Carolina Calvache: Sotareño

According to Exodus to Jazz, the pianist Carolina Calvache plays with "an engaging lyricism that encompasses a full range of fire and finesse." The pianist and composer-arranger Toshiko Akiyoshi describes her music in one word: “Marvelous.”Born and raised in Cali, Colombia, Carolina started formal training on the piano at the tender age of 6, courtesy of the local conservatory. Her early interests included salsa and Colombian traditional music, but she expanded her focus to include jazz at age 14 after hearing records by Miles Davis, Jerry Gonzales & The Fort Apache Band, Tito Puente, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett.After continuing her studies through college in Colombia, Carolina was awarded a scholarship to the Master’s Degree Program at the University of North Texas. Soon thereafter, the pianist moved to New York, where she began working with the likes of John Benitez, Samuel Torres, Ludwig Afonso, and Jose Armando Gola. Carolina was showcased during the 2011 Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Festival, and recently recorded her debut album featuring the trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, the bassist Hans Glawischnig, the drummer Ludwig Afonso, and special guests including the saxophonist Jaleel Shaw and the drummer Antonio Sánchez. On the subject of the music and recording in New York, Carolina speaks:

It is a mix of all my roots, the countries that I feel part of, plus a special harmonic jazz sound. There is no other place [that could have] inspired [me] to produce an album like this than…NYC, where you can [experience,] through [the] people, the beauty of each country in the same place.

We are excited to welcome Carolina’s quartet, featuring Roman Filiu, Ricky Rodriguez, and Rodney Green, to our new home (1160 Broadway, 5th floor) this Thursday as a part of our debut series.Watch the EPK for Carolina's forthcoming debut album, Sotareño.