Gabriel Espinosa was born in Merida, Mexico in 1952. His love of music began at a very young age. With the help of his mother he began playing the guitar at the age of six. By the age of fourteen, along with his brothers Victor and Patricio, Gabriel performed with their group Los Deltons, where he played bass guitar.

His education brought him to the United States and in 2018 he became a citizen of both countries. “Since I lived there until I turned 23, my musical roots come from Mexico. When I came to the United States I studied in three different institutions, and I have three degrees.”

After years of studies and work, this persistent and hard-working musician ended up with a bachelor’s in arts from Central College in Pella, a master’s degree in jazz from the University of North Texas, and a graduate degree in arrangements from the prestigious Berkley College of Music in Boston.

He emphasizes that being exposed to music in the two countries gave him the knowledge and inspiration to create his unique hybrid style of music, making him a passionate instrumentalist in diverse rhythms.

“The title of my new album Bossas and Boleros honors the music I grew up with as a teenager in Yucatan, Mexico in the 60s,” he reveals. “I was very influenced by the music of Yucatecan composer Armando Manzanero as well as the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Burt Bacharach. The music I write today is inspired by those styles of music which led to the title Bossas and Boleros.”

1. New Year (feat. Kim Narazian)
2. Amelia (feat. Kim Narazian)
3. Mi Jarana (feat. Kim Narazian & Anat Cohen)
4. Aqui Estoy Yo (feat. Fred Hersch)
5. Sing (feat. New York Voices)
6. First Responders (feat. Kim Narazian)
7. Pa Eugenio (feat. Kim Narazian)
8. Nosotros (feat. Gerardo Flores)
9. 22 (feat. Kim Narazian)
10. No Me Platiques Mas

On his fourth ZOHO solo release, composer/singer/guitarist Gabriel Espinosa celebrates the Bossa and Bolero styles he grew up with in Yucatan by opening with the dulcet-styled New Year (which is just one track to feature Kim Narazian) and the veritably shimmering Amelia and then follows those up with the late night, smokey jazz club ambiance of Mi Jarana (which features both Narazian and Anat Cohen), the impassioned Aqui Estoy Yo (featuring Fred Hersch on piano) and then the melodically embracing Sing (featuring New York Voices).

Along next on this mightily fine album is the free flowing, soulful First Responders and the deeply slung Pa Eugenio and they are in turn backed by the stirring Nosotros (featuring Gerardo Flores), the upbeat and joyously-flavored 22, the recording closing out on the yearningly heartfelt No Me Platiques Mas.

Taking an in-depth look into a few of the songs, Gabriel explains the meaning of some of them: “New Year is a Bossa Nova composition that features the beautiful colors of the trumpet of Jim Seeley and the trombone of Jay Ashby with the voices sharing the melody. I wrote this in honor of the year 2021 and the opportunity it brought of a new beginning after the difficult year 2020 around the world.”

“Amelia, well, my niece Cecilia had twins in 2019, and tragically lost one of the babies, Amelia, at 27 weeks. I was inspired to write this composition shortly thereafter. Kim Nazarian wrote the lyrics to this composition inspired by and dedicated to the memory of Amelia. Kim also does a beautiful job singing the song.”

“Mi Jarana. The Jarana is a traditional dance and musical style of Yucatan, Mexico. The Jarana meter can be in 6/8 or in 3/4. I invited the brilliant clarinet player Anat Cohen to join me on this track as well as Cris Alcocer, a percussion player from Yucatan who brought together the magical feeling of the Jarana to life. This is our interpretation of the Jarana.”

“As for Aquí Estoy Yo, I first heard this beautiful song performed by Mexican singer Jose Jose with an incredible arrangement by Clare Fischer. I always envisioned recording this song only with piano & voice. I was fortunate enough to have the amazing pianist Fred Hersch along with my vocals. This song was written by a friend of mine, Memo Ruiz.”

“As for Sing, I was twenty years old when I first heard the classic 1973 recording by the Carpenters. I wrote an instrumental arrangement & my friend Jeremy Fox wrote an arrangement for vocal jazz quartet. Jeremy’s arrangement was so amazing I had to ask my friends, The New York Voices, to record it.”

Official Website

Gabriel Espinosa @ Facebook