; "Niebla & Lluvia" (Sax)
1993 Marisela Leal; "Todo Brasil" (Sax, Flute)
1993 Propiedad Privada; "La Verdadera Historia" (Sax)
1993 Vytas Brenner; "Amazonia" (Sax, Flute)
1994 Andy Durán; "Latin Jazz Club" (Sax)
1994 Daniel Grau; "You Are In My Dreams" (Sax)
1994 María Teresa Chacín; "Romántica" (Sax)
1995 Luz Marina; "Vestida En Flor" (Flute)
1995 María Teresa Chacín; "Amor Mío" (Sax)
1995 Martes 8:30; "Origen Caracas" (Sax)
1995 Oscar Maggi; "Cuidao Con Los Escalones" (Sax)
1995 Soledad Bravo; "Raices" (Sax)
1996 Fusión IV; "Tarde Pero Temprano" (Sax, Flute)
1996 Giselle Brass "My Favorite Songs" (Sax)
1996 Ramón Carranza "Carranza Jazz" (Sax)
1996 Serenata Guayanesa; "Una Amistad de 25 Años" (Clarinet)
1997 Various Artists; "Jazz Desde Aldemaro" (Clarinet)
1998 Tambor Urbano; "Que No Se Pare La Rumba" (Sax)
1999 Malanga; "Ta' Trancao" (Sax)
2000 El Pavo Frank; "Bravo Pavo" (Sax, Flute)
2000 Tambor Urbano; "La Rumba Continua" (Sax)
2001 Juan Carlos Núñez; "Suite Urbana" (Sax)
2001 María Teresa Chacín; "Me Voy A Regalar" (Sax)
2001 Shesura; "Diferente Amanecer" (Sax)
2002 Fernando Alarcón; "Amor De Estrellas" (Sax, Flute)
2002 Frank Quintero; "Signos de Admiración" (Sax)
2003 César Muñoz; "Dentro Del Papel" (Sax, Flute)
2003 Iván Pérez Rossi; "Canto Caribe" (Sax)
2003 María Teresa Chacín; "La Historia" (Sax, Flute)
2004 Agua De Luna; "Mi Tiempo" (Sax)
2005 El Pavo Frank; "De Colección" (Sax, Flute)
2005 Serenata Guayanesa; "El Ferrocarril" (Clarinet)
2006 Andy Durán; "Salsa Dura & Descarga" (Sax)
Los Adolescentes (All Volumes) (...Many more)
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n woodwind player, music teacher and arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, mostly associated with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, although he has a wide career involved with other genres.
He is mostly known for his collaborations with other artists and is noted to have a brilliant execution, a quality which has granted him various awards in his own country.
He currently resides in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
.
Characteristics and career
Brea plays a grand number of instruments in the woodwinds family like the saxophoneSaxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
, apart from being a very demanded arranger and music educator. He is also acclaimed in many genres, specially classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and has a long history as a session musician in genres like pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, Latin, world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, among others. He has performed alongside artists and bands like The Jackson Five, Maria Teresa Chacin
María Teresa Chacín
'María Teresa Chacín , is a famous Venezuelan singer, in her career has brought Venezuelan music to all parts of her country, and has become one of the most popular figures of Venezuela...
, Serenata Guayanesa
Serenata Guayanesa
Serenata Guayanesa is a vocal and instrumental quartet that plays typical Venezuelan folk music. It is one of the two best known groups playing this music .-Origins of the group:...
, Andy Duran, El Pavo Frank, Paquito D'Rivera
Paquito D'Rivera
Paquito D'Rivera is a Cuban alto saxophonist, clarinetist and soprano saxophonist. The winner of multiple Grammys and other awards, D'Rivera has lived in the United States since the early 1980s. He has worked in a variety of contexts, but is perhaps best known for playing Latin...
, Alberto Naranjo
Alberto Naranjo
Alberto Naranjo [nah-rahn'-ho] is a musician. He was born in Caracas, Venezuela. His mother, the singer Graciela Naranjo, was a radio, film and television pioneer in her homeland...
, Porfi Jimenez Big Band, Gerry Weil
Gerry Weil
Gerhard Weilheim, better known as Gerry Weil , is a Austrian born Venezuelan jazz musician. His first contact with music, started after the allied victory in Europe during the final days of World War II...
, Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
, Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero Canché is a Mexican musician and composer of Maya descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America....
, The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
and so on. He was a member of the now defunct Caracas Philarmonic Orchestra, in which he has enrolled as an instrumentalist as well as director on occasions.
He has worked mostly as a sideman and has only released 3 solo albums: his first solo album "Another Point Of View" was released in 1995 and consists of his takes on jazz standards of people like Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
, arranged with more contemporanean brushes; it includes pieces like "Moonlight Serenade" and "Summer Time" as well as a jazzy version of the andean classic "El Cóndor Pasa" (The Condor Passes Through)
His second album "Un Viejo Amor" (Ancient Love) is a more romantic offering and less jazzy, while "Christmas Saxes" was a production made by him in solitary, recording the 4 sax tracks himself in counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
and with the aid of sound engineer Javier Alquati in his own home studio; this last album is a compilation of traditional Christmas pieces from Venezuela and beyond.
Apart from his own studio projects, he also organises a jazz band to play at gigs, and also participates in the "El Hatillo Jazz Festival" which is an annual event celebrated in the small town of El Hatillo.
Discography
1995 Another Point of View (Jazz)1997 Un Viejo Amor (World Music)
1999 Christmas' Saxes
Several other CDs:
Bob Flemming (Foca Records)
Venezuelan Creole Music (Discorona)
Collaborations
1973 Edgar Alexànder "Azùcar Cacao y Leche"1974 María Teresa Chacín; "Mi Querencia"(Flute)
1975 Vytas Brenner; La Ofrenda (Flute)
1975 Los Cuñaos; "Volumen 2"(Sax, Flute)
1976 Frank Quintero; "Después De La Tormenta" (Sax, Flute)
1976 La Retreta Mayor; "La Retreta Mayor"(Sax, Flute)
1976 Los Cuñaos; "Los Cuñaos 4" (Sax, Flute)
1979 Alí Primera; "Canción Mansa Para Un..." (Flute)
1979 Alí Primera; "Cuando Nombro La Poesía" (Sax, Flute)
1979 Gerry Weil; "The Message" (Baritone Sax)
1980 María Teresa Chacín; "En Azul, Amarillo y Rojo" (Flute)
1981 Guillermo Carrasco; "Guillermo Carrasco" (Sax)
1981 Rosa Virginia Chacín; "Mi Nostalgia" (Flute)
1982 Yordano; "Negocios Son Negocios" (Sax)
1983 Ilan Chester; "Canciones de Todos..." (Sax)
1984 Alí Primera; "Entre La Rabia y La Ternura" (Sax, Flute)
1984 El Medio Evo; "Bolumen 4" (Sax, Flute)
1984 Franco De Vita; "Franco De Vita" (Sax)
1985 Alí Primera; "Por Si No Lo Sabía" (Sax, Flute)
1985 Andy Durán; "Mambo-Salsa" (Sax)
1985 El Medio Evo; "Medio Evo De Nuevo" (Sax)
1987 Jorge Aguilar; "Calor" (Sax)
1988 Guillermo Carrasco; "Visual" (Sax)
1988 Pentágono; "Más Romántico" (Sax)
1988 Ricardo Montaner; "Ricardo Montaner 2" (Sax)
1989 Alberto Naranjo; "Imagen Latina" (Sax, Flute)
1989 Pentágono; "Pentágono 3" (Sax)
1990 Agni Mogollón; "Entre Duendes" (Sax)
1990 Federico Britos Ruiz; "Conexión Jazz" (Clarinet)
1990 Franco De Vita; "Extranjero" (Sax)
1991 Pentágono; "Aguanta Corazón" (Sax)
1992 Charlie Nagy; "Para Todos Charlie"(Clarinet)
1992 El Pavo Frank; "Latinos De Etiqueta" (Sax, Flute)
1992 Iván Pérez Rossi; "No La Quiero" (Clarinet)
1992 María Teresa Chacín; "Yo Soy Venezolana" (Sax, Flute)
1993 Andy Durán; "A Jazzy Latin Beat" (Sax)
1993 Cecilia Todd; "Una Sola Vida Tengo" (Clarinet)
1993 Chiqui Rojas; "Sin Fronteras" (Sax)
1993 Maricruz Quintero; "Niebla & Lluvia" (Sax)
1993 Marisela Leal; "Todo Brasil" (Sax, Flute)
1993 Propiedad Privada; "La Verdadera Historia" (Sax)
1993 Vytas Brenner; "Amazonia" (Sax, Flute)
1994 Andy Durán; "Latin Jazz Club" (Sax)
1994 Daniel Grau; "You Are In My Dreams" (Sax)
1994 María Teresa Chacín; "Romántica" (Sax)
1995 Luz Marina; "Vestida En Flor" (Flute)
1995 María Teresa Chacín; "Amor Mío" (Sax)
1995 Martes 8:30; "Origen Caracas" (Sax)
1995 Oscar Maggi; "Cuidao Con Los Escalones" (Sax)
1995 Soledad Bravo; "Raices" (Sax)
1996 Fusión IV; "Tarde Pero Temprano" (Sax, Flute)
1996 Giselle Brass "My Favorite Songs" (Sax)
1996 Ramón Carranza "Carranza Jazz" (Sax)
1996 Serenata Guayanesa; "Una Amistad de 25 Años" (Clarinet)
1997 Various Artists; "Jazz Desde Aldemaro" (Clarinet)
1998 Tambor Urbano; "Que No Se Pare La Rumba" (Sax)
1999 Malanga; "Ta' Trancao" (Sax)
2000 El Pavo Frank; "Bravo Pavo" (Sax, Flute)
2000 Tambor Urbano; "La Rumba Continua" (Sax)
2001 Juan Carlos Núñez; "Suite Urbana" (Sax)
2001 María Teresa Chacín; "Me Voy A Regalar" (Sax)
2001 Shesura; "Diferente Amanecer" (Sax)
2002 Fernando Alarcón; "Amor De Estrellas" (Sax, Flute)
2002 Frank Quintero; "Signos de Admiración" (Sax)
2003 César Muñoz; "Dentro Del Papel" (Sax, Flute)
2003 Iván Pérez Rossi; "Canto Caribe" (Sax)
2003 María Teresa Chacín; "La Historia" (Sax, Flute)
2004 Agua De Luna; "Mi Tiempo" (Sax)
2005 El Pavo Frank; "De Colección" (Sax, Flute)
2005 Serenata Guayanesa; "El Ferrocarril" (Clarinet)
2006 Andy Durán; "Salsa Dura & Descarga" (Sax)
Los Adolescentes (All Volumes) (...Many more)
External links
- His official Myspace page
- His Sincopa profile
- Musicavenezuela.com biography
- Reflexiones del Jazz en Venezuela por Benjamin Brea (Reflections of Jazz in Venezuela by Benjamín Brea)
- Rock Hecho en Venezuela (Rock Made in Venezuela): Medioevo
- Rock Hecho en Venezuela (Rock Made in Venezuela): Frank Quintero
- Mipunto.com Promotion of the El Hatillo Jazz Festival 2006
- Anapapaya. Revista de Prensa (Pavo Frank Article)