(Gabriel Puentes. Eugenio Toussaint, Agustin Bernal)  biografía en español

Eugenio Toussaint, piano
Born in México City, Eugenio Toussaint, a self taught pianist and composer, started his career mainly in the jazz field. In 1976 he formed Sacbé, one of the most influential bands in the history of Mexican jazz. In 1979 he moved to the United States to continue his jazz career, where he resided until 1986. In 1980, he obtained a scholarship from the Mexican government to pursue studies at the Dick Grove Music School in Los Angeles, California. During this time, he took private lessons in orchestration with professor Albert Harris.

Between 1983 and 1986 he became musical conductor for popular artists Herb Alpert and Paul Anka. In 1986 he established residence in México City and began a career mainly as composer for different media as well as classical music. His catalog of concert music has been widely performed in México by many orchestras and chamber music groups such as Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Quinteto de alientos de la Ciudad de México, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional. Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México etc. Internationally his works have been performed in the United States, Colombia, France. Germany, Belgium, Italy and England.

In 1994 he was awarded a scholarship as part of the National System of Creators. In 1996 he attended Crossroads of Traditions in Bloomington Indiana where he received master classes from people like Lukas Foss, John Corigliano, Roberto Sierra, Mario Lavista and others. In 2000 he was awarded a seven week artistic residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta Canada.

In 1997 he wrote the ballet “Days of the Dead” under a commission from ballet Arizona which is premiered by the Arizona Symphony Orchestra and Ballet Arizona.

His discography includes: Tres Suites (which comprises the works. Danzas de la Ciudad, Suite de las Ciencias and Suite del ballet del Día de los Muertos, Dias de los Muertos (score from the whole ballet) and Gaugin which includes three concertos: Concierto para guitarra y orquesta, Gauguin (for english horn and harp),and Bouillabaisse for piano and orchestra. This recording was nominated for the 2001 Latin Grammy Awards for best classical recording of the year.

He continues to be an active composer in México City. His new CD with chamber music was released in 2003.

His most recent projects in the jazz idiom are:
El Pez Dorado (The Golden Fish) where he plays two acoustic pianos, and his most recent project entitled Trio with Agustin Bernal on bass and Gabriel Puentes on drums.

Agustin Bernal, double bass
Born in México. He studied double bass with maestro Andre Andrzej Kalarus. He took several master classes with Rufus Reid in New York City,as well as other master classes with Bertram Turetzky and Entcho Radukanov.He studied Harmony,Counterpoint and musical form with renowned mexican composer Humberto Sánchez Medrano.He has also been an active member of Mexico´s National Symphony Orchestra. As a jazz musician, he has collaborated with deveral groups such as:Jade Visions,Atril 5,Antropóleo,Trío Nery, Bernal, Cárdenas,Eugenio Toussaint, Viva Fidel,Trío Cárdenas,Bernal,Castelán, Iraida Noriega,La Banda de Moebius, Gil Gutierrez Trío, Coyoacán Jazz Quartet,Cuarteto de Héctor Infanzón,Aanderud,Bernal Puentes trío,Bernal,Villicaña,Puentes trío and Diego Maroto Quintet.

He has also played with several international figures such as: Cuban drummer Ignacio Berroa (Gonzalo Rubalcava trío)japanese pianist Makoto Ozone,New York saxophonists Ralph Lalama (Vanguard Orchestra),Arnie Lawrence and Paul McCandless (Oregon),mexican drummer Antonio Sánchez (Pat Metheny,John Patitucci,David Sanchez,Danilo Pérez),New York trumpet player Jerry González (Fort Apache Band) and famous french flute player Jean Pierre Rampal among others.

He has performed at several jazz festivals such as:Jazz Plaza in Havana (Cuba),Festival Internacional Cervantino,International World Expo in Lisbon (Portugal),Vancouver Folk Music Fest,Festival Internacional de la Ciudad de México,El Zócalo es Jazz,Festival de Jazz de Irapuato,Arte 01 and Arte 02,Festival Internacional de Jazz San Miguel de Allende,Festival de jazz del ¨Habito¨,EuroJazz etc.
In 2001 he formed the trío Aanderud, Bernal, Puentes with whom he has recorded a CD called ¨Common Differences¨for his own recording company called Agave Jazz. With this trío he has travelled to Los Angeles California for the Paul Getty Museum Summer Sessions for an audience of 4000 people.

Recently he travelled to th Czech Republic for concerts in three different festivals in the cities of Olomuc, Sumperk and Jezenic,as well as four clubs in Prague:Zelena Jazz Club,Agartha Jazz Club and Reduta Jazz Club,the latter considered one of the oldest jazz clubs in Europe founded in 1958,The group received several favorable reviews.

Some of his latest performances have taken place with Eugenio Toussaint and Gabriel Puentes at Medellín International Jazz Festival in Medellín Colombia in 2003 as well as an appeareance at Lincoln Center with his trío along with Miguel Villicaña (piano) and Alex Kautz (drums). His most recent recording project is the CD ¨Trio¨along with Eugenio Toussaint (piano) and Gabriel Puentes (drums).

Gabriel Puentes, drums
Born in Santiago de Chile in 1976, he studied drums with Ricardo Ruiz F, and latin percussion at the Conservatory of the Catholic University in Chile, as well as afro-latin percussion with teachers david Ortega and Jose Luis Quintana ¨Changuito". He has resided in México City since 1999.

He has performed with several jazz artists in México such as Agustin Bernal, Eugenio Toussaint, Cristóbal Lopez, Miguel Villicaña, Eduardo Piastro, Aaron Cruz, Remi Alvarez, Alejandro Medina, Alejandro Campos, Alberto Gonzalez, Gil Gutierrez and Francisco Lelo de Larrea.

In 2002 he recorded along with Mark Aanderud and Agustin Bernal the CD "Common Differences" for Agave Jazz. With this trío he has appeared at several jazz festivals like Summer Sessions at the Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles California in 2002, and at several concerts and club performances in the Czech Republic. With the same trío he has also recorded a second title called ¨Hands Free¨also for Agave Jazz.

In 2003 he was second place for the Thelonious Monk Institute Scholarships where he performed with Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock. His most recent recording project is ¨Trio¨ along with Eugenio Toussaint and Agustin Bernal, which was released in 2004.