Benjamín Brea
Benjamín Brea | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Benjamín Arsenio Brea Constenla |
Also known as | El Maestro |
Born |
Galicia, Spain | 18 September 1946
Died |
23 April 2014 67) Caracas, Venezuela | (aged
Genres | Jazz, classical, folk, latin, pop |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Saxophone, flute, oboe, clarinet |
Years active | 1956–2014 |
Associated acts | |
Website |
www |
Notable instruments | |
Woodwinds |
Benjamín Brea (18 September 1946 – 23 April 2014) was a Spanish-born Venezuelan musician, arranger and teacher, mostly associated with jazz, even though he had the advantage to play several music genres in various bands as a soloist as well as sideman and conductor.[1]
Early life
Born as Benjamín Arsenio Brea Constenla in Galicia, Spain, he moved with his parents to Venezuela in the early 1960s. He received formal music training in Caracas and graduated under Vicente Emilio Sojo in the José Angel Lamas school of music. Brea started his professional career in 1962, becoming an outstanding musician on a great variety of instruments, being able to play all saxophone and flute families, as well as oboe, clarinet and bass clarinet.[2]
After playing with several local dance bands, he remained busy and performed on countless soundtracks and jingles recording sessions. In addition, he became a member of the Radio Caracas Television orchestra and the now defunct Philharmonic Orchestra of Caracas conducted by Aldemaro Romero. Besides, he backed up significant performers as Jeff Berlin, Paquito D'Rivera, Julio Iglesias, Armando Manzanero, Danilo Pérez, Arturo Sandoval, The Jackson Five and The Supremes, while playing in jazz big band formats led by Porfi Jiménez, Alberto Naranjo and Gerry Weil, among others. In between, he performed alongside such local artists as Soledad Bravo, Vytas Brenner, Maria Teresa Chacin, Ilan Chester, Franco de Vita, Simón Díaz, Gualberto Ibarreto, Los Cañoneros, Ricardo Montaner, Alí Primera, María Rivas, Serenata Guayanesa and Cecilia Todd, in recordings or in concert performances.[3]
Discography
Despite working intensively as a sideman in recording sessions, Brea released only three records in his long-lived career. His first solo album Another Point Of View was released in 1995 and consists of his takes on jazz standards of people like Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller, arranged with more contemporanean brushes. It includes tunes like Moonlight Serenade and Summertime, as well as a jazzy version of the andean classic El Cóndor Pasa.[3]
His second album Un Viejo Amor is a more romantic offering and less jazzy, while Christmas Saxes was a production made by him in solitary; recording the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes tracks himself in counterpoint, with the diligent aid of sound engineer Javier Alquati in his own home studio. This last album is a compilation of traditional Christmas songs from Venezuela and beyond.[3]
Other projects
Apart from his own studio projects, he also organised a jazz band to play at gigs and was a staff member at the El Hatillo Jazz Festival, which is an annual event celebrated in the small town of El Hatillo Town, Venezuela.[4]
Later life
In January 2014, Brea fainted while attending a rehearsal and was moved to a hospital in Caracas, where he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He died on 23 April 2014, aged 67.[5]
Discography
- 1995 Another Point of View (Jazz)
- 1997 Un Viejo Amor (World Music)
- 1999 Christmas' Saxes (Easy listening)[3]
Selected collaborations
- 1973
- Edgar Alexánder : Azúcar Cacao y Leche
- 1974
- María Teresa Chacín : Mi querencia
- 1975
- Los Cuñaos : Volumen 2
- Vytas Brenner : La ofrenda
- 1976
- Los Cuñaos : Los Cuñaos vol. 4
- Frank Quintero : Después de la tormenta
- Alex Rodríguez : La Retreta Mayor
- 1979
- Alí Primera : Canción mansa para un pueblo bravo
- Alí Primera : Cuando nombro la poesía
- Gerry Weil : The Message
- María Teresa Chacín : En azul, amarillo y rojo
- 1981
- Guillermo Carrasco : Guillermo Carrasco
- Rosa Virginia Chacín : Mi nostalgia
- 1982
- Yordano : Negocios son negocios
- 1983
- Ilan Chester : Canciones de todos los días
- 1984
- El Medio Evo : Bolumen 4
- Franco De Vita : Franco De Vita
- Alí Primera : Entre La rabia y la ternura
- 1985
- Andy Durán : Mambo-Salsa
- El Medio Evo : Medio Evo de nuevo
- Alí Primera : Por si no lo sabía
- 1987
- Jorge Aguilar : Calor
- 1988
- Guillermo Carrasco : Visual
- Ricardo Montaner : Ricardo Montaner vol. 2
- Pentágono : Más romántico
- 1989
- Alberto Naranjo : Imagen Latina
- Pentágono : Pentágono 3
- 1990
- Federico Britos Ruiz : Conexión jazz
- Franco De Vita : Extranjero
- Agni Mogollón : Entre duendes
- 1991
- Pentágono : Aguanta corazón
- 1992
- María Teresa Chacín : Yo soy venezolana
- El Pavo Frank : Latinos de etiqueta
- Charlie Nagy : Para todos Charlie
- Iván Pérez Rossi : No la quiero
- 1993
- Vytas Brenner : Amazonia
- Andy Durán : A Jazzy Latin Beat
- Marisela Leal : Todo Brasil
- Propiedad Privada : La verdadera historia
- Maricruz Quintero : Niebla y lluvia
- Chiqui Rojas : Sin fronteras
- Cecilia Todd : Una sola vida tengo
- 1994
- María Teresa Chacín : Romántica
- Andy Durán : Latin Jazz Club
- Daniel Grau : You Are In My Dreams
- 1995
- Soledad Bravo : Raices
- Luz Marina : Vestida en flor
- María Teresa Chacín : Amor mío
- Martes 8:30 : Origen Caracas
- Oscar Maggi : Cuidao' con los escalones
- 1996
- Giselle Brass : My Favorite Songs
- Ramón Carranza : Carranza Jazz
- Fusión IV : Tarde pero temprano
- Serenata Guayanesa : Una amistad de 25 años
- 1997
- Various Artists : Jazz desde Aldemaro
- 1998
- Tambor Urbano : Que no se pare la rumba
- Malanga: Ta' trancao
- 2000
- El Pavo Frank : ¡Bravo Pavo!
- Tambor Urbano : La rumba continúa
- 2001
- María Teresa Chacín : Me voy a regalar
- Juan Carlos Núñez : Suite urbana
- Shesura : Diferente amanecer
- 2002
- Fernando Alarcón : Amor de estrellas
- Frank Quintero : Signos de admiración
- 2003
- María Teresa Chacín : La Historia
- César Muñoz : Dentro del papel
- Iván Pérez Rossi : Canto Caribe
- 2004
- Agua De Luna : Mi tiempo
- 2005
- El Pavo Frank : De Colección
- Serenata Guayanesa : El ferrocarril
- 2006
- Andy Durán : Salsa dura y descarga
- 2007
- Ilan Chester : Cancionero del amor venezolano vol. 3
- 2008
- Maruja Muci : My Funny Valentine
- 2009
- Fernando Alarcón : Once de Octubre
- Abraham Gustin : Blue
- Los Cañoneros : Luna sobre el valle
- Francisco Pacheco : Diversidad
- Sergio Pérez : Báilalo tú también
- Elisa Rego : Rockola
- 2012
- Malanga : Sr. Malanga
See also
References
- ↑ Peñín, José; Guido, Walter Guido. Enciclopedia de la Música en Venezuela (1998), Tomo 1, pg. 221. Fundación Bigott, Caracas, Venezuela; ISBN 978-980-6428-03-4
- ↑ Enciclopedia de la Música en Venezuela
- 1 2 3 4 "Benjamin Brea: Biography and Discography". Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ Mipunto.com El Hatillo Jazz Festival (2006; in Spanish); accessed 25 April 2014.
- ↑ Notice of death of Brea, eluniversal.com, 24 April 2014; accessed 25 April 2014.
External links
- Reflexiones del Jazz en Venezuela por Benjamin Brea (Spanish)
- Rock hecho en Venezuela : El Medio Evo (Spanish)
- Rock hecho en Venezuela : Frank Quintero (Spanish)
- Anapapaya : El Pavo Frank article (Spanish)