Trombonist,composer and arranger Papo Vázquez is more than thirty-five years into a careerspanning the Jazz, Latin, Afro-Caribbean music and recording worlds.

This year, he has focused on the new recording “Oasis”with his Mighty Pirates Troubadours. A tight septet performing Papo’s modern compositions utilizing traditionalPuerto Rican folklore, soulful ballads, and an exotic Middle-Eastern tune. Inaddition to Vázquez, the core band consists of Willie Williams; tenor sax, RickGermanson; piano, Dezron Douglas; bass, Alvester Garnett; drums, AnthonyCarrillo; percussion and Carlos Maldonado; percussion.

Papo’s variations on traditional themes uses terms like Plena Jazz, Bomba Hoyo de MulaJazz, Yuba' Jazz, Holande Pirata, Jibaro Waltz, Plena Funk and Mapeye Jazz tohelp describe his music.

In 2011 he was presented by Pregones Theater an NEA Latino Masters Award under theNational Endowments for the Arts American Masterpieces.

Vázquez won a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album for his recording “Marooned/Aislado Papo Vazquez Mighty Pirates."The live recording was comprised of a nineteen member big band; on hisindependent music label, Picaro Records.

Born in 1958 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the age of 17, he moved to New Yorkand soon began playing and recording with other top artists in the salsa scenelike The Fania All -Stars, Ray Barretto, Willie Colón, Grupo FolkloricoNuyorquino, Eddie Palmieri, Larry Harlow, and Hector La Voe.

Vázquezalso became a key player in New York’s burgeoning Latin Jazz scene of the late1970's, performing with Jerry Gonzalez, Hilton Ruiz, and others. He began studying Jazz with SlideHampton, eventually recording and performing for Slide Hampton's World of Trombones.

Vázquezwent on to perform with jazz luminaries Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Foster, MelLewis, Mario Rivera, Hilton Ruiz and toured Europe with the Ray CharlesOrchestra. By the age of 22, Vázquez had traveled the globe.

Later on he joined Tito Puente's Latin JazzEnsemble, traveling with them as

principletrombonist, and toured Europe with Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra.

Vázquezhas always been deeply moved by jazz, and specifically cites the music of JohnColtrane and J.J. Johnson as having most influenced him. In addition, hisappreciation for and knowledge of the indigenous music of the Caribbeanprovides him with a unique ability to fuse Afro-Caribbean rhythms, with freermelodic and harmonic elements of progressive jazz.

Duringthe 1980s, he began to experiment with “Bomba Jazz,” a mixture of jazz andtraditional Puerto Rican Bomba. In 1993 he recorded his first album as aleader,

Breakout. Formore information visit: www.papovazquez.com

Later,he released Pirates Troubadours - At the Point, Vol.1 then the following year released At ThePoint, Vol. 2.

Thegroup performed at festivals around the world and released Carnivalin San Juan in 2003, followed by FromThe Badlands in 2007.

In2008, through a grant from The Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia,Vázquez was asked to expand the group Pirates Troubadours, and was commissionedto compose new music for a 19-piece Afro Puerto Rican Jazz Orchestra. The eventwas recorded live, resulting in a Grammy nomination for “Marooned/Aislado Papo Vazquez Mighty Pirates" for Best LatinJazz Album.