El Duelo

Trumpeter Diego Urcola has proven to be a player of incredible range and dexterity throughout his career, a large part of it playing alongside Paquito D'Rivera in the legendary saxophonist/clarinetist's various eclectic projects. On Urcola's new recording, El Duelo, the trumpeter recruits D'Rivera to join him in a very rare, and exposed, playing scenario, the piano-less quartet. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Urcola has been a part of the New York City jazz scene since the 1990s.

His work with D'Rivera, Guillermo Klein y Los Guachos, Enrico Pieranunzi, and as a leader has been celebrated by many, even garnering him a Grammy nomination for his album, Soundances. It was during a regular visit to Uruguay's Punta Del Este Jazz Festival that Urcola was asked to present a musical tribute to the revered Gerry Mulligan Quartet that featured Chet Baker. During the quartet's performance, Urcola invited D'Rivera to the stage, and the idea of recording in a piano-less quartet was cemented by the resounding performance.

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Mates

The drinking of mate, a beverage infused from ground yerba mate leaves and water, has been a South American culinary and social tradition for centuries. The sharing of the calabash that contains the hot drink and the consequential interaction between friends has become the social norm, especially in Argentina.

The friendly tradition of drinking mate served as inspiration for Argentinean born, New York based trumpeter Diego Urcola. For his playfully titled new recording Mates, Urcola wanted to mirror this give and take between friends (or mates ) with that of the musical duet. To achieve this, the trumpeter recorded a number of intimate meetings with a handful of his closest musical associates, including bassist Avishai Cohen, vibraphonist Dave Samuels, harpist Edmar Castañeda and bandoneón player Juan Dargenton.

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Appreciation

One of the more difficult aspects of being a modern musician is acknowledging forebears while developing a unique identity. Trumpeter Diego Urcola pays tribute to his heroes and contemporaries on his new recording, Appreciation. He shows his recognition not by imitation but through compositions inspired and dedicated to heroes and friends, including Freddie Hubbard, Hermeto Pascoal, Paquito D'Rivera, and Guillermo Klein. Urcola presents his original compositions with the help of an amazing ensemble, featuring pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Eric McPherson.

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Viva

Viva features the Grammy nominated trumpeter leading an all-star lineup. "I wanted to put together my dream band," said Urcola. The core group of Edward Simon, Avishai Cohen, Antonio Sanchez, and Pernel Saturnino is joined by guests, Paquito D'Rivera, Jimmy Heath, Dave Samuels and Conrad Herwig.

Viva features four Urcola originals; two from fellow Argentine composer/big bandleader Guillermo Klein; a pair from another Argentine composer and one of Urcola's best friends, Juan Raffo; a piece by Heath, and the Astor Piazzola classic, "Adios Nonino," a sublime melody the bandoneon master wrote for his father. "I love this tune," says Urcola. "I wrote this arrangement a few years ago for a concert I did with Paquito." On Viva, a sensibility of experimentation is vibrantly apparent throughout. So too is Urcola's aim to integrate his homeland's voice into the jazz idiom. "I like to bring the tango flavor from my country into the mix," he says, then adds, "But foremost I'm a jazz musician."

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Soundances

Sounding unlike any other trumpet player in the history of jazz, with a rich warmth of tone and astounding accuracy of execution--especially in his muted playing, which is unlike anything else around--Diego Urcola bursts on the scene with a stunning debut.

The Argentinean trumpet player, who's played with everyone from Paquito D'Rivera to Guillermo Klein to Danilo Perez to Avishai Cohen, places himself in an engaging world-jazz setting that crosses musical borders (Samba, Tango, Afro-Cuban) as easily as one crosses state lines. With a cast of musicians probably unknown to any but the most anal-retentive jazz follower, Urcola carves out territory that resonates with lots of Latin world jazz, but especially with his home country of Argentina.

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Libertango

This albums is the introduction of Urcola as a soloist and band leader. The album features Chris Cheek, Ed Simon, Abraham Rodríguez, Avishai Cohen & Raul Jaurena

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