Eugenio Toussaint
Encyclopedia
Eugenio Toussaint Uhtohff (October 9, 1954 February 8, 2011), was a Mexican
composer, arranger and jazz
musician.
He began playing as a pianist in 1972 with the band "Odradek". In 1975, he took part in the jazz band "Blue Note" (which was also the name of his first album) and a year later he founded the Mexican band "Sacbé", one of the most important Mexican jazz bands. This band started October 2, 1976 and included brothers Enrique Toussaint on bass and Fernando Toussaint on drums, Mexican saxophone player Alejandro Campos was also part of the founding members of the band. In 1979 the band moved to the USA and did some work in Minneapolis with guitar player Will Sumner.
In 1980, the Mexican Government gave him a scholarship and he moved to Los Angeles, California
to study at the Dick Grove Music School, where he met Jon Crosse, a well established teacher and performer in the Los Angeles area.
With Jon Crosse, a new version of Sacbé which was signed by the local Discovery/Trend label. "Street Corner", "Aztlan", and "Dos mundos" were international success.
The same year, he studied orchestration
with Dr. Albert Harris.
He worked with Paul Anka
and trumpet
player Herb Alpert
from 1982 to 1983.
He returned to Mexico City
in 1986 to compose concert music. He has been active in the worlds of jazz music and classical music. He was nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards dor best classical music Cd in 2001 with his album Gauguin and in 2004 with his Musica de Cámara (Chamber Music).Most recently he released the album Oinos with his jazz trio including world famous bass player Eddie Gomez
and drummer Gabriel Puentes from Chile.
A reformed version of Sacbe, as a trio with his two brothers, have performed at the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, at Haitis Port Au Prince Jazz Festival and at the Philippines Jazz Festival in Manila and at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta. He is currently traveling with Doc Severinsen's band (trumpet player that used to be musical conductor for the Tonight Show Band when Johnny Carson was the host), he has also established a very important educational website called musycom.com that gives free music lessons over the internet.
Eugenio died from a heart attack on February 8, 2011 in Mexico City.3
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
composer, arranger and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician.
He began playing as a pianist in 1972 with the band "Odradek". In 1975, he took part in the jazz band "Blue Note" (which was also the name of his first album) and a year later he founded the Mexican band "Sacbé", one of the most important Mexican jazz bands. This band started October 2, 1976 and included brothers Enrique Toussaint on bass and Fernando Toussaint on drums, Mexican saxophone player Alejandro Campos was also part of the founding members of the band. In 1979 the band moved to the USA and did some work in Minneapolis with guitar player Will Sumner.
In 1980, the Mexican Government gave him a scholarship and he moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to study at the Dick Grove Music School, where he met Jon Crosse, a well established teacher and performer in the Los Angeles area.
With Jon Crosse, a new version of Sacbé which was signed by the local Discovery/Trend label. "Street Corner", "Aztlan", and "Dos mundos" were international success.
The same year, he studied orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
with Dr. Albert Harris.
He worked with Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
and trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
player Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert
Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
from 1982 to 1983.
He returned to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in 1986 to compose concert music. He has been active in the worlds of jazz music and classical music. He was nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards dor best classical music Cd in 2001 with his album Gauguin and in 2004 with his Musica de Cámara (Chamber Music).Most recently he released the album Oinos with his jazz trio including world famous bass player Eddie Gomez
Eddie Gomez
Edgar "Eddie" Gómez is a Puerto Rican jazz double bassist born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, perhaps most notable for his work done with the Bill Evans trio from 1966 to 1977.-Biography:...
and drummer Gabriel Puentes from Chile.
A reformed version of Sacbe, as a trio with his two brothers, have performed at the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, at Haitis Port Au Prince Jazz Festival and at the Philippines Jazz Festival in Manila and at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta. He is currently traveling with Doc Severinsen's band (trumpet player that used to be musical conductor for the Tonight Show Band when Johnny Carson was the host), he has also established a very important educational website called musycom.com that gives free music lessons over the internet.
Eugenio died from a heart attack on February 8, 2011 in Mexico City.3
External links
- http://www.eugeniotoussaint.com/
- http://www.ejazznews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=8762&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
- http://www.terra.com.mx/ArteyCultura/articulo/1040059/Murio+Eugenio+Toussaint+pianista+y+compositor+mexicano+de+jazz.htm