Artists

SPECIAL GUESTS

Jonah Smith | Singer-songwriter
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Jonah Smith, San Miguel Jazz Festival

Jonah Smith is a critically acclaimed American singer-songwriter. His music ranges over nine albums from soul-jazz to Americana and he moves effortlessly on stage between keyboards and guitar.

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Smith’s vocals are soulful, bringing to mind Steve Winwood and even Ray Charles but his songs are stories that bring to mind Dylan and Paul Simon. His last record, Stay Close was released in 2018 and was nominated for Album Of The Year by the Independent Music Awards. Smith’s songs are in rotation on radio stations around the country. He has had songs featured on television including Good Morning America and America’s Got Talent where he was a semi-finalist on Season 9. OnAGT, Smith received a standing ovation from judges Howard Stern and Howie Mandel after performing his song Skyscraper Blues. Smith has toured throughout America as well as Europe and Asia. He has appeared at Bonnaroo and has been an opening act and guest singer with artists such as Los Lobos, Little Feat, Taj Mahal, and many others.

You’re the real deal. You can play, you can sing…you are terrific.
– Howard Stern

Jonah Smith’s amalgam of American Roots and soul evokes The Band (Garth Hudson’saccordion on an early record didn’t hurt).
– The New Yorker

Smith’s folk songs areequally well suited to downtown lounges&rural front porches.
– New York Times

Soulful music,which calls to mind J.J. Cale &Van Morrison.
– Wall St. Journal

A blend of distinctive American styles with engaging songwriting.
– David Dye, NPR 

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Sébastien Giniaux (France) | Guitar
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Sebastien Giniaux

French guitarist Sébastien Giniaux is one of the most renowned guitar players from the new generation of musicians inspired by Django Reinhardt. Born in 1981, he is also a cellist, painter, and composer, and he plays with many different bands, in many different musical genres.

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Jazz, gypsy jazz, balkan music, music from west africa, etc. Sébastien is a very open-minded musician. He has toured the globe with many of the world’s greatest artists, such as Biréli Lagrène, Taraf de Haidouks, Cherif Soumano, Richard Galliano, Didier Lockwood, etc…

 “Sebastien Giniaux is one of the greatest young guitarists in this style in Paris, and therefore probably one of the best in the world.” – Mission Mission

 

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Louise Phelan | Vocals
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Louise PhelanOriginally hailing from Limerick, Ireland, Louise has performed in solo concerts, musicals, tv and radio shows across the US, Canada and all around Europe and South America since beginning her professional career.  She spent two years working for Sony Music & Universal BMG Scandinavia (1999-2001). 

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Louise also travelled the globe working for Up With People as Vocal Instructor and as a Guest Entertainer Vocalist taking the lead in the musical productions onboard luxury cruise ships with Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises (2005-2009).  However her true passion for music lies in Jazz!

Since May 2010, Louise has been based out of Mexico City, where she regularly performs at the most prominent Jazz clubs, venues, theatres and festivals around Mexico City and across the country. She feels privileged to be working with the very best of Jazz musicians from Mexico, Chile, USA, Israel, Brazil, New Zealand and Ireland. Often, Louise is invited to participate in recorded and live interviews in specialized programs about Jazz or to publicize events on radio and television, for example in TV Azteca Puebla, Televisa, Canal 22. She actively participates in Irish music and Jazz events, working for the Irish Embassy in Mexico City and Havana, Cuba.

At the end of 2013, she released her debut Jazz album “Songs from a Darkened Room”, a collection of 12 much loved classic jazz tunes, recorded live and unedited in studio, with Alex Mercado on Piano.

At the beginning of 2015, Louise released her second Jazz album titled “Moments of Light” which was recorded live in studio at Sala de Audio in Mexico City and mixed and mastered at Bass Hit Recording by Dave Darlington in NYC. The album includes original compositions in the styles of swing and blues, integrating seven well known musicians from Mexico, USA, Chile and New Zealand. “Moments of Light” was released under the label FONARTE LATINO and is now available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Amazon, Spotify and in physical copies at music stores across Mexico! In 2018 Louise recorded a third album with Scottish world jazz guitarist David MacGregor ¨Remembering Ella & Joe.¨ This album is due for release and they will tour in Europe towards the middle of 2019. Some of Louise’s  memorable performances have been; representing Ireland in the Euro Jazz Festival at the Centro Nacional de las Artes CNA in Mexico City, to an audience of almost 10,000 in March of 2014, performing for the 4th of July celebrations for the US Ambassador in Mexico City to an audience of international and national politicians and public figures and most recently at the Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris in downtown Mexico City as part of the Festival Centro Histórico.  These public concerts were recorded and continue to be transmitted on Mexico´s TV channel Canal 22.

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Dan Nicholas | Guitar
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Dan Nicholas, San Miguel Jazz Festival
© Pixelove Studio

Guitarist, composer, arranger and lyricist Dan Nicholas is the musical director of Equinox. He grew up in New York City and New Jersey, and at the age of 18 he began to study with the world renowned jazz pianist and educator, Dr. Barry Harris. Nicholas was inspired to move to The Netherlands in 2001 after meeting master pianist Frans Elsen, with whom he worked from 2008 – 2011. 

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Nicholas formed Equinox in 2008 and began to focus extensively on composing and arranging for the ensemble. In 2014, the project entered its current phase as the backing group for the incomparable vocalist Marjorie Barnes, giving Nicholas the opportunity to hone his abilities as an original lyricist as well. 

In addition to working with Equinox, Dan Nicholas has performed with such jazz luminaries as Barry Harris, Grant Stewart, Gary Smulyan, Benjamin Herman, Dado Moroni, Peter Beets, Greg Hutchinson and Gene Jackson. He is also the leader of Equinox Jazz Promotions (EJP), an organization dedicated to programming and promoting an extremely high level of jazz events in the Netherlands.

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Patricio Peña | Piano
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Born in the city of Querétaro, he began his musical studies in the conservatory with studies in organ baroque and piano.

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 His learning of jazz begins in 2005 under the direction of pianist David Gómez Oropeza and later with pianists Gabriel Hernández (Cuba) and Pepe Rivero (Madrid, Spain). From 2007 to 2011 he performs as a pianist and musical director of Latin American Grammy winner singer-songwriter and Alberto Cortéz, performing more than 90 concerts in countries such as Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States. He later performed as a pianist for the California trombonist orchestra Sean Dalton performing in various cities in Japan, South Korea and China.
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Rick Shlosser | Drums
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He had his professional education as a drummer at Berklee School of Music, Boston, United States from 1967 to 1970. His first recording was a demo for Andy Pratt, “Avenging Annie” in 1970 and later at Colum- bia Records in 1973.

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It was the first drummer of “Edgar Winter White Trash” in 1970, soon moved to Northern California in 1971, playing “Wild Night” and “Jackie Wilson Said” by Van Morrison Live and worked with him until late 1972 , recording three albums, “Tupelo Honey”, “St. Dominic’s Preview” and “Hard Nose the Highway”. He participated with Boz Scaggs from 1973 to 1975 and moved to Los Angeles in 1976, recording with Rod Stewart “Tonight’s the Night” in 1977, making an important career in music recording in Los Angeles. Some of his most famous recordings are: “How You Gonna See Me Now” with Alice Cooper, “Deja Vu” with Dionne Warwick, “9 to 5” with Dolly Parton, “Endless Love” with Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie, “Through the Years “by Kenny Rogers,” Oh No “The Commodors,” Everyday “with James Taylor, to name a few.

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Antonio Lozoya | Bass & Musical Direction
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© Pixelove Studio

He was born in Mexico City, bassist with a bachelor Jazz Degree; educator, producer, promoter, arranger and composer. He has performed at various Festivals in Mexico, Cuba and the United States, accompanying prominent personalities such as: Dave Pike, Paul McCandless, Othello Molineaux, Lila Downs, Magos Herrera, Karrin Allison, Art Lande, Erik Alexander, Sarah Reich, among others.

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In 1996 he began collaborating in the San Miguel de Allende International Jazz Festival in various areas such as: musician, director of the educational area, musical director and producer. In 2006, with Teresa Urtusástegui they reactivated the International Jazz Festival and added the Blues style, taking charge of its general direction. Since then he has produced several concerts inviting the participation of prominent figures from the Jazz and Blues scene such as: Joey Calderazzo Trio, Antonio Sánchez Trio, Tuck and Patti, Betsy Pecanins, Magos Herrera, Sarah Reich (Postmodern Jukebox), Karrin Allison, David Sanchez Quartet, Peter Bernstein Jazz Quartet, among others. He has produced several concerts with his group “San Miguel Jazz Cats” at the International Cervantino Festival and in various locations in the country. For ten years he has performed concerts as a musician and musical director, presenting different musical proposals related to jazz and blues. Beneficiary of the Scenic Creators with Trajectory Program, 2014-2017 of the National Fund for Culture and the Arts.

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Raúl Ríos | Drums
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Raul Rios, Bateria

Born in the city of Querétaro, he began his musical studies in the conservatory with studies in organ baroque and piano.

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 His learning of jazz begins in 2005 under the direction of pianist David Gómez Oropeza and later with pianists Gabriel Hernández (Cuba) and Pepe Rivero (Madrid, Spain). From 2007 to 2011 he performs as a pianist and musical director of Latin American Grammy winner singer-songwriter and Alberto Cortéz, performing more than 90 concerts in countries such as Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States. He later performed as a pianist for the California trombonist orchestra Sean Dalton performing in various cities in Japan, South Korea and China.
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Ingrid Beaujean  | Vocals
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Ingrid beaujean, san miguel jazz festival

Ingrid Beaujean is one of the best known singers in the Mexican jazz scene. She was born in the Mexican capital, and from a very young age she began her love for music. With just 10 years old, she premiered works by the renowned Mexican composer Arturo Márquez and in 1999 she sang in front of Pope John Paul II.

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She studied the Bachelor of Jazz with a specialty in Singing and Scat, at the Escuela Superior de Música, of the National Institute of Fine Arts. She has participated in more than 20 record productions along with recognized stars to world level like Lila Downs, Eugenia León, Magos Herrera, among others. It has been presented at the Montreal Jazz Festival; the International Jazz Festival of Barcelona; the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Philadelphia; the Kennedy Center of Washington D.C .; the Latin Women’s Festival, at the Millennium Park in Chicago; Winter Jazz Fest, in New York, among other places. For nine years, she has been conducting the Ejazz program on public radio, dedicated to broadcast music made by women around the world.

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Pablo González | Piano, Keyboard
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Pablo González Olaya, was born in Mexico City. He is a composer, pianist and arranger He studied music at Music City College, graduating with honors As a piano performer. He studied 3 postgraduate courses at the Nucleo school Composition Integral, in Mexico City.

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He has participated as a composer in different projects among which highlights: short films, commercials, contemporary dances among others. Throughout his career as a pianist he has been part of various jazz groups and played the genres of soul and funk. His career has led him to accompany singers, among which stands out his participation with Rosa Rodríguez, voice principal of the group “Mocedades”, with whom he would later record and produce a solo record. For six years, he has been a keyboard player for the famous group Spanish, “Mocedades”; with whom he has made several tours. It is currently part of the Manzanero shared tour | Mocedades.

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Alex Rivera Ledesma | Guitar

From Aguascalientes, México, studied guitar with Ken Basman and Jonathan Kreisberg, He is currently jazz guitar teacher at CEART San Luis Potosí, and freelance jazz guitarist.

He has recorded with Huazzteco in “Yankuilistli” and on Gillermo Barron´s “Cual es la Prisa”, He is currently working on his Project named Micael Ven!

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