Tumbao Bravo
Formed in August 2003 by reedman Paul VornHagen and conguero Alberto Nacif, this exciting Cuban jazz combo has released five critically acclaimed CDs of mostly original compositions that have been featured on all the major jazz public radio stations throughout the U.S. Winner of the 2005, 2007 and 2013 Detroit Music Awards for Best Jazz Recording and Best World Music Band, this combo has performed at all the major Michigan jazz/music festivals including Detroit, Michigan, Lansing, Birmingham, Raisin River, Great Lakes Folk, Blissfest, Wheatland Dance and Ann Arbor to name a few. The title cut of their 2009 Cd was used as a soundtrack for the USA Network TV show, Burn Notice. In September 2017, the band released their 5th CD, “El Nido-The Nest” which is being featured on many National Public Radio (NPR) programs including the top-rated, JAZZ AFTER HOURS and Miami, Florida’s WDNA–a mecca for latin jazz recordings. All band members have won or been nominated for individual Detroit Music Awards as well teach at U of Michigan, Washtenaw CC, Jazz Camps and music studios. For the past 8 years, Tumbao Bravo has been presenting a library program called “The Rhythms of Cuba” at numerous libraries throughout southeastern Michigan and the San Francisco Bay area. Other music performance venues include Chicago, Toledo, OH, Windsor, CAN and Oklahoma. Tumbao Bravo is Paul Vornhagen (reeds), Olman Piedra (timbales, congas and cajon), Patrick Prouty (bass), Paul Finkbeiner (trumpet/flugelhorn), Brian DiBlassio (piano) and Gregory “Greco” Freeman (congas and bongos).
Paul Vornhagen
Winner of three Detroit Music Awards for Best Jazz Reeds, Best Instrumentalist and TDWR, Paul has performed with his own jazz quartet for 25 years traveling to San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Hawaii and Paris, France. Paul has appeared on the Ed Love Program and Jazz Alive at WDET-FM. In February 2004, Paul visited Havana, Cuba where he performed as a guest artist with members of the Buena Vista Social Club, Cubanismo and Irakere at jazz clubs and also honored to perform at Ibrahim Ferrer’s 78th birthday party. Paul has also served as the Michigan horn section leader and baritone sax chair for the touring Tito Puente, Jr Band.
Jazz Festival credits for VornHagen’s quartet include the Montreaux Detroit Jazz Festival, Ann Arbor Jazz and Blues Fest, Birmingham Arts Fair, The Lansing Jazz Festival, and The Michigan Jazz Fest. Paul has released six critically acclaimed CDs. A dedicated private music instructor, Paul teaches 30 students per week and co-directs a Jazz camp each summer. Visit the website http://paulvornhagen.com
Dr Olman E. Piedra
Dr. Olman E Piedra received his DMA from Bowling Green State University. He also received two Master’s in Music degrees, in Percussion Performance and in Improvisation from the University of Michigan, and a BM from Baylor University. Dr. Piedra is an educational artist/clinician for Amedia cymbals, Meinl percussion, Remo drumheads and Innovative Percussion. He teaches percussion and drum set at the The University of Toledo. He has performed with the Sphinx Orchestra (principal percussion), the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, Italian pop artist Patrizio Buanne, NOMO (toured around the United States, Canada, and Europe), Roland Vazquez‘ Latin Jazz Combo (Percussive Arts Society International Convention), vocalist Lauren Kinhan (from The New York Voices), Ken Thomson and Slow/fast, David Bixler’s I-75 ensemble, and the University of Toledo jazz faculty group at the third annual JEN convention in Louisville, KY. Olman has also been performing alongside Grammy Award winning artists The New York Voices at their vocal jazz camp since 2009. He can be heard on William Bolcom’s Grammy award winning album “Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience” with Leonard Slatkin, conductor, on His Name Is Alive’s “Detrola”, and “Sweet Earth Flower, a tribute to Marion Brown”, NOMO’s “New Tones”, “The Dreamer” by jazz guitarist/composer Paul Cohn, “Reaching for the Moon” with Morgen Stiegler, “Above the Sound” by pianist/guitarist Ariel Kasler, “Gran Danzón” with Martha Councell-Vargas, and with the University of Toledo Jazz Faculty ensemble CrossCurrents on their debut album on Summit records.
Patrick Prouty
Patrick Prouty is a veteran bassist/composer from Detroit, MI. His previous side-man gigs have included playing with Bill Heid, Johnnie Bassett, Jan Krist, Al and Whit Hill, Alberta Adams and many other artists. From 2000 until 2007, he was the bassist for soul legend Bettye Lavette. During his tenure with Lavette he toured all over North America, Europe and Japan.
In 2007, Patrick received a master’s degree in improvisation from The University of Michigan. Patrick has won numerous awards including a Handy, multiple Detroit Music Awards and was the winner of the Block M Records New Music Award in 2006.
In October of 2007, Patrick released his first recording as a leader entitled The Charmed Life. It is a jazz quartet recording of all original Prouty compositions with an all-star cast of Detroit musicians. The Charmed Life won the 2008 Detroit Music Award for Best Jazz Recording.
Paul Finkbeiner
Graduate of Western Michigan University as a Jazz Studies Major, Paul has performed all over the world on cruise ships, the Detroit Jazz Festival, the Orange County Jazz Festival in L.A., Evergreen Jazz Festival in Colorado, the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and Symphonic Hall of Auditorio Nacional de Musica in Madrid, Spain. In addition to Tumbao Bravo, he has recorded with such stellar jazz artists as Paul Keller, Bess Bonnier, Jan Krist, Glenn Tucker, Paul Vornhagen and Phil Ogilvie’s Rythym Kings. Paul is the Jazz Studies Director at the Ann Arbor Community Music School.
Brian DiBlassio
Brian DiBlassio is currently Associate Professor of Music at the University of Michigan – Flint where he was awarded the Rosen Excellence in Teaching Award in 2011. DiBlassio composes and arranges for symphonic, chamber, vocal and jazz ensembles. His work has been performed by the Flint Symphony Orchestra and aired on national television.
DiBlassio performs and records with the Afro-Cuban groups Tumbao Bravo, Los Gatos, and Nuevo Rumbón. He has had the honor of sharing the stage in brief appearances with Arturo Sandoval, Eddie Palmieri, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, Jon Hendrix, and Andy Narell. He has also given present ions at the 1 st International Clare Fischer Symposium in Graz, Austria as well at the Jazz Education Network Conference.
DiBlassio has previously been a faculty member of Bowling Green State University and the School Performing Arts – Ann Arbor where he founded the Downbeat award-winning SPA-AA Jazz Combo program. He has received degrees in Jazz/Music Media & Industry, and Improvisation from the University of Miami and the University of Michigan.
Gregory “Greco” Freeman
Greco began his music career at age 9 studying classical piano. Due to his inner passion for percussion, he later honed his skills as a member of the Washtenaw Community College Band in Ann Arbor under the direction of Morris Lawrence. Soon after, Greg began to immerse himself into Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, Puerto Rican and Brazilian music, hanging out in barrios and night clubs in Michigan, Florida and California. Then came work with Jazz recording artist Kamau Kenyatta’s ” Postive Force” and Ed Nelson’s “The Hasting Street Jazz Experience”. In the mid-1990s through 2000s, Greco performed with top Detroit salsa bands such as “La Inspiracion” (10 years) and Grupo Salvaje (7 years). Other collaborations include guitarist Toty Viola (George Benson), Christian McBride Big Band, Grammy winner Bob Hurst, stellar latin jazz combo LL7 and as an opening act for such musical stars as George Duke, Stanley Clark and Michael Franks. He continues to be a first call conga drummer/percussionist and exciting performer on the Detroit Jazz and Latin music scene. Greco appears on Tumbao Bravo’s newest recording “El Nido-The Nest” released in September 2017. “I want to celebrate life with a song in my heart and a rhythm in my soul.”
Tumbao Bravo’s website: http://www.tumbaobravo.com/