Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band

In 2021, the Barcelona Jazz Festival dedicated the artist portrait to me and I had 5 concerts. For one of them I had the idea of bringing together all the musicians with whom I had recorded a CD from the "presentas" collection. There were 15 musicians and I could almost form a big band: Andrea Motis, Eva Fernández, Magalí Datzira, Rita Payés, Marc Martín, Joan Mar Sauqué, Èlia Bastida, Joan Codina, Alba Armengou, Carla Motis, Joana Casanova, Jan Domènech, Marçal Perramon, Joan Martí and Alba Esteban.

I completed the sections with two trumpet players, Elsa Armengou and Gerard Peñaranda, a saxophonist, Koldo Munné (with whom I am currently recording his presentation CD), three trombonists (Claudia Rostey, Max Tato and Perot Rigau, and for the rhythm section I had the one who had been the first drummer of the SAJB: Arnau Julià.

Each of the musicians presented chose a theme. In most cases I asked for special arrangements for the occasion and Joan Monné was in charge of writing them.

All the recordings I have made are important and make me feel proud and happy, but the one we made for JAZZING 12 VOL. 2, with practically all the musicians who had been members of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, and this one you are holding in your hands are really very special to me.

They are the summary of something important, of something wonderful; they are the summary of a precious dream that has no end.

The music on this new CD is marvellous and we can hear the maturity they have all reached over the years.

None of the protagonists of this work are now in the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, but I feel that each and every one of them will always be part of our history. A story of unwanted success, the result of constant work and of believing that jazz can be and is a music that young people can fall in love with.

This big band was my dream and now, once again, it has become a reality.