Trombonist and tubist Jose Davila and pianist David Virelles lead an interactive workshop exploring the music of legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, saxophonist, and flutist Henry Threadgill.
Drawing on their extensive experience performing with Threadgill, both musicians bring firsthand insight to his music. Davila has worked with Threadgill for more than 25 years, including as an original member of Zooid, while Virelles has performed with him on Old Locks and Irregular Verbs, Double Up Plays Double Up Plus, and The Other One.
ALL WORKSHOPS ARE FREE FOR MEMBERS.
A livestream will be available free of charge at 8pm on the day of the performance and archived for future viewing.
Tubist, trombonist, arranger, composer and recording artist Jose Davila is a versatile New York-based musician whose work spans a broad spectrum of musical genres. A native of Puerto Rico, Davila received his formal musical training from The University of Connecticut and Mannes College of Music. Davila has worked with Ray Charles, Andrew Hill, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony, Eddie Palmieri, Butch Morris, along with The Lincoln Center Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, The Arturo O’Farrill Big Band, American Symphony Orchestra, and New York City Opera Orchestra.
Davila has worked with Henry Threadgill for over a quarter century, including as an original member of Zooid, which was awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for their recorded work In for a Penny, In for a Pound. He is also a member in bands led by guitarist Liberty Ellman, alto saxophonist Steve Lehman, pianist Jason Moran, and trombonist Ray Anderson. His has been instrumental in expanding the tuba’s role as an integrated rhythm-melodic instrument and a front-line solo voice. Additionally, his playing on trombone can be heard on the Grammy-nominated salsa recordings “Un Gran Dia en El Barrio” from The Spanish Harlem Orchestra and “Remebranzas” and “Siguiendo la Tradicion” by the Soneros del Barrio.
Pianist/ composer David Virelles grew up in a musical family in Santiago de Cuba, steeped in the music of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora and Western classical music. Having been invited to Canada by Jane Bunnett in 2001, Virelles relocated to Toronto. He eventually graduated from Humber College, where he taught after graduating. During his stay in Toronto, he worked extensively all over Canada with his own groups and as a sideman. Moving to the United States in 2009, David organically brings together Cuban folkloric and New York improvisational worlds, an interest that started when he was 14. While he views his work as “a hundred percent traditional,” drawing from multiple traditions, in practice, he is creating a syncretic new personal music, rather than a mixture of elements or a recreation.
Besides his solo work, he has also worked with Bunnett, Henry Threadgill, Ravi Coltrane, Andrew Cyrille, Reggie Workman, Oliver Lake, Terri Lyne Carrington, Tomasz Stanko, John Patitucci, Bill Frisell, Román Díaz, Milford Graves, Chris Potter, Tom Harrell, Brandon Ross, Wadada Leo Smith, Steve Coleman, Mark Turner, Paul Motian, Marcus Gilmore, Changuito, Chucho Valdés, Hilario Durán, Stanley Cowell, Hermeto Pascoal and Juan Pablo Torres, among others.
