Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Online review of "Inner Peace"

Take a second to read :) This Rob Young fellow has some great taste in music!

Back in August of this year, saxophonist Albert Rivera stepped out with his impromptu project “Inner Peace,” to shake and rattle things up a bit on the jazz scene. Recently I was drawn to reacquaint myself with the power, energy and finesse of his magnetic horn play as it blurs seamlessly through the conduit of the eclectic voice of this amazing saxophonist on his debut “Re-Introduction” released in 2008. For those of you who haven’t, you might want to consider his mind-blowing bop-infused jazz excursion on Turnaround Records. –Rob Young | The Urban Flux
http://theurbanflux.wordpress.com/

Great Interview Last Night!

Hey everyone
So last night I had the pleasure of being interviewed by radio host David May from WHFC 91.1 which is located in Bel Air, MD. Radio is always important in reaching a larger audience, so whenever I get asked to be a part of one, I'm always down.
It was nice and we touched a lot of subjects. Below is the broadcast, so feel free to check it out!

Albert Rivera Interview on WHFC 91.1 with David May by AlbertRivera

I can't believe the year is almost done..Well, I guess I can. Things have been so busy which is such an amazing feeling that time has moved so quickly. But 2011 will be a great one! Stay tuned. For new years eve, I will be performing at B Smith's to ring in the new year. I'm excited!
Feel free to post my Facebook link(www.facebook.com/albertriverajazz) or my regular website link (www.AlbertRiveraJazz.com) on any social media website and share! Sharing is caring right?
Smiles
Albert

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas to everyone!

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.  ~Charles Dickens

I leave you today with a word of wisdom about Christmas from the great Charles Dickens.
Keep in mind to use this day as a day to help others, especially the less fortunate. For the very fact that you can read this post, check your emails,  and woke up this morning with shelter proves to yourself, that without a doubt you are one of the most luckiest men/women in this world. Spread the love.

I'll be performing a special Christmas day show at B Smith's tonight (320 West 46th Street) starting at 6 p.m.

Stay Smiling!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

A letter about life written by the great Napoleon Hill

I hope that everyone who takes a moment to read this letter becomes inspired as I did, as I continue to do. I am grateful for being able to learn from Napoleon Hill. For teaching people that helping...is the greatest wealth of all.

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       "Life, you can’t subdue me because I refuse to take your discipline too seriously. When you try to hurt me, I laugh-and the laughter knows no pain. I appreciate your joys wherever I find them; your sorrows neither frighten nor discourage me, for there is laughter in my soul.

       Temporary defeat does not make me sad. I simply set music to the words of defeat and turn it into a song. Your tears are not for me, for I like laughter much better, and because I like it, I use it as a substitute for grief and sorrow and pain and disappointment.

       Life, you are a fickle trickster-don’t deny it. You slipped the emotion of love into my heart so that you might use it as a thorn with which to prick my soul-but I learned to dodge your trap with laughter. You tried to lure me with the desire for gold, but I have fooled you by following the trail which leads to knowledge instead. You induced me to build beautiful friendships-then converted my friends to enemies so you may harden my heart, but I sidestepped your figure on this by laughing off your attempts and selecting new friends in my own way.

      You caused men to cheat me at trade so I will become distrustful, but I won again because I possess one precious asset which no man can steal-it is the power to think my own thoughts and to be myself. You threaten me with death, but to me death is nothing worse than a long peaceful sleep, and sleep is the sweetest of human experiences-excepting laughter. You build a fire of hope in my heart, then sprinkle water on the flames, but I can go you one better by rekindling the fire-and I laugh at you once more.

     You have nothing that can lure me away from laughter, and you are powerless to scare me into submission. To a life of laughter, then, I raise my cup of cheer!”

Napoleon Hill

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Such a great hang tonight...and new update on my blog!

So while I'm out here in CT for another day, tonight after having a great time hanging in a local restaurant with 2 great people, I got home feeling inspired. Probably because we spent a large part of the hang talking about life and it's random turns, I decided let's do something productive. We'll I can't say it was to productive, but since I'm trying to develop a larger online community I decided that both in my blog and my personal website I would add a twitter feed. Not life changing, but pretty cool nonetheless.

We'll if you're om twitter or Facebook for that matter be sure to "follow" me and all my travels. Who knows where the life of a musician will lead me next or who I will meet. I do know one thing for sure, that tomorrow I will have a great year end lunch with great people at Litchfield Performing Arts, I'll head back to the city and the great time of the holidays and Christmas is here!

So take a moment and look around, give a hug or simply a smile to a loved one, tell them that you appreciate them and all that they do, help someone in need, and always...remember to be happy! Life is to beautiful not to be!
Until next time,
Your buddy from the Bronx!
Albert Rivera!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Philly had a great vibe!

I arrived to Philly early yesterday afternoon. My buddy Jon Michele had hired me to perform at a club he regularly performs at, but in this case he was working another event. He promised me that the musicians n the gig were top notch and it would be a great time. On his word, I hopped on BoltBus.com and for a nice ticket price of $8 a arrived quickly and 1 piece.

It was pretty cold, well since it is the middle of December, and there was not much time to simply walk around the city of brotherly love, but in the few hours I did have, we grab some food, and a tea and we chatted. I'm always down to chat...especially if it deals with business, or helping others.

We went our different ways and I found myself at Le Cochon Noir in West Philadelphia. The spot was a bit hard to find but nonetheless I arrived with time to spare. The place is big,  I mean..like a warehouse kinda big..a nice look inside with a huge stage. I was officially super excited.

I met the band mates one by one as they each arrived separately.  I could sense they were great people..the vibe from each one of them was a loving and happy one..so as far as I was concerned the gig was already a success before our first note.

Success may be the accurate word, but the vibe on stage when we started playing was truly special. We played..and played. We hit it hard from all angles and didn't stop. Last night was one of those gigs that one wishes it would have been recorded..bootlegged, or even videoed. But it was not. So for those people listening, they had bard witness to music making in the top level. You now things were intense when, as I finished performing on the last song and introducing the band mates, I take a look at my mouthpiece and a small amount of blood was on the reed.

Yeah...It was that intense.

That's the beauty of music...you never really know who you will meet, what connections you will find, or even what music will be created. Hey, now that it is all said and done, I left Philly with a few new friends, a great feeling and a memory of a night where 4 strangers came together and created something beautiful.
Time for me to go and continue living this dream of mine I call life...let's see what today will bring about.
Help others and stay smiling
Albert

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Productivity is the key!

So this week I've had a few days where I can just stay and work from home. Which as many of you many know the last 2 months, to have a day "off" is a rarity, but between me and you, it's been such a blessing to be so busy! I hope it never stops! But, with that being said, i've been focusing alot on getting new videos up on youtube.com/bronxsax as well as getting fans some new downloads of songs and of course trying to build a larger fan base..
Whew...if it sounds like a lot of work..and if you are thinking it is...then you're right!

I'm still on a soulful high from last weeks shows, and now more then ever feel so confident about where my music is heading and the band members that the future is even more exciting!
I gotta say thanks once gain to Beck Burger, Nate Jolley and Andrew Lipow for the shows and the hang!
It's only the beginning ya!

Here is a video of a solo I took on the Blues. This was cookin! Take a look and a listen!





If you want more information on the band, visit them on their own websites

www.Natejolley.com
www.WarpoldWine.com
www.BeckBurger.Bandcamp.com


Until next time..as always,
Be Happy and Stay Smiling!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

This band is seriously no joke...

I think I can honestly say that I have found a style that is uniquely my own. Well I can't take full credit, it's 4 of us. 4 different brains, 4 different personalities and what I can say, is that we are all on the same frequency.
The way things feel on stage is as if we have known each other our whole lives. The connection is a tight one, and I can't imagine how it's going to be in a few months, or a few years. I'll tell this to everyone, we are here to stay, I'm going to do my best to change peoples perception on "jazz" music...and I feel like this band is as strong mentally as it is as a performance group.
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For that..I am grateful!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Atlanta has been great!

We arrived Wednesday evening after a nice drive down the east coast from Washington, DC. The night before we had performed in Twins Jazz Club, which was an amazing hang and the music was right there with the feeling! We woke up early, read to embark on a car ride that would last us a little under 10 hours. I never knew 10 hours could feel that short. Armed with XM radio, snacks, and a great vibe, we headed down.

We arrived at the Waverly Renaissance Hotel in Atlanta, and let me tell you..What an amazing hotel! People are so friendly down here, I mean, it's as if they go out their way to be friendly.


It's been jammed with stuff we had to do, In the Morning we stopped by at the studios of WLCK which is one of the prominent Jazz Stations in the country and had a great time, later that night we headed over cross town to the studios of WRFG for what ended up being 2 hours on the air with an impromtu Live solo performance on air. Thanks to John(the host) for being so kind.

Tonight we are performing at the Churchill Grounds in downtown Atlanta. There sure is a buzz going on, and I just have that feeling it's gonna be another great show! I love being a musician, but above all, I love my life!
Until Next time! Stay Smiling!
    


 (Picture of the outside of  my hotel room)

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

JazzWise Review - December 2010

ALBERT RIVERA

Inner Peace

Turnaround Records TR 1003

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Rivera (ts, ss); Jean Caze, Nick Roseboro (t); Beck Burger (Hammond B3); Zaccai Curtis (p); Mark Whitfield (g); Luques Curtis (b); Nathan Jolley, John Iannuzzi (d). Rec: January 2010

I have a very soft spot for Albert Rivera’s playing. This is the follow-up to his previous “Re-Introduction” and again utilizes the services of the multi-talented Curtis brothers pianist Zaccai and bassist Luques. There’s an empathy between the three of them that helps make Rivera’s music just that little bit different from anything else around and which is best personified on the outstanding haunting modal title tune “Inner Peace”. There are also two interesting trumpet players split between most of the tracks (Cage and Roseboro) and each shows distinctive and considerable promise. The opening track is in total contrast. A big back beat organ-based soul jazz stomper, which has been released as a single in the States. The same line-up with Whitfield and Cage is heard in a spirited all-out burner called “From All Angles”. But some of the tracks have a strong Spanish tinge, with Rivera’s soulful sound on both saxophones steeped in jazz tradition, but aware of contemporary leanings. Zaccai is a really impressive pianist and helps bring out the best in Rivera’s originals, which include an uplifting waltz (“While You Were Gone”), a heartfelt tribute on tenor to 9/11 (“Remembrance”) with sombre Roseboro trumpet, another standout track. And there’s a classic closing ballad. Nathan Jolley’s subtle sophisticated drumming fits in perfectly, while Iannuzzi really drives the organ-guitar tracks. I play this quite a lot, because, as said above, it is that little bit different.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

9/11 - Albert Rivera - "Remembrance" from the album "Inner Peace"

Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. ~Emily Dickinson

Here is a video I did in dedication to 9/11
Something to look back reminisce on how lucky we are to be alive.

 

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Heading to a few different states...

If you guys are around, I'll be in Washington DC on December 7th at Twins Jazz Club, December 10th in Atlanta, GA at the Churchill Grounds and the Brown Street Club in Greenville, SC on Saturday December 11th. I'll be performing with the Organ Quartet and we are all looking forward to it!

Interested? Click to buy tickets on the links:

www.twinsjazz.com
www.churchillgrounds.com
www.brownstreetclub.com

CD's will be available at all the shows! And if your interested in simply buying one now, just go to CDbaby.com or you can always purchase it on Itunes!
We'll that's it for now...things have been amazing this week, working on some projects that I hope I can announce to my NY friends soon! Until then...Stay Smiling!