NELSON, LUIS AND RAUL/KCLU-8/30/07

At KCLU,88.3 FM Ventura County, CA. surrounded by two of the greatest (and nicest) radio personalities in the world of Latin Jazz: Nelson Rodríguez and Raul Rico Jr.

ARENAL VOLCANO/COSTA RICA

RADIO INTERVIEW 8/24/07

With Marta Elia y Marcello Pedrolo of "Mirando al Sur" radio program, on KCBX, 90.1 San Luis Obispo, CA.

TODAY ON KPFK 90.7 LOS ANGELES

I will be doing an interview this morning on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, at 11:00 AM. I will be joining Sergio Mielniczenko on the "Global Village". Join us!

Milton Nascimento - Travessia (ao vivo)

JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET LIVE/NAIMA

Bonfa/Gilberto/ Jobim/Copacabana Palace (1962)

THE JAZZ BUFFALO

Tune in to "The Jazz Buffalo Latin Jazz Program" on the "Live365 Internet Radio Network" (www.live365.com/stations/jazzbuffalo ), where you can listen to the best in Latin Jazz, plus several tracks from "Of Soul and Shadow".

RADIO INTERVIEW 8/24/07

I will be doing another live radio interview this coming Friday, August 24th starting at 10:00 PM, on KCBX National Public Radio, San Luis Obispo, CA 90.1, Santa Barbara 89.5, as part of the "Mirando al Sur" radio program. This is a wonderful show which airs every Friday from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM, hosted by Marta Elia and Marcello Pedrolo, spreading the music of South America and the influence of Jazz in it. Please, visit their blog at: http://miroalsur.blogspot.com/ Hope you can be with us on Friday.

RADIO INTERVIEW 8/30/07

On Thursday, August 30th, at 8:00 PM, I will be doing a live radio interview on “Jazz Latino”, KCLU (88.3 in Ventura County, 102.3 in Santa Barbara County ), with wonderful host, superb percussionist and dear friend Raul Rico Jr. Please join us. Luis.

THE GREAT CHANGUITO

LUZ DEL SUR/ LUIS MUNOZ

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Thursday, September 6, at 8:30 PM: Soho Music Club. 1221 State Street, Suite 205, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. For reservations:805-962-7776. www.sohosb.com
Thursday, September 27th. Two shows, 8:00 and 10:00 PM. The Vic for Jazz. 2640 Main St. Santa Monica, CA 90405. Reservations: 888-367-5299. www.thevicforjazz.com

First Review is out "Of Soul and Shadow"

"With this collection, Luis Munoz takes the concept of eclecticism to a whole new and exciting level". Jonathan Widran, Allmusic.com

NYC 7/07

NEW FRIENDS AT YANKEE STADIUM

NYC 7/07/ YANKEE STADIUM

NYC 7/07 Jazz

With Adam at the Village Vanguard/Paul Motian's Quintet

NYC 7/07

Holly, Adam and Luis on top of the world, Empire State Building, 1:00 AM.

NYC 7/07

Feijoada Completa and other goodies, celebrating Brazil's victory at the Copa America.

NYC 7/07 Ignacio Berroa at Jazz Standard

With family and great pianist and old friend Adam Asarnow, at Jazz Standard, seen Cuban drummer Ignacio Berroa

NYC 7/07

PRE-ORDER THE NEW CD NOW!

The official release date for my latest CD, "Of Soul and Shadow" is August 21, 2007. Pre-order it today, exclusively at www.luismunoz.net

"Of Soul and Shadow" ad campaign

This is the advertisement that will be coming out in several Jazz publications, when "Of Soul and Shadow" is officially released on August 21st, 2007.

SuperGenerous - The Legend of Johnny Cactus

REHEARSAL SHOTS/ VENTURA, CA.

NEW PROMO SHOT.

This is a new promo shot. It will be used for the "Of Soul and Shadow" campaign. Thanks to my friend John Balint for a wonderful job done with the camera and for his generosity.

MY WRITING CONSOLE

This is my workstation/home studio, where I spend most of my time writing:
COMPUTERS: Mac G4 733 MHz with a Formac monitor and a Mac Dual-Core Intel 2 x 2.66 GHz with a Dell monitor. Both run Digital Performer 5.11.
CONTROLLER: Kurzweil K2600 XS running MAC FIVE and a multitude of sample libraries, including Ivory Grand Pianos, Miroslav Vitous, Garritan and Vienna Orchestras, plus Gigasampler, Spectrasonics, Steinberg sounds, etc.
INTERFACE: Motu 828.
MONITORS: Mackie HR 824
NOTATION SOFTWARE: Believe it or not, I still work with good old pencil and paper. However, that will change,once Sibelius comes out with the Universal Binary version of their software.

These are the writing tools I use to finish and demo my compositions. However, when it comes to recording, I use acoustic instruments exclusivelly.

AT WORK: 5/25/07

Luis Muñoz live at the Litchfield Jazz Festival 2005

Keith Jarrett's European Quartet 1976/ Mandala

New Agent

I am happy to let you all know that Carlos Alberto de Leon, "Beto", is my new agent as of yesterday. Beto, born and raised in Uruguay, has been involved with music one way or another ( producer, promoter, record store owner, agent. etc.) his entire life. I am very happy to have him join the Pelin Music family. Welcome Beto!
For more info on Beto, please visit him at : www.corazonconcerts.com

RADIO PROGRAM: "LA MUSICA DE LUIS MUNOZ"

Please visit Centroamericanto ( www.centroamericanto.com ) and listen this week to the radio program special "The Music Of Luis Muñoz"

Brake from the studio

I am done with "Of Soul and Shadow". It is all mixed, mastered and ready to be pressed. I took a few days off this week, went to the Getty Museum, and watched a play in LA (Wicked). Next week, back to the drawing board.

Mercedes Sosa/Gracias a la Vida

Adam

WORKING IN PARADISE!!!!

View of the front yard of Beagle Recording Studios, in Montecito, CA, where I mixed and mastered "De Alma y Sombra".

THE LATEST ON "DE ALMA Y SOMBRA"

I am done mixing "De Alma y Sombra". I am now mastering and working on the art work, gigs and charts to start performing live the new material. Needless to say, I am VERY happy with the results. It took me two years to write, arrange and record it all, but it's been totally worth it. The CD will be out in June, on the City Hall Records label.
I 've made a few changes to the band's format. This time it will be a 8 piece ensemble, with the addition of percussionist John Nathan handling mainly the marimba parts. We will continue exploring the mix of Costa Rican flocklore and Jazz that we started to do on this new recording (John is on three tracks on "De Alma..."). Costa Rican percussionist Ramses Araya, also present on the new recording, will be joining us on several gigs. Regards! Luis.

The New Generation/David Gomez

MY SET UP

This is my present drum set up: Yamaha Birch Absolute Drums and Hardware ( 20" Bass, 10" and 15" Toms, 6.5 x 14' Snare), Evans G1 Heads, Paiste Traditional Cymbals, Toca Timbal and Bell, Regal Tip Sticks and Fat Congas Cajón used as a throne.

RECORDING "LA VERDAD"

Singers Gil Valencia and Andy Zúñiga recording "la Verdad".

SKetchbook/Azul 3

SKetchbook/Azul 2

Sketchbook/Azul 1

LAST RECORDING SESSION

Photos from the last recording session for " De Alma y Sombra".
Costa Rican percussionist Ramses Araya playing Bata Drums on the cut "Adam's Dream". Alto sax player Dave Binney working on "Paso a Paso".

SKETCHBOOK/THE JUGGLER 2

SKETCHBOOK/THE JUGGLER 1

MONK EN COSTA RICA/SHORT STORY

Pipín era un cholo alto, fuerte y narizón, de dientes grandes y protuberante quijada o "gaveta," como les dicen en Costa Rica. Por diez años fuimos inseparables. Vivía a sólo media cuadra de mí, en una casa esquinera verde con sus padres don Pablo y doña Soledad, su hermano Francisco, su tío Rodrigo y su abuelos don Juan y doña Camelia. Don Pablo era policía y su esposa doña Soledad, una hermosa mujer de boca amplia, ojos almendrados y caderas fuertes y sensuales, como una Sofía Loren tica...Read more

COMING UP IN MAY/NEW CD

My new CD "De Alma y Sombra" will be released this May, on the "Pelin Music" Label, distributed by City Hall Records (www.cityhallrecords.com). It will include 11 cuts total, featuring some of the greatest musicians that I have ever worked with, among them, trumpeters Adolfo Acosta (Tower of Power) and Jonathan Dane, Ron Kalina on chromatic harmonica, Dave Binney on alto sax, Ramses Araya ( Ruben Blades) on percussion, George Friedenthal ( Kenny Loggins) on piano, bassists Tom Etchart, Nico Abondolo and Randy Tico, and vocalists Gil Valencia and Andy Zúñiga. I'll be on the road after that with an 8 piece band. We'll keep you posted on upcoming performances. Thanks! Luis.

Sketchbook/Conguero

BERNARDA Y LA LUJURIA/SHORT STORY

Piedades de Santa Ana era un puñado de viviendas llenas de niños semidesnudos, perros flacos, carretas olvidadas con bueyes invisibles y canastos de café vacíos. Frente a las casas de piso de tierra y techo de tejas, viejos se sentaban a saludar con sus bastones de rama de güitite a todo aquel que pasara por enfrente. Escolares agarradas de la mano llenaban las aceras sobre un fondo de girasoles y veraneras en flor. Calles enmarcadas por frondosos árboles de jocote y carao guiaban jinetes a su destino... Read more

Monk # 1/"Any notes you want"

Jan Garbarek,Egberto Gismonti,Charlie Haden

Sketchbook/Mask

Mixing sessions

Mixing sessions for my upcoming CD "De Alma y Sombra" ( Of Soul & Shadow), continue at Beagle Studios in Montecito, CA. I'll be there tomorrow from 2:00 PM until midnight. So far, we've finished seven cuts: Entre El Mar Y La Tristeza, El Vedado, Al Silencio, La Semilla, Mas Allá De La Nostalgia, La Verdad and Adam's Dream. Four more to go and we'll be done.

Sketchbook