Guest2001-2002

A drummer, Latin percussionist, and educator based in Chicago, Ruben Alvarez has performed in every major city in the United States, Europe, and Canada including performances at the Chicago Jazz Festival, Viva Chicago, Montreux Jazz Festival, and North Sea International Convention.

Alvarez has performed with such artists as Dave Valentine, Junior Wells, John Mayall, Dave Mason, Anita Baker, Patticia Barber, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Seattle Philharmonic, and numerous other groups, both as sideman and as leader.

As an educator, Alvarez conducts masterclasses, workshops, and performances for over 5,000 students and educators annually. He is a member of the Ravina Festival Jazz in the schools mentors program, the International Association of Jazz Educators educational resource team and is now on the faculty of Northwestern University.

We are VERY happy to have Ruben as one of this year's guest artists!

Victor Goines (Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet) was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisana. Mr. Goines began studying clarinet at age eight, and continued his studies through high school. He received a Bachelor of Music Education in 1984 from Loyola University and a Master's Degree at Virginia University in 1990. Mr. Goines toured internationally with Ellis Marsalis's quartet before joing the orchestra of the Broadway musical Black and Blue. In 1993, he joined Wynton Marsalis's Septet and toured with the band until 1994, at which time he joined the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Mr. Goines has recorded or worked with Lionel Hampton, Terence Blanchard, James Moody, Dianne Reeves, and Dizzy Gilespie, amoung many others. He has released three acclaimed albums as a leader: Genesis (1991), Joe's Blues (1998), and To Those We Love So Dearly (1999). He has been performing with the LCJO since 1993, currently serves as Education Consultant to Jazz at Lincoln Center, and serves as the Director of the Julliard Institute for Jazz Studies- a collaboration between The Julliard School and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

We are very excited to get the opportunity to work with Victor Goines!