Palma / Teatre Xesc Forteza

Sunday 8 December 2019 at 8.30pm

Glissando Big Band

Fran Català and Cristian Sorribas: Alto saxophones

Carles Medina and Pau Vidal: Tenor saxophones

Miquel Àngel Rigo: Baritone saxophone.

Miquel Amengual, Tomeu Garcies, Joan Amengual: Trombones

Miquel Gayà: Bass trombone

Pep Garau, Julián Abad, Jaume Blázquez, Guillem Nadal: Trumpets

Joan Garcias: Double bass

Salvador Font: Drums

Guillem Fullana: Guitar

Jaume Riera: Piano

Cecilia Gimenez: Vocals

Toni Vaquer: Director

The Glissando Big Band is a large-scale jazz group created in May 2011. Formed by 19 musicians, it is one of the first created on the island of Mallorca and the only stable one.

Since its inception, it has given numerous concerts throughout the island, some as outstanding as the concerts held with Andrea Motis and Joan Chamorro in 2012. The concert held in January 2014 at the Teatre de Lloseta with the great trumpeter David Pastor. The concerts dedicated to Duke Ellington with Sergi Vergés, professor at the Liceu Conservatory of Barcelona, ​​in February 2015. As well as the concerts, within the same year, with the outstanding American saxophonist Bob Sands. Within the year 2016, a concert was held with the collaboration of Vicens Martin, current professor at the Higher Jazz Conservatory of the Balearic Islands, preparing a repertoire of his compositions and arrangements under his direction.

In 2017 they recorded their first album entitled “Progression” dedicated to the music of Salvador Font “Mantega” with arrangements and direction by Toni Vaquer. This project also involved Pau Vadell Vallbona (Calonge, 1984), winner of the Jocs Florals de Barcelona 2017 with the collection of poems “Esquenes vinclades”. Who wrote and recited a poem on one of the tracks recorded on the album. It was published in May 2018 and since that date they have dedicated themselves to presenting the album in different places on the island such as the jazz cycle of the Teatre Xesc Forteza, the Teatre de Manacor, Teatre de Santanyí, Fàbrica Ramis or FiraB. “Progression” was awarded the Enderrock 2018 award for Balearic music for the best jazz album.

Recently, our participation in the 3rd edition of the Jazz Tales Festival, held in Egypt on April 2, 3 and 4, 2019, stands out, carrying out a workshop (Alexandria) and two concerts (Alexandria and Cairo), within this Festival we collaborate with the local artist Nesma Mahgoub.

The Glissando Big Band has performed throughout the island, in the vast majority of theaters and auditoriums, and has participated in the San Sebastian revue, the Alcúdia Jazz Festival, the Cala d'or Jazz Festival, Inca Jazz, among others.

On the other hand, the group has been in continuous training, carrying out collaborations with established musicians on the island such as Franco Bombelli or Perico Linale, as well as several masterclasses with musicians as renowned as David Pastor himself, Sergi Vergés, Joan Chamorro, Bob Sands, the German bassist Stephan Rademacher or the artistic director of the WDR big band Lucas Schmid. Currently we can enjoy the great talent of Toni Vaquer, one of the most prestigious arrangers and composers of these times, as director of the Glissando Big Band.

On the other hand, the Glissando Big Band, in the style of the North American swing orchestras of the 30s, the group is composed of 5 saxophones (2 altos, 2 tenors and a baritone), 4 trombones (3 tenors and 1 bass), 4 trumpets, rhythmic base (double bass, guitar, piano and drums) and voice.