Album Notes

PABLO MAYOR, composer/pianist/arranger, born in Palmira, Colombia, holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Jazz Arranging from the University of North Texas. While professor of jazz at Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia, in 1998, Mr. Mayor began his personal search... a process of first becoming acquainted with his own Colombian identity, and subsequently with the native music of his country. He now resides in NYC, where his concept of Folkore Urbano was born. Having been intellectually drawn to jazz, but all his life connected spiritually to the musical language of Colombia, Mr. Mayor has been seeking a form of expression that combines both musical worlds. The album Aviso represents this fusion of language; its goal is to reach a diverse audience: those who relate with the dance element of Afro-Colombian rhythms, as well as those who are intrigued by the elements of jazz.

While continuing extensive research on the rich musical traditions of Colombia and directing and producing his group Pablo Mayor---Folklore Urbano, Mr. Mayor actively freelances as teacher and pianist in the NYC area, much of his work based in the Afro-Cuban scene. He has been working as both pianist and arranger for Orquesta Broadway since 2000, having just finished arranging and recording piano for the upcoming 40-year celebration CD.

As a teacher, Mr. Mayor is on the faculty of the renowned Manhattan Latin music school, "Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts," where he teaches Latin piano. He is also on the faculty of the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory, where he teaches jazz arranging and directs jazz ensembles.

His work as writer has drawn him to the ID Studio theatre company in NYC, directed by German Jaramillo. He currently works as resident composer, and has written, performed, and produced the music for A Clear Midnight (based on Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass), and more recently El Patio, (a piece written for the Dominican Republic community in honor of 9-11 and the plane crash in Queens shortly thereafter). He has also worked as an arranger for Drop 6 Media, Inc., a publishing company based in Denton, TX, which specializes in music for schools and universities. Mr. Mayor has produced and arranged for musicians in Dallas, New York, Colombia, and Mexico.