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Otmaro Ruiz

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Name
  
Otmaro Ruiz

Role
  
Pianist

Otmaro Ruiz Dr Otmaro Ruiz SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY
Education
  
California Institute of the Arts

Music director
  
The Tale of What I Want and Don’t Want

Albums
  
Distant Friends, ラティーノ, Latino, In The Spirit of Jobim, Sojourn

People also search for
  
Alain Caron, Frank Gambale, Hiroshi Okura

Nominations
  
Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instruments And Vocals

Aqui ajazz dianne reeves afro blues featuring otmaro ruiz on piano keyboards


Otmaro Ruiz (born June 27, 1964 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan pianist, keyboardist, composer and arranger.

Contents

KEYSCAPE: Otmaro Ruiz - Arabesque


Career

Otmaro Ruiz Fermatta Master Class Series Otmaro Ruiz Flickr Photo

Ruiz began his formal musical studies at the age of eight on piano, classical guitar, harmony, history and aesthetics. He also was exposed to other artistic activities such as drawing and acting. At the same time, he studied organ and pursued a scientific career as a biologist at the Simon Bolivar University, but kept playing keyboards on the side, landing his first professional work in a pop group in 1980.

Decided to focus entirely on music, Ruiz dropped out of school in 1983, playing in his native Venezuela. He toured and recorded with local and visiting musicians, and also became a busy studio musician as a jingles composer and arranger.

In 1989 Ruiz moved to Los Angeles, California, where he finished his academic training at CalArts, obtaining a master's degree in jazz performance in 1993. He was also playing with percussionist Alex Acuna, appearing in two albums during the early 1990s. He later recorded with Arturo Sandoval, which was followed in 1996 by a world tour supporting Gino Vanelli. The rest of the decade, he worked with Jon Anderson, Robbie Robertson, Herb Alpert and John McLaughlin. In the new millennium, he has recorded and toured with Dianne Reeves.

Ruiz remains active up to the present day, generally recording and touring with L.A.-based groups and vocalists, and commanding his own projects.

Otmaro Ruiz Otmaro Ruiz Venezuelan Sounds

He also participated in an international jazz-project "JB Project" with American bassist Brian Bromberg and Japanese drummer Akira Jimbo. They released two studio albums: Brombo (2003) and Brombo II (2004).

In 2012, Shepherd University (Cornel School of Contemporary Music) awarded Otmaro Ruiz with an “Honorary Doctorate in Music Arts”.

As a leader

  • Otmaro Ruiz plays Ryuichi Sakamoto (MIDI Inc., 1991)
  • Nothing to Hide (MMP Records, 1996)
  • Distant Friends (MLP Records, 1997)
  • Sojourn (Minina Music / Moondo Records, 2008)
  • Other credits

  • Cinemascope - Gonzalo Mico (1983)
  • En Vivo - Ilan Chester (1989)
  • En Concierto - Soledad Bravo (1989)
  • Thinking of You - Alex Acuna (1991)
  • Imagen Latina - Alberto Naranjo (1992)
  • Dream Come True - Arturo Sandoval (1993)
  • Deseo - Jon Anderson (1994)
  • Passages - Frank Gambale (1995)
  • The Latin Train - Arturo Sandoval (1995)
  • Si el Norte fuera el Sur - Ricardo Arjona (1996)
  • Passion Dance - Herb Alpert (1997)
  • Plomo Revienta - Desorden Publico (1997)
  • Strive for Higher Realities - Pedro Eustache (1997)
  • Red Heat - Jimmy Haslip (2000)
  • Call Me Al - Alain Caron (2001)
  • Baila Cinderella - Hubert Laws (2002)
  • Jing Chi Live - Jing Chi (2003)
  • TruANT - Alien Ant Farm (2003)
  • Brombo - Brian Bromberg/Akira Jimbo (2003)
  • Cancionero del Amor Puertorriqueno - Ilan Chester (2003)
  • Brombo II - Brian Bromberg/Akira Jimbo (2004)
  • Live in Montreal [DVD] - Dianne Reeves (2005)
  • Aneurythms - Jeff Berlin (2006)
  • Natural High - Frank Gambale (2006)
  • Industrial Zen - John McLaughlin (2006)
  • Music for Lovers - Dianne Reeves (2007)
  • Flying Over Bridges - Ashley Maher (2007)
  • Conversations - Alain Caron (2008)
  • Born in the 80's - Hadrien Feraud (2015)
  • Songs

    Distant Friends
    Just in Time
    The Simple Life
    Juego de Toque
    Suelto y Difrazao
    Road Sories
    And Then She Smiles
    In the Shadows
    Ccs-Lax
    Cuantos Anos
    Atras da Porta
    El Primero
    Beat by Beat
    Croiollisima
    Obsesion
    Somewhere
    Gypsy Latino
    Besame Mucho
    Astoria's Princess
    Claveao'
    Living Pictures

    References

    Otmaro Ruiz Wikipedia


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