Two years ago, I met an extraordinary guitarist from Mexico named “Ponch” aka Francisco Lelo de Larrea. I’ll be joining his trio later this month in Mexico City performing at two great venues.
Wednesday, July 29 at Zinco Jazz Club, 9pm
Saturday, August 1 at Parker & Lenox 10pm
Francisco Lelo de Larrea, guitar; Emiliano Coronel, bass; Gabriel Puented, drums
Read about Fransico here:
“………Francisco Lelo de Larrea’s composing/arranging is quite colourful and clever”
…Ben Rattlif , Jazz Review, The New York Times.
“………the album ” Francisco Lelo de Larrea 5uintet” is, in other words, a great
masterpiece”….. Antonio Malacara, La Jornada, Mexico.
“…….he’s not only an amazing guitar player, but also a gifted creative artist…” Enrique
Nery, Mexico.
Born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico,in 1976, he began his musical studies at the
Superior School of Music in Monterrey and then to be continued at the National
Conservatory of Music in Mexico City. He graduated in Jazz Guitar Major degree at
Superior School of Music of the INBA.
He is part of the new generation of Mexican jazz musicians, and he has performed and
recorded with many renowned musicians as well as Mexican projects including
Eugenio Toussaint, Enrique Nery, Agustin Bernal, Rafael Alcalá, Rey David Alejandre,
Diego Maroto, Luri Molina, Iraida Noriega, Magos Herrera, Big Band Jazz de Mexico,
Popo Sanchez, Chucho Lopez, La Casa de Agua, Jazzid, Densidad 6, Colectivo Zebra,
Pepe Mata Big Band, Zinco Big Band, etc. ..
and international artists such as John Benitez, Antonio Hart, Michael Mossman, Bob
Sheppard, Thana Alexa, Jorge Roeder, Shai Maestro, Jarry Singla, Americo Bellotto,
Ari Hoenig, E.J Strickland, Gabriel Hernandez, Alex Kautz, Tyler Mitchell, Chris Cheek,
Oscar Stagnaro, Ricky Rodriguez, Manuel Valera, Gabriel Puentes, Cristian Mendoza,
Jorge Brauet, Hernan Hecht, Ricardo Benitez …
He has performed at major venues and festivals in Mexico and Central America, South
America, Spain and the United States, as Lavee Lee Jazz Club, Baked Potato in LA, and
jazz clubs of New York City as 55 bar, Fat Cat, Somethin’ Jazz club, Joe’s Pub, SOB’s,
Cornelia St Café, Terraza 7 Train cafe, Dizzy’s Club Jazz at Lincoln Center, Queens
Theater in the Park, Summer Stage at Central Park, Flushing Town Hall.
He also performed at Lehman Center in the Bronx with Wesley Reynoso’s Afro Latin
Big Band with renowned flutist Dave Valentin, sharing stage with well known artists
such as Bob Franceschinni, Luis Quintero, Vince Cherico, Ruben Rodriguez, Luis
Bonilla, Mike Rodriguez among other distinguished musicians from the International
Latin Jazz Scene.
He has attended workshops and master classes with Pat Metheny, John Scofield, John
Tchicai, Michel Petrucciani, Bobby McFerrin, Karl Berger, Steve Coleman, Ralph Alessi,
Don Byron, Uri Cane, Bruce Forman, Antonio Sanchez, Mark Levine, Joe Beck, Gene
Bertonccini, Jeff Berlin, Leo Brower, Scott Henderson, Ravi Coltrane, among others.
He has taken private lessons with guitarists Adam Rogers, Ben Monder, Paul
Bollenback, Lage Lund, Ken Basman, Jonathan Kreisberg, David Gilmore, Brad Shepik,
Randy Vincent and Eduardo Piastro.
He studied composition with saxophonist Miguel Zenón, arranging with Michael P.
Mossman, improvisation with saxophonist Antonio Hart and harmony with pianist
David Berkman.
As an educator he has taught in several courses, clinics and didactical concerts in the
most important seminars and jazz academies in Mexico, such as the Jazz Fest
Seminar, Festival Jazzuv (Xalapa), Tonica A.C Seminar, National Guitar Camp
(Guadalajara) AGS Regional Jazz Meeting (Aguascalientes) BUAP Seminar (Puebla)
Escuela Superior de Musica, DIM School of Music, Fermatta Academy of Music, G.
Martell, (DF) Conservatorio de las Rosas, C.E.M.A.C (Morelia) Licenciatura de Jazz
Unicach (Chiapas) Universidad Autonoma de Tabasco, Escuela Superior de Música de
Monterrey, Talleres Conarte, Academia DaCapo, Facultad de Música de la U.A.N.L
(Monterrey) Festival de Jazz de Chihuahua (Cd. Juárez) Centro Revueltas (Duerando)
Escuela de Música Contemporanea (Oaxaca) Festival Amado Nervo (Nayarit) Centro de
Artes Musicales CAM (Tijuana)
He has an album titled ” Francisco Lelo de Larrea 5uinteto ” (2007) with Fernando
Acostatenor,
alto, soprano saxes, Rey David Alejandretrombone,
Aaron Cruzbass,
and Gabriel Puentesdrums,
and Francisco on guitar, compositions and arragements.
This project has performed at the most important venues and jazz festivals in Mexico,
and is considered one of the most important jazz scene projects and also has an
important recognition and place within Mexican jazz discography in recent years.
Since 2011 he has lived in New York City, where he obtained an Art Masters Degree in
Jazz performance at Aaron Copland School of Music in Queens College, after winning
a grant from the National Fund for Culture and Arts of Mexico.
At the same time, he continues performing his project along New York scene’s
musicians and working on his second album.
