“Blue & Latin 6-tet”, led by Jon Urrutia Monnot:

The name of this sextet comes from a performance we gave at the *Berklee Performance Center* in 1999, which was my first sextet project. It included Oscar Stagnaro (electric bass), Francisco Mela (drums), Gustavo Beaujardin (percussion), Patrick Cornelius (alto sax), Peter Slavov (double bass), Monica Benito (vocals), Tuti Fernandez (flamenco guitar), and Jose Mena (cajón).

I decided to name the show we performed at the BPC *“Latin & Blue”* because the music was a mix of Afro-American Jazz (“Hard Bop” and related styles—hence “Blue,” as in “blue note”) and rhythms from Latin music and flamenco (hence “Latin”).

«Afro Blue» (M. Santamaria, arr. J. Urrutia)

«Morning» (C.Fischer, arr. J. Urrutia)

Later, upon returning to Spain, I recorded an album with Errabal Jazz titled *”Homemade”*, which remained aesthetically in the same line, featuring renowned musicians such as **Borja Barrueta** (drums), **Diego el Negro** (percussion), **Toño Miguel** (double bass), and **Santi Ibarretxe** (saxophones and flutes).

Subsequently, in 2008, we recorded the CD *”Carvahlos Castle”* in Brooklyn, New York, together with friends and fellow Berklee/Boston alumni from the late ’90s—musicians who have since become notable figures on the international jazz scene, collaborating with some of the most renowned artists such as **McCoy Tyner**, **Kenny Barron**, **Esperanza Spalding**, **Michael Bublé**, among others. The lineup included: **Francisco Mela** (drums), **Mark Small** (tenor and soprano sax), **Patrick Cornelius** (alto sax), **Nick Vayenas** (trombone), and **Peter Slavov** (double bass).

During my years in Paris, the sextet was composed of French and international musicians, featuring **Josiah Woodson** (trumpet, USA), **Coki Sarria** (percussion, Cuba), **Arthur Decloedt** (double bass, Brazil), **Julien Augier** (drums, France), **Ricardo Izquierdo** (tenor sax, Cuba), and myself on piano and musical direction.

«Someone to watch over me» (G. Gershwin, arr. J. Urrutia)

«Sabor a mi» (A. Carrillo, arr. J.Urrutia)

My current writing for the sextet remains influenced by these two foundational traditions, but the music I compose continues to evolve, shaped by all the new music I listen to and discover daily. More abstract melodies and harmonies, irregular rhythms, and elements of world music now blend with harmonic influences from Western classical composers of the impressionist, expressionist, and new-age schools, as well as from the “ECM-style” jazz. These elements now coexist—at least that is my intention—with the previously mentioned traditions, sometimes with better or worse results.

After relocating to Málaga in 2020, I formed a new *mestizo jazz quintet* featuring **Carlos Cortés** (percussion), **Juanpe Perrocal** (saxophones), **Rajiw Jayaweera** (drums), and **Francis Posé** (double bass). The group occasionally includes prestigious international guest artists, such as the acclaimed African-American vocalist **Denise King**, who recently joined us for a sold-out performance at the *Sala Fundación Unicaja María Cristina* in Málaga.