Bio

Born in 1969 in San Antonio de Padua, Buenos Aires. Leo started studying guitar at the age of fourteen. He was highly influenced by his grand father who used to sing and play very well the guitar performing beautiful folk tunes. He first studied with a local teacher close to his home, who introduced Leo into the fascinating world of jazz.

Later, he studied for more than five years with Armando Alonso, founder of the Jazz career at the Official music school EMPA (Escuela de Musica Popular de Avellaneda).

Leo is a composer, guitar player and arranger. Currently, he is also teacher at the upper stage of the Jazz Guitar career at the EMPA.

He leads his own project since 1995 (Leo Alvarez Jazz Quintet) with original compositions, and has recorded two CD’s (“Contraluces” and “Algunas Consideraciones”) which received very good reviews.

He has developed a very solid soloist career as well as a sideman on stage and studio, performing with renowned local singers as Sandra Mihanovich, Livia Barbosa, Monica Posse, among others. He has been selected by the Nation’s Ministry of Culture for the program “Culture at the University”, where he presented his last CD and gave clinics on jazz improvisation at different universities in a small tour inside Argentina. He was associate musical director of the famous musical “Hair” in 2003. Leo has participated in several bands with renowned musicians of the local jazz scene such as: Horacio Larumbe, Oscar Giunta, Juan Cruz de Urquiza, Osvaldo Fattoruso (Uruguay), Daniel Maza (Uruguay), Kay Lira(Brazil), Mauricio Maestro (Brazil) Ricardo Cavalli, Enrique Norris, Cuca Teixeyra (Brazil), Sizao Machado (Brazil) ,Gustavo Bergalli,, Guillermo Calliero, among others-

His music is essential part of the new jazz Argentino stream, recomended by Fernando Rios in the book "New Jazz Argentino"

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Spanish Bio
.. .. .. Leo Alvarez es compositor, arreglador, guitarrista y docente del ciclo superior de Jazz en la Escuela de Música Popular de Avellaneda. Nació en San Antonio de Padua provincia de Buenos Aires el 17 de Octubre de 1969. Estudió armonía e improvisación con Armando Alonso y armonía tradicional y contrapunto con el Maestro Luis Arias. Con una importante trayectoria en la escena del jazz local de casi dos decadas sobre los escenarios . Participó en agrupaciones como la Big Band de Mariano Tito Jr., la big band de la Biblioteca Argentina de Ciegos (BAC Big Band) dependiente de Secretaría de Cultura de La Nación, y junto a Horacio Larumbe y Juan Cruz de Urquiza entre otros. También integró en los quintetos acústicos de Gustavo Cortajerena, Guillermo Calliero y "El Suruví Mareado" de Enrique Norris. La Big Band de Mariano Tito jr, Y reemplazo del director musical de Bs As Hair 2003. Participo en el disco Clareza de Belen Perez Muñiz ,como productor artistico , junto a Daniel Maza y Osvaldo Fattoruso. Acompaño a Sandra Mihanovich, Monica Posse ,Susan Ferrer (Hair) y a Livia Barbosa. Durante el año 2007 presenta su primer disco solista "Contraluces" en el que han participado Pablo Raposo en piano, Claudio Risso en bateria, Pablo Carmona en Contrabajo, Juan Cruz de Urquiza en trompeta y Juan Manuel Alfaro en Saxos .Todas musica original. Actualmente se encuentra presentando la musica de Su segundo disco solista "Algunas consideraciones", grabado recientemente, junto a Ricardo Cavalli y Nick Homes(UK).
Leo Alvarez ha tocado con musicos como: Horacio Larumbe, Juan Cruz de Urquiza , Osvaldo Fattoruso, Daniel Maza, Alejandro Santos , Ricardo Nole, Abel Rogantini, Diego Schizzi, Oscar Giunta, Guillermo Calliero , Carlos Michelini, Enrique Norris ,Marcelo Blanco, Guillermo Perata, Mario Gomez, Adriana Rios ,Livia Barbosa , Belen Perez Muñiz, Pat Oleary, Carlos Campos, Gustavo Cortajerena, Mario Gomez, Claudio Rossi, Ramiro Flores, Natalio Sued y muchos otros.
Sus discos fueron Recomendados por el periodista Fernando Rios en su libro "Nuevo Jazz Argentino" como material escencial del jazz argentino del periodo 2000-2020.