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Benjamín Brea

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Also known as
  
El Maestro

Role
  
Musician

Name
  
Benjamin Brea


Years active
  
1956–2014

Occupation(s)
  
Musician

Music group
  
Los Canoneros

Benjamin Brea sincopacomjazzphotosbenjaminbrea1jpg

Birth name
  
Benjamin Arsenio Brea Constenla

Born
  
18 September 1946Galicia, Spain (
1946-09-18
)

Instruments
  
Associated acts
  
Jeff BerlinMaria Teresa ChacinPaquito D\'RiveraJulio IglesiasPorfi JimenezLos CanonerosArmando ManzaneroAlberto NaranjoAldemaro RomeroArturo SandovalSerenata GuayanesaThe Jackson FiveThe Supremes

Died
  
April 23, 2014, Caracas, Venezuela

Albums
  
Dos Idolos Venezolanos, Te Amo (Instrumental)

Genres
  
Jazz, Classical music, Folk music, Latin music, Pop music

Similar People
  
Alberto Naranjo, Los Canoneros, Saul Vera, Gerry Weil, Malanga

Benjamin brea a simple tribute


Benjamín Brea (18 September 1946 – 23 April 2014) was a Spanish-born Venezuelan musician, arranger and teacher, mostly associated with jazz, even though he had the advantage to play several music genres in various bands as a soloist as well as sideman and conductor.

Contents

Caravan- Benjamín Brea


Early life

Born as Benjamín Arsenio Brea Constenla in Galicia, Spain, he moved with his parents to Venezuela in the early 1960s. He received formal music training in Caracas and graduated under Vicente Emilio Sojo in the José Angel Lamas school of music. Brea started his professional career in 1962, becoming an outstanding musician on a great variety of instruments, being able to play all saxophone and flute families, as well as oboe, clarinet and bass clarinet.

After playing with several local dance bands, he remained busy and performed on countless soundtracks and jingles recording sessions. In addition, he became a member of the Radio Caracas Television orchestra and the now defunct Philharmonic Orchestra of Caracas conducted by Aldemaro Romero. Besides, he backed up significant performers as Jeff Berlin, Paquito D'Rivera, Julio Iglesias, Armando Manzanero, Danilo Pérez, Arturo Sandoval, The Jackson Five and The Supremes, while playing in jazz big band formats led by Porfi Jiménez, Alberto Naranjo and Gerry Weil, among others. In between, he performed alongside such local artists as Soledad Bravo, Vytas Brenner, Maria Teresa Chacin, Ilan Chester, Franco de Vita, Simón Díaz, Gualberto Ibarreto, Los Cañoneros, Ricardo Montaner, Alí Primera, María Rivas, Serenata Guayanesa and Cecilia Todd, in recordings or in concert performances.

Discography

Despite working intensively as a sideman in recording sessions, Brea released only three records in his long-lived career. His first solo album Another Point Of View was released in 1995 and consists of his takes on jazz standards of people like Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller, arranged with more contemporanean brushes. It includes tunes like Moonlight Serenade and Summertime, as well as a jazzy version of the andean classic El Cóndor Pasa.

His second album Un Viejo Amor is a more romantic offering and less jazzy, while Christmas Saxes was a production made by him in solitary; recording the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes tracks himself in counterpoint, with the diligent aid of sound engineer Javier Alquati in his own home studio. This last album is a compilation of traditional Christmas songs from Venezuela and beyond.

Other projects

Apart from his own studio projects, he also organised a jazz band to play at gigs and was a staff member at the El Hatillo Jazz Festival, which is an annual event celebrated in the small town of El Hatillo Town, Venezuela.

Later life

In January 2014, Brea fainted while attending a rehearsal and was moved to a hospital in Caracas, where he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He died on 23 April 2014, aged 67.

Discography

  • 1995 Another Point of View (Jazz)
  • 1997 Un Viejo Amor (World Music)
  • 1999 Christmas' Saxes (Easy listening)
  • Selected collaborations

  • 1973
  • Edgar Alexánder : Azúcar Cacao y Leche
  • 1974
  • María Teresa Chacín : Mi querencia
  • 1975
  • Los Cuñaos : Volumen 2Vytas Brenner : La ofrenda
  • 1976
  • Los Cuñaos : Los Cuñaos vol. 4Frank Quintero : Después de la tormentaAlex Rodríguez : La Retreta Mayor
  • 1979
  • Alí Primera : Canción mansa para un pueblo bravoAlí Primera : Cuando nombro la poesíaGerry Weil : The MessageMaría Teresa Chacín : En azul, amarillo y rojo
  • 1981
  • Guillermo Carrasco : Guillermo CarrascoRosa Virginia Chacín : Mi nostalgia
  • 1982
  • Yordano : Negocios son negocios
  • 1983
  • Ilan Chester : Canciones de todos los días
  • 1984
  • El Medio Evo : Bolumen 4Franco De Vita : Franco De VitaAlí Primera : Entre La rabia y la ternura
  • 1985
  • Andy Durán : Mambo-SalsaEl Medio Evo : Medio Evo de nuevoAlí Primera : Por si no lo sabía
  • 1987
  • Jorge Aguilar : Calor
  • 1988
  • Guillermo Carrasco : VisualRicardo Montaner : Ricardo Montaner vol. 2Pentágono : Más romántico
  • 1989
  • Alberto Naranjo : Imagen LatinaPentágono : Pentágono 3
  • 1990
  • Federico Britos Ruiz : Conexión jazzFranco De Vita : ExtranjeroAgni Mogollón : Entre duendes
  • 1991
  • Pentágono : Aguanta corazón
  • 1992
  • María Teresa Chacín : Yo soy venezolanaEl Pavo Frank : Latinos de etiquetaCharlie Nagy : Para todos CharlieIván Pérez Rossi : No la quiero
  • 1993
  • Vytas Brenner : AmazoniaAndy Durán : A Jazzy Latin BeatMarisela Leal : Todo BrasilPropiedad Privada : La verdadera historiaMaricruz Quintero : Niebla y lluviaChiqui Rojas : Sin fronterasCecilia Todd : Una sola vida tengo
  • 1994
  • María Teresa Chacín : RománticaAndy Durán : Latin Jazz ClubDaniel Grau : You Are In My Dreams
  • 1995
  • Soledad Bravo : RaicesLuz Marina : Vestida en florMaría Teresa Chacín : Amor míoMartes 8:30 : Origen CaracasOscar Maggi : Cuidao' con los escalones
  • 1996
  • Giselle Brass : My Favorite SongsRamón Carranza : Carranza JazzFusión IV : Tarde pero tempranoSerenata Guayanesa : Una amistad de 25 años
  • 1997
  • Various Artists : Jazz desde Aldemaro
  • 1998
  • Tambor Urbano : Que no se pare la rumbaMalanga: Ta' trancao
  • 2000
  • El Pavo Frank : ¡Bravo Pavo!Tambor Urbano : La rumba continúa
  • 2001
  • María Teresa Chacín : Me voy a regalarJuan Carlos Núñez : Suite urbanaShesura : Diferente amanecer
  • 2002
  • Fernando Alarcón : Amor de estrellasFrank Quintero : Signos de admiración
  • 2003
  • María Teresa Chacín : La HistoriaCésar Muñoz : Dentro del papelIván Pérez Rossi : Canto Caribe
  • 2004
  • Agua De Luna : Mi tiempo
  • 2005
  • El Pavo Frank : De ColecciónSerenata Guayanesa : El ferrocarril
  • 2006
  • Andy Durán : Salsa dura y descarga
  • 2007
  • Ilan Chester : Cancionero del amor venezolano vol. 3
  • 2008
  • Maruja Muci : My Funny Valentine
  • 2009
  • Fernando Alarcón : Once de OctubreAbraham Gustin : BlueLos Cañoneros : Luna sobre el valleFrancisco Pacheco : DiversidadSergio Pérez : Báilalo tú tambiénElisa Rego : Rockola
  • 2012
  • Malanga : Sr. Malanga

    Songs

    Solito Con las Estrellas
    Porque CulparlaDos Ídolos Venezolanos
    La Casita BellaIdolos Venezolanos Magia Musical Instrumental

    References

    Benjamín Brea Wikipedia


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