Joseph Santa Maria
Recordings
New Album! The Illustrated Man
News
New Album just finished!
The new album is now available on Bandcamp! It consists of all original compositions and I am joined by a group of excellent musicans:
Emilio Terranova - Bass
Andrew Lessman - Drums
Larry Koonse - Guitar
These are some of my favorite collaborators and I've been very fortunate to work with them on this project. It was mixed and mastered by Noland Shaheed in Pasadena California. Noland is a veteran of many incredible musical institutions. He has played with Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Count Basie, as well as served as the musical director for Marvin Gaye. His studio was beautiful and his ears were beyond incredible. Special thanks to Larry Koonse for his support and outstanding musicianship.Bio:
From Houston Texas, I'm a graduate of HSPVA, Berklee College of Music (BFA) and the California Institute of the Arts (MFA). I have performed with many great Jazz artists both in concert and clinic over the years: Jerry Bergonzi, Hal Crook, Jimmy Heath, Bob Mintzer, Danilo Perez, Tim Hagans, James Moody, David Baker Charlie Haden, Larry Koonse, Joe Lovano, and others.
Having learned many valuable lessons, I give thanks to all who have helped me on my way. Especially to my family and the supportive Houston Jazz community for helpomg me get my start.
Contact and Booking: joe@makingmusictime.com
Current Projects:
A Giraffe
My first album with group A Giraffe is out now on Bandcamp.com and is a fantastic work. The group consists of Mike Lockwood - Drums, Emilio Terranova - Bass, and Steven Blum - Piano. We have all worked extreemely hard on the compostions and are drawing from influences as far reaching as Gamelan and Ewe drumming. There's a healthy dose of Jazz and Rock in there as well. You can find the first official review of this album as well as an interview with me at the Jazz blog, JazzWrap.
Smile More
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Smile More - This brass band of mine plays original compositions as well as american rock and soul music. I started arranging for it this year and have already had the pleasure to record. At this link you will find the first album.
Secret Architecture
Secret Architecture is a strong modern Jazz group from New York. The leaders Zach Mangan and Fraser Campbell mix the styles of Ornette, Happy Apple, Charles Lloyd, and Mingus into a wonderfull and exciting soundscape. I just finished a long string of performances as a guest in the group.
Chia's Dance Party
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I have performed recently with Chia's
Dance Party, a fantastic Colombian group let by Martin Vejarano. We have played together at La Terazza, Barbes, Nublu, and for the Make Music New York summer festival.
Writing
I have begun an artist residency with Indaba Music. I will be doing some theoretical writing for the Indablog. This gives me an opportunity to present lessons in music theory and analysis as well as some creative writing.
Teaching
I teach private and group lessons in Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute (Boehm, Suling, and Shakuhachi), Piano, Music Theory, Ear Training, and Rhythm Studies. I teach out of home, as well as at the Douglaston School of Music and Art in Queens. Email me for rates and availability.