Mike Rodriguez -trumpet
John Ellis -tenor saxophone
Marshall Gilkes -trombone
Robert Rodriguez -piano
Mateo Rodriguez -guitar
Joe Martin -bass
Jimmy Macbride -drums
This show will premiere new music written specifically for this commission and these musicians. As soon as Mike found out that he was selected as a recipient, he went home and immediately began composing—sketching out musical road maps and imagining how the horn section would blend together. He had a particular sound in his ear, the Major7#9 chord, that he had been wanting to explore in his writing, and began incorporating that sound into the melodic ideas he was developing.
Mike immediately thought of these musicians and their individual sounds, which became an important part of how he wrote and shaped each piece. Mike enjoys writing on a deadline because he feels that the creative juices kick into overdrive; each note, chord, and phrase seems to inspire the next. The process becomes an exciting journey of discovery, with the music continually revealing itself as it takes shape.
Mike is truly honored to have been selected as one of the recipients of this commission and is excited to share his new music with these incredible musicians.
Grammy Award winning Trumpeter/Composer, Michael Rodriguez, was born July 14, 1979 in Queens, New York. Inspired to pursue music as a career by his father, drummer Roberto Rodriguez, he initially studied at The New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida and continued his studies at The University of Miami. After completing two years there, he transferred to The New School University in New York City, where he received his B.A.
Michael has toured and performed with such jazz icons as Clark Terry, Bobby Watson, Quincy Jones, Joe Lovano, Toshiko Akiyoshi Orchestra, Jessica Simpson, Chico O’Farrill Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Lincoln Center Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Jon Faddis and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, The Carla Bley Band and Quintet, The Clayton Brothers, Kenny Barron Quintet, Conrad Herwig's “Latin Side” Projects, Clayton Brothers Quintet, Harry Connick, Jr., Bob Mintzer, Yosvany Terry Quintet, Eddie Palmieri Septet, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and the Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra, among others.
In December 2003, Michael Rodriguez recorded on Charlie Haden’s Grammy Award winning album, Land of the Sun, featuring Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Joe Lovano, and also recorded on two Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra albums, Not in Our Name (2005) and Time/Life (2016). In 2008, Michael became a member of the Gonzalo Rubalcaba Quintet, with whom he recorded Avatar under the Blue Note label. In 2019, he joined Chick Corea’s Spanish Heart Band, which won a Best Latin Jazz Album Grammy for Antidote in 2020. He is currently a member of the internationally acclaimed group SFJazz Collective.
The trumpeter and his brother, pianist Robert Rodriguez, have recorded five albums together on their own label, RodBrosMusic: Introducing the Rodriguez Brothers (2002), Conversations (2007) Savant Label, Mood Swing (2010) and Impromptu (2015) CrissCross Label, nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2015, and most recently Reunited: live at Dizzys (2023) Rodbros label. Also within that time frame, Michael released 2 albums as a leader, Reverence (Criss Cross – 2013), and Pathways (RodBrosMusic – 2021).
He is currently a faculty member of New York University (NYU) and the Juilliard Jazz program along with being an internationally sought-after clinician.
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The Jazz Gallery is a not-for-profit arts organization presenting emerging artists who challenge convention, take creative risks, and lead their field as performers, composers and thinkers. We provide a platform for artists to discover their unique voice and a home for established musicians to continue to experiment and grow. At The Jazz Gallery, artists and audiences come together from around the world to explore new creative ideas, collaborate and celebrate jazz as a dynamic art form that reflects our ever-changing world.
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