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Sunday, November 16, 2008 / New Videos Uploaded

Check out the new videos from a concert in Spain last summer. Visit the music page and ... ENJOY!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 / The day I met Barack Obama (a true story)

It was Sunday November 21st 2004, right after the past presidential election. I felt pretty devastated about the Bush re-election, you know being a musician and all, and my “Euro-snobbiness” was at a peak high wondering how the hell all these Americans chose a moron like that as president. Obama had entered the global awareness just a few weeks before after his phenomenal speech at the DNC, and I remember watching that online and thinking "there is someone that finally makes sense in this mess of a country ".

That Sunday was particularly shitty for me as I was returning from a tour in California, and the rest of the band was flown straight back to NY... except me! I got a mileage ticket with 4 and 1/2 layover at Chicago O'Hare and was plotting a murder to eliminate the bandleader (he's a good guy and we still friends though).

So I get to my gate in Chicago, and I see him sitting there, just calmly reading the New York Times . He certainly projected a calming aura, so I think to myself: “What the hell, I’ll say something”. The conversation went like something like this:

AC: Hi, are you Barack Obama?

BO: Yes, I am!

AC: Hey just wanted to say that I’m really sorry you guys lost the election… and that I saw your speech at the Democratic Convention and really liked it… it made a lot of sense…

BO: Thanks a lot! We’re just going to have to work hard…

AC: Well, I’m from Spain and it’s just hard to live in this country sometimes, you know…

BO: Oh, I love Spain, what part of Spain are you from?

AC: Barcelona

BO: I love it there, these good friends of mine live there and we visited a while back, what a great place…

AC: Yeah and everyone has health insurance over there, you know…

BO: Of course,… hey is that a bass bow you’re carrying there?

AC: (thinking to myself… “Holy shit how does he know that?”) errr… yeah! I’m a bassist how did you know it was a …

BO: So you play jazz?

AC: Yes, I do, I’m coming back to NY from a tour in California…

BO: Cool! So that’s why you came to the US for… your music?

AC: Yeah I did my masters and then, you know, I met the right girl, and still here…

BO: Great, best of luck to you, what’s your name?

AC: Alexis

BO: Alexis, it’s great to meet you.

AC: Likewise, I think you should run for President next time you know?

BO: Well… we’re just going to have to work real hard, we’re on it!

AC: Thanks! It’s been great to meet you too

At that moment we shake hands, and he goes back to reading the times. He is a brand new senator and once we’re on the plane I see he’s flying coach and sitting in the center seat. My thoughts of a shitty flight are now gone, and when I we land at JFK I call Ave (the right girl who is now my wife) and tell her that Obama is in the same plane. At the arrival gate I cross paths with him once more and he says goodbye. What a great fucking guy he is, I feel lucky and dignified, honored to have met him.

Four years later he is going to be the President of the United States and I’ve just had two beautiful children. Ave and I had already decided that if McCain wins we’re leaving the country. Last night, when seeing the reaction of his victory’s across the country I realized that I have never seen anyone inspire people like Obama does, and I feel like the world is going to be OK again and that staying in the US will be great, I might even want to become a citizen now…

Monday, October 13, 2008 / Alexis Cuadrado - new twin dad!

Biel and Guillem Cuadrado Carrillo were born today! They are the most beautiful twin boys that I have ever seen!
Love, Alexis

Friday, August 29, 2008 / Alexis Awarded Chamber Music America Grant

Alexis' new project "Noneto Ibérico" has been awarded with a "New Works" grant from Chamber Music America - Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
This project will be premiered in 2009. Alexis is working in a new long piece of music that will be performed by a group that combines some of he best NYC performers with some of the most outstanding musicians from Spain.

Here's the lineup:

Alexis Cuadrado - Bass, compositions, arrangements
Perico Sambeat - Saxes
Loren Stillman - Saxes
Avishai Cohen - Trumpet
Alan Ferber - Trombone
Victor Prieto - Accordion
Brad Shepik - Guitar
Marc Miralta - Percussion
Mark Ferber - Drums

More on this later!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 / Alexis on WKCR's Musician's show

Where: WKCR's Musician's show. Tune your radios to 89.9FM or listen online
When:Today Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 | 6:00 to 9:00 p.m
Who: Alexis Cuadrado and Anne Mette Iversen, of BJURecords will be guest DJs hosted by Daniel R. Tyner Bryant.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 / AllAboutJazz article about Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records

By Mark F. Turner

The launch of Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records in the Spring of 2008 was a clear indication of the sign of the times where musicians are taking control of their own destinies, creating labels that are autonomous and imaginatively focused on their own ideas. READ MORE

Monday, May 19, 2008 / Alexis Cuadrado on NPR Music

Alexis Cuadrado: Jazz from the Underground
By Josh Jackson
Hear an interview and performance on NPR Music

2008

May

Thu15 8PM
Alexis Cuadrado Trio Iberico BND La Lanterna NYC,

Fri 23 9PM
"Puzzles" CD RELEASE PARTY @ THE JAZZ GALLERY NYC

Sat 24 7PM
With Guilherme Monteiro & Jorge Continentino Quartet@ Cachaça NYC

Fri 30 9PM
With Joan Sanmartí Quartet - Granollers, Barcelona.

Sat 31 9PM
With Joan Sanmarti. Sunset Club. Girona      

June

Mon 2 & Tue 3
Recording with Joan Sanmartí Quartet

Mon 23 8.30PM
Puzzles Quartet @ Tea Lounge Brooklyn NY      NYC, New York

Tue 24 7:30P
With Andy Green @ Choice NYC

Mon 30 8:00PM
Duet with Steve Cardenas - Scopello - Brooklyn NY

July

Sun 6 to Sat 12
Maine Jazz Camp - Teaching & Concerts          Farmington, Maine
with John O’Galagher, Russ Johnson, Alan Ferber, Pete McCann, Ben Waltzer , Alexis Cuadrado & Owen Howard.

Thu 17 to Sun 20
Puzzles Quartet at Zarautz Jazz Workshop Teaching & Concerts
Also with Iñaki Salvador, Guillermo Klein, Carme Canela, Mikel Andueza, Gonzalo Tejada.

Wed 23
Puzzles Quartet @ Sa Clau - Maó- Menorca   

Thu 24
Puzzles Quartet- Ciutadella- Menorca   

Fri 25
Puzzles Quartet  Terrassa Jazz Cava

Sat 26
Puzzles Quartet  Jamboree - Barcelona

Sun 27
Puzzles Quartet- Font Del Balç . Gironella