Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Diego Urcola was born on November 5, 1965 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and began his musical studies at age 9 in the Music Department of the Colegio Ward where his father Ruben served as director. He continued his studies and in 1988 he received the title of Profesor Nacional de Música from the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica.

Subsequently, having received a scholarship to study abroad, the trumpeter and flugelhorn player moved to Boston where he attended Berklee College of Music. In 1990 Diego graduated with an emphasis in Jazz Performance, and less than a year later moved to New York and established himself on the jazz scene.

Urcola toured with Slide Hampton, has been a member of the Paquito D’Rivera Quintet since 1991, toured with the United Nations Orchestra, has worked with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, plays steadily with the Caribbean Jazz Project since 2004, and performs regularly with the legendary saxophonist Jimmy Heath and the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Star Big Band.

Urcola has played with Joe Henderson, Steve Turre, Milt Jackson, Avishai Cohen, Edward Simon, Antonio Sanchez, Dave Samuels, Jimmy Heath, Conrad Herwig and the Calle 54 Band among others. He leads and records with his own group, has captured second place honors at the 1997 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition, received a Latin Grammy as part of D’ Rivera’s band, and since has been nominated three times for a Grammy Award. The jazz trumpeter continues to perform, compose and record integrating the flavor of tango with jazz.

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