Jaime Gomez Obregon

What was the first composition ever written for solo violoncello? What was composed before Bach created his extraordinary suites for solo cello?

In a new recording of music by Alessandro Scarlatti, Josetxu Obregóns La Ritirata parades its dazzling vocal and instrumental talents in presenting the four cantatas which involve recorders and violins, together with an additional standalone soprano aria, for a further Glossa Neapolitan-flavored release. Drawn from his well over 800 secular cantatas these works combine fully-integrated, imaginative recitatives, expressive and dramatic arias and colorful and exacting instrumental sinfonias and ritornelli into elegant and compact wholes, and featuring poetic texts which typically followed the aspirations of the Accademia degli Arcadi literary circle initiated in Rome around the turn of the eighteenth century.

In a lively and enterprising new disc devoted to the music of Antonio Caldara, cellist Josetxu Obregón leads his ensemble La Ritirata in instrumental and vocal works. In his youth in Venice (in the 1680s/1690s), Caldara drew significant praise for his own cello playing, and his understanding of the instrument and it's possibilities stayed with him throughout a career which saw him immersed also in the rich musical cultures of Mantua and Rome before he became a valued member of the Hofkapelle in Vienna; he worked there for the last twenty years of his life, contributing to the glories of the Austro-Italian Baroque at the Imperial Court of the highly musical Charles VI (whom Caldara had also served in Barcelona).

Eddie Gomez is a brilliant bassist whose flexibility and quick reflexes make him an ideal accompanist (although his own albums tend to be a bit erratic jazz-wise). He grew up in New York and was with the Newport Festival Youth Band during 1959-1961. After studying at Juilliard, Gomez played with Rufus Jones' sextet, Marian McPartland (1964), Paul Bley (1964-1965), Giuseppe Logan, Gerry Mulligan, and Gary McFarland, among others. Gomez came to fame during his long period with the Bill Evans Trio (1966-1977).

Jaime ROSAS TRIO is a current chilean band, composed by three musicians of the Progressive rock band ENTRANCE. Mostly instrumental, the music displayed in "Extremos" (2004) is made of short, dense and explosives pieces. One can also hear a final epic track, lasting about a quarter of an hour ! This is the occasion to reveal the impressive talents of a real keyboards virtuoso, helped by excellent musicians. Even if that music is taylor-made for the EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER and GERARD fan, there is so much than instrumental pyrotechnics here ! The power-trio also likes neo-classic piano parts and symphonic majestic moments, with a real adventurous spirit. Here is a masterpiece both diverse and eclectic, always well-played and produced. Brilliant stuff !

Jaime ROSAS is a Chilean keyboards player, who followed the same path as his British idols Keith EMERSON and Rick WAKEMAN. That is to say, a good dose of heavily twirling Progressive rock, full of Seventies-like sounds may be expected. After being the leader of a power-trio, he is back with three fellow musicians. The new guitarist Jaime SEPULVEDA suits perfectly the symphonic music of this ensemble, adding some exciting Progressive heavy-metal digressions. This outfit released the excellent "Creciendo" in 2005 through the Musea and Mylodon labels. In order to prove that Jaime ROSAS CUARTETO is not just another mere studio avatar, the band went to Rio ArtRock Festival 2005 with the aim to show how brilliant its live performance can be.