Thursday, February 4, 2016

Beledo - Dreamland Mechanism (2016)


Label: Moonjune
Source: Beledo
Genre: Jazz-Fusion


New York guitarist, pianist, and composer, Beledo was born in Montevideo Uruguay. He began formal music and piano study at age six. As the British Invasion began to take hold of airwaves around the world, influenced by the Beatles and other emerging pop rock bands, he gravitated towards and discovered a natural proficiency for guitar.

Beledo gained guitar-hero status in his teens, playing every theatre in his hometown of Montevideo, and captivating audiences in Uruguay and Argentina.

After a brief tenure with Uruguayan rock and blues super-group, Dias de Blues, Beledo pioneered the jazz-rock band, Maytreya, and later on, the mythical Siddhartha, inspired by the burgeoning jazz-fusion movement (Chick Corea, Weather Report, Soft Machine & etc.). His fusion efforts of the early 80’s in South America, during which he appeared at top venues and recorded with Pedro Aznar (formerly with Pat Metheny Group), Ruben Rada, and the legendary band, Opa, attracted media attention in the U.S., where he gained recognition as an upcoming talent in GUITAR PLAYER and JAZZIZ magazines.

Formal music studies continued throughout his college career. He performed classical music recitals on National Public Radio and in numerous theaters. While attending the University School of Music in Uruguay, he was a founding member of The University Conservatory Jazz Quartet, the university’s first jazz ensemble, sponsored by the school in an effort to integrate jazz into the traditional curriculum.

Beledo is the guitar player on the album, FORWARD MOTION, by the South African Jazz band, Ojoyo, featuring saxophonist and band leader, Morris Goldberg; drummer, Anton Fig and bassist Bakithi Kumalo.

In 1996 Beledo toured Europe and the Caribbean with the TROPICAL TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES, featuring Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Tito Nieves, Cheo Feliciano, and an all-star line up of Latin artists.

In 2007, Beledo released MONTEVIDEO JAZZ DREAMS (Gudari Records), featuring Stefon Harris, Randy Brecker, Manolo Badrena, Mark Walker, Andy Middleton, David Finck, Jorge Camiruaga and Chris Komer.

Beledo's latest project, ON A MISSION, with his band, The Avengers, won critical acclaim on tour in South America through Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, gaining excellent reviews and strong CD sales in Japan, the U.K., France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Australia and more. The Avengers are Beledo on guitar, Adam Holzman on keyboards, Lincoln Goines on bass, and Kim Plainfield on drums.   The band toured Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay and played in Racife Porto Alegre, Montevideo Jazz Festival, Buenos Aires Jazz Festival, Cordoba Jazz Festival, Neuquén.  They finished with an unforgettable concert at the Teatro Lavalleja in Minas, Uruguay, Beledo's hometown.

Beledo signed with Moonjune Records – NYC in 2013, and traveled to Canada to record with Romanian keyboardist, Gia Ionesco, alongside guitarist Alex Machacek, drummer Virgil Donatti and bassist Anthony Crawford. A subsequent Ionesco session was scheduled in New York, which included Mauro Pagani on violin, Jimmy Haslip on bass, Asaf Sirkis on drums, Johnny Johnson on sax, and Mino Cinelu on percussion.

Additional outstanding Moonjune Records collaborations included work with the extraordinary Indonesian World Jazz Fusion band, Simak Dialog, with pianist Riza Arshad and guitarist Tohpati at Orion Studio, Baltimore, MD (09/07/13). Beledo also performed in a duo with Indonesian superstar guitarist, Dewa Budjana in Princeton and Burlington in a Southern New Jersey mini-tour on Dewa's last visit to the States, and recorded with Indonesia's premiere pianist, composer/ arranger/ conductor/ producer, Dwiki Dharmawan.

Versed in classical theory, composition and technique, adept in the traditional styles of his birthplace, drawing inspiration from vast and diverse modern musical forms, Beledo has earned his place among the most sophisticated, versatile, and gifted artists of our time.  





1. Mechanism
Beledo - electric guitar, violin, keyboards.
Lincoln Goines - electric bass
Gary Husband - drums

2. Bye Bye Blues
Beledo - electric guitar, fender rhodes, mini moog solo
Lincoln Goines - electric bass
Gary Husband - drums

3. Marilyn's Escapade
Beledo - acoustic piano, violin, accordion, electric guitar, keyboards.
Lincoln Goines - electric bass
Gary Husband - drums

4. Lucila
Beledo - Spanish guitar, fretless bass, electric guitar
Endang Ramdan - Sundanese kendang percussion
Cucu Kurnia - Sundanese kendang and metal percussion

5. Sudden Voyage
Beledo - electric guitar, archtop electric guitar
Tony Steele - electric bass
Doron Lev - drums

6. Big Brother Calling
Beledo - electric guitar
Lincoln Goines - electric bass
Gary Husband - drums

7. Mercury In Retrograde
Beledo - electric guitar
Lincoln Goines - electric bass
Gary Husband - drums

8. Silent Assessment
Beledo - electric guitar, archtop electric guitar
Lincoln Goines - electric bass
Gary Husband - drums

9. Budjanaji
Beledo - acoustic guitar, voice, fretless bass melody, archtop electric guitar, 1st electric guitar solo, keyboards
Dewa Budjana - 2nd electric guitar solo, background electric guitar
Rudy Zulkarnaen - electric bass
Endang Ramdan - Sundanese kendang percussion
Cucu Kurnia - Sundanese kendang and metal percussion

10. Front Porch Pine
Beledo - electric guitar
Tony Steele - electric bass
Doron Lev - drums 


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