“The Annex Sessions” Wednesday, August 21, 2024, 6-8:30pm will continue our music series held at El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company Prepared Food Annex (The Annex)
“Modupue Wednesday”
-A Javier Navarrette Music Presentation with Special guests!
-Modupue means “Thank You” in Yoruba
This particular group will be performing: Afro Latin Jazz, Charanga and some original music, original arrangements
Raul Navarrette- trombone (NYC)
Anthony Blea- violin
Marco Diaz- piano
Javier Navarrette- percussion
Ayla Davila- bass guitar
And special guests
Musician Bios
Raul Navarrette: Trombone
Originally from Fresno, California, Raul Navarrette started playing trombone at the age of 9, and has been working as a New York City musician for the last 25 years. He has shared the stage with a wide range of artists exploring an array of genres along with artists from around the world in a variety of musical settings, locally and nationally.
Having received his master’s degree at The Aaron Copeland School of Music, at City University of New York’s Queens College in Flushing, NY, Raul has also devoted part of his professional career to being an active participant in the educational field as teacher, private instructor, invited guest speaker for schools in classrooms for young and old students on both the west and east coasts of the USA.
Raul works in the areas of Classical music, jazz, salsa, Broadway/theatre/musicals recordings and as a solo artist and he chooses to utilize top quality equipment for his line of work. In virtually any field required, Raul Navarrette’s extensive background of performing arts programs and involvement as both student and teacher have given way to emboldening his perspective that the importance of arts and the humanities is the true meaning of what’s most important to the growth of the individual. Raul is currently working on a solo latin jazz project currently of his own compositions, he looks to feature musicians from both California and New York and looks forward to continuing his lifetime work as a member of The Denis Wick family.
Anthony Blea: Violin
Anthony Blea began studying the violin at age 8 and was awarded a full scholarship to attend the San Francisco Conservatory of Music at age 11. While a student in Joan Murray’s Aptos Jr. High Orchestra, Anthony discovered the joy of playing chamber music, as well as having solo experience with an orchestra.
Upon completion of his preparatory music studies, Anthony traveled to New York City to continue his musical and academic enrichment at the Manhattan School of Music where he received his Bachelor’s degree. His formidable skill on the violin landed him work with many international legends such as Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Ray Charles, Boz Scaggs and Leonard Bernstein to name a few. Most notably Anthony has played with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Anthony’s 8-piece salsa band has been in existence for ten years and their debut CD has enjoyed critical acclaim. Anthony received his Master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, concentrating on String Quartet.
Marco Diaz: Piano
Marco Diaz was born and raised in San Francisco and was introduced to the trumpet in the fourth grade at E.R. Taylor Elementary School. His formal training in both piano and trumpet began at the age of 14. He earned a scholarship from the Community Music Center in San Francisco, and began playing professionally at the age of 17 throughout the Bay Area with various Latin Jazz, Salsa, Reggae, and R&B bands. Upon graduating from high school, he continued his studies at San Francisco State University pursing a Bachelors of Arts in Popular Music and a minor in Economics.
In addition to his studies Marco has been influenced by Afro-Cuban music through world renowned musicians, such as, Jesus Diaz, who he played and recorded with for eight years, John Santos, Orestes Vilato, Edgardo Cambon, and Carlos Caro.
Today, Marco is part of the faculty at the Community Music Center in San Francisco and has been a part of the SFJAZZ teaching artist program since 2017. He is an accomplished recording musician who has shared the stage with Grammy Award winning artist, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Nelson Gonzales, Jimmy Bosch, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, Ska Cubano (Europe), Tito Rojas, Nino Segarra, Anthony Cruz, Anthony Blea, Jovino Santos Neto, Joe Santiago, and is an integral member of the John Santos sextet, and the musical director for Bobi Cespedes. Marco has participated in the San Francisco Symphony AIM program since 2000 and currently produces records and performs music throughout the country while also co-leading Vission Latina, an Afro-Caribbean dance band, and director of his own quartet, The Marco Diaz Quartet.
In 2011, Marco Diaz was part of the faculty at Jazz Camp West. He toured the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State with Bobi Cespedes, teaching children and adults the roots of Afro-Cuban music. Marco also performed at the San Francisco, Tanglewood, and Monterey Jazz Festivals, and the Smithsonian Museum with world renowned ethno-musicologist, John Santosand his Sextet. In the Fall, Marco began his ninth season with the San Francisco Symphony’s AIM (adventures in music) program.
For more than 25 years, Javier Navarrette has been dedicated to the study and performance of music, specializing in Afro-Caribbean rhythms. Javier has studied with masters in Cuba including Miguel Angá Díaz, Jose Luis “Changuito” Quintana, as well Folklorico Nacional de Cuba. In the San Francisco Bay area, he has studied with John Santos, Michael Spiro and Jesus Díaz.
Javier Navarrette: Percussion
Javier has had the honor to perform with such greats as Poncho Sanchez, Los Van Van, the “Conga Kings” (Francisco Aguabella, Carlos “Patáto” Valdez, Armando Peraza and Milton Cardona), as well as with Jon Faddis, Jerry Gonzalez, Trini Lopez, Nestor Torres, Jimmy Heath, and Bobi Cespedes. In addition, Javier has had the privilege of recording with world-renowned artists Giovanni Hidalgo,Anthony Carillo, Sandy Perez, Jimmy Bosch, José Fajardo, Orestes Vilató, Carlos Del Puerto, Dafnis Prieto, Pedrito Martinez and Andy Gonzalez. He also recorded on three Grammy nominated albums with John Santos’ Machete Ensemble and El Coro Folklorico Kindembo.
More recently, Javier has had the honor to perform on stage with Jerry Gonzalez, at the John Santos Concert, “Not In Our Name” at the Brava Theater in San Francisco. He has also had the opportunity to be a guest musician for the Stanford University Big Band.
Javier is frequently involved in a myriad of projects such as the featured artist in “Proyecto de Congueros” at Yoshis Jazz Club in San Franciso, and organizing Bomba y Plena workshops and performances with Los Pleneros de La 21, Aguacero, and La Mixta Criolla as part of the “Caminos de Mi Cultura” series at the Brava Theater in San Francisco.
Javier’s musical ventures have included touring with Los Mocosos, Bobi Cespedes, Josh Jones’ Latin Jazz Ensemble, Hector Lugo and Cacique y Congo, to name a few. Javier is currently a percussionist with Jesus Díaz y su QBA, Anthony Blea y Su Charanga, Carne Cruda, La Mission Band, Hector Lugo and La Mixta Criolla, The Cuban Cowboys and Los Mocosos. Javier is currently working on a new project, Machina Sol, along with three other San Francisco Bay Area artists. Javier continues to create new musical ideas, in order to expand his musical knowledge. He also enjoys teaching music to the next generation.
Ayla Davila: Bass Guitar
Ayla Davila is a bassist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist from Berkeley, CA. Raised in a musical household, Ayla started playing traditional Guatemalan and folkloric Mexican music as a young child. At age 11, Ayla found her voice in the bass, which remains her primary instrument. She graduated from the Berklee College of Music with a degree in Film Scoring and Bass Performance. She returned to the SF Bay Area in 2002, where she has had the opportunity to work with many of the area’s most talented and distinguished musicians in a variety of musical styles, with an emphasis on Latin Music. Pachuquismo is Ayla’s first collaboration with La Mezcla. With over 25 years of experience as a performer, composer, arranger, teacher, and studio musician, Ayla is thrilled to draw upon her vast musical knowledge to help bring this important story to life.
The Natural Grocery Company is proud to present this series in partnership with SunJams and Javier Navarrette Music Productions.
SunJams is committed to funding children’s music education in underserved public elementary schools. Your donation will help support this ongoing program.
All of the proceeds will go directly to our network of local musicians, each of whom have been severely impacted by the lack of events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whether you donate $10, $100, or $1000 – any amount helps and will allow us to keep bringing music to our community! As always, your donation to SunJams 501(c)3 may qualify as tax exempt.
Javier Navarrette Music Productions continues to bring live music to several venues around the Bay Area. Javier has been a professional musician and music educator in the Oakland Unified School District for the past 20 years. Over the past few years Navarrette has produced outdoors events that have proven instrumental in enabling musicians to deal with some of the fallout of the pandemic and shutdown that followed.
COVID RELATED SAFETY MEASURES
Please be safe. Feel free to wear a mask if you prefer.
TICKETS
Tickets are NOT required for this venue, you can simply come in, order food and beverages at the Annex counter and pay at the registers.