Young lions of the Panama Jazz scene

By Ken Grady

WHETHER you call them phenoms or prodigies, young musicians have always been at the forefront of their art. In Jazz history, these “Young Lions” include Coltrane, Miles, Herbier Hancock, and many otherswho were playing professionally and touring by the time they reached 20. In Panama, young guys like saxophonist  Jahaziel Arrocha, and  trumpeter Aquiles Navarro, are part of a wave of “Panama’s Leones Jovenes”.

These cats arethe real deal. Don’t take my word for it. Ask Carlos Garnett, who has worked with both of them. Jahaziel Arrocha, however, deflects any admiration. After seeing him twice at Teatro Amador’s Late Night Jazz Series, Garnett introduced me to him. Jahaziel’s interest in music started at age 12 playing the clarinet. His first encounter with jazz was when he heard the music of Panamanian sax legend Carlos Ubarte’s.

Following Ubarte’s example, Arrochabegan playing tenor saxophone at age 13. At 15, he enrolled in the music high school “Bachillerato en Artes Diversificadas” to study music formally. And, each day after school he would study with legendary trumpeter Victor Vitin Paz.

That is also how Jahaziel met Danilo Perez. When he started to learn about jazz, John Coltrane, Joe Henderson and Michael Brecker were his favorites. Over the years he has also fallen in love with the work of David Sánchez, Joshua Redman, Miguel Zenón, and others.

At the 2007  Panama Jazz Festival Arrocha auditioned for admission to the Berklee College of Music.  He was accepted for a five week summer program at the Berklee, as well as a scholarship from the Danilo Perez Foundation. He’s had the opportunity to study with Terri Lyne Carrington(dr), Joe Lovano(ts), andJohn Patitucci(bs). He also attended the master classes of Ron Carter(bs), Jimmy Cobb(dr), and Robert Glasper(p). This wasan experience that changed his life forever. To use his words, “…Berklee College of Music was absolutely amazing”!

When asked about the opportunities The Late Night Jazz Series at Teatro Amador offered for local musicians, Arrocha had this to say,

“So far its’ been wonderful. Jacob Larrinaga, and all the staff at the Teatro Amador have been doing a terrific job. The theater is one year old since it’s rebirth on 2013, and the musicians who had already performed at the theater have been the top and finest of our country…. To me that is absolutely wonderful”.   

In 2014, Vitin Paz told Jahaziel that saxophone Jazz master Carlos Garnett was in Panama, and that he was the man study with. So, he met Carlos, played for him, and was accepted as one of his students. 

While looking ahead to a bright future in Jazz, Arrocha retains his humility, and his desire to seek knowledge rather than the spotlight.

Aqulies Navarrois a Panamanian Latin Jazz trumpet player, composer and producer who was exposed to Jazz in his late teens. He follows in the footsteps of his grandfather who was an accomplished cellist. Aquiles attended New England Conservatory(NEC), and has played with Carlos Garnett, Victor Paz, and Brian Lynch. In addition, he has taught at the Fundacion Danilo Perez, and performed at the Panama Jazz Festival, The Lenox Lounge in Harlem, and many other venues.

Aquiles is Brooklyn based along with his band mate, drummerTcheser Holmes. Since his teens Holmes played djembe with African drum ensembles where he was introduced to Jazz. Together they  combine Jazz with folkloric music, Salsa, and Reggae.

 When I first caught the duo atTeatro Amamdor theyreminded me of cats that sound like they’re 20 minutes into a set right from the first note. I was impressed with the duo’s improvisational skills, reminiscent of some of the best stuff I’ve heard. Their current tour, which began in September  comes with the release of their new CD, Heritage of the Invisible, which was recorded live in Panama. All the cuts are original creations of the duo. The tunes are a representation of their own experiences turned into music, and recorded on the first takes with no editing.

When I asked Aquiles Navarro about the inspiration for this new release, he replied, “The tour is calledHeritage of the Invisiblebecause we represent the sound (invisible) of our environments, but put into this the mix of our musical experiences, as music is part of who we are(inheritance), and concert sound will be that vehicle for reflection”. He concluded by saying, “…be true to yourself and the music”.

You can buy the new Aquiles Navarro/Tcheser Holmes CD,Heritage of the Invisible,on line at, https://aquilesduotcheser.bandcamp.com/. 

Contact info:
Jahaziel Arrocha, Jahaziel.arrocha@gmail.com

Aquiles Navarro, ajnp89@hotmail.com
Tcheser Holmes, holmes.tcheser@gmail.com