BIOGRAPHY

"Victor Noriega has developed a distinct personal style that is both inventive and adventurous... his piano playing is crisp and articulate, and his compositions fuse Classical and Filipino folk elements with a jazz aesthetic. One moment his playing is reminiscent of the intricate contrapuntal lines in a Bach fugue, and the next the percussive dissonance of Bartok's music for piano... Listening to Noriega perform is like hearing the pieces of a puzzle come together into a satisfying whole."

- Earshot Jazz

One of the finest jazz pianists and composers to emerge during the past decade, Victor Noriega's most recent recording, Fenceless, features him leading a brilliant post bop quintet on seven of his colorful originals.

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Victor grew up in Portland, moving to Seattle with his family when he was 15. He was influenced by his father's jazzy interpretations of standards on the piano as well as his sister's classical piano playing. When he was six or seven, Victor began piano lessons, mostly classical. However he listened to the current popular music, including rock, hip-hop and alternative. "I played bass and drums in a punk rock band, bass in a blues group, and piano in the high school jazz band. This is when I discovered Monk and Miles and Trane. I realized that with piano, the instrument I knew best, I could make interesting, challenging music with others."

Victor attended the University of Washington with a music scholarship. "There was a lot of opportunity in Seattle and I was able to play with some of the best players in the city." After graduating in 2000, his first important job was playing six nights a week as part of the house band on a riverboat that sailed up and down the Columbia River. "That was an important part of my development as a player. I was the youngest one in the group. Everyone else was a seasoned professional and I had to learn how to play at their level. I also had to learn a ridiculous amount of tunes. The experience taught me how to play at a certain level on a daily basis and it was my training ground. The material did not change much from week to week and there were no opportunities to really stretch out, so I learned to make the most of each situation. I found that every gig is as good as the guys on the bandstand want to make it."

While on the riverboat, Victor took advantage of his free time and wrote quite a few new songs, eight of which he included on his recording debut, Stone's Throw. A masterful trio album, Stone's Throw is modern yet accessible, unified yet unpredictable. Alternating romps with haunting ballads, the CD features telepathic communication between the musicians and enough subtle surprises to keep listeners paying close attention.

Victor Noriega's second recording, Alay, is a particularly special project. "Alay is inspired by my heritage. The main sources for this material are my parents, hearing my Dad play the songs at home and from sing-alongs at Filipino parties." Paying tribute on this trio set to his musical upbringing, Victor modernizes many of the tunes while retaining their melodies, includes a few of his originals in the tradition, and infuses the music with his own personality. It was especially meaningful shortly after Alay's release when Victor performed the music at the Filipino International Jazz Festival in Manila. The audience recognized the melodies and enjoyed hearing the familiar songs being interpreted in a very different and fresh way.

Victor Noriega's most recent recording, Fenceless, is a quintet set that teams his piano with Jay Thomas on trumpet, flugelhorn and soprano, altoist Mark Taylor, bassist Willie Blair and drummer Eric Eagle. "I have looked up to Jay Thomas and Mark Taylor throughout my years in Seattle. I love the way they play. Jay Thomas is a Seattle legend. He always manages to beautifully weave his way through any musical situation. I love Mark Taylor's sound on the alto. He is a great interpreter of music. He is able to capture the vibe and intention of anything you put in front of him, and he is one of those guys who will play lines that cover every alteration of every chord in a creative way. As for sidemen in general, I look for players with big ears who have the ability to stretch, are versatile within the forms, and are able to walk in and out of the boundaries, putting a lot of themselves in the music."

There is a lot of versatility and variety in the seven originals that comprise Fenceless, each of which have melodies that are memorable while setting definite moods. Among a few of the highlights are "Six To Ten" (which has the feel of a medium-tempo blues), the rhythmically complex "Guile," the brooding "Waiting" (which is based primarily on one note) and the post bop swinging of "No. 5 Theme." Throughout Fenceless, Victor and the two horn players create consistently exciting solos, blending together to form a very appealing group sound.

Victor Noriega won a scholarship to attend the Banff International Jazz & Creative Music Workshop in 2004, which gave him an opportunity to play and study with Dave Douglas, Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, George Lewis and Mark Turner. He has won several Earshot Jazz Awards including Best Emerging Artist of 2005, Northwest Instrumentalist of the Year in 2006 and Recording of the Year for Alay. He was one of the stars of the 2006 Earshot Jazz Festival and, in addition to his triumphant appearances in the Philippines, has become part of the jazz scene in Shanghai, China, having performed in China during several residencies. He has appeared at the Filipino Jazz Festival in Los Angeles on a couple of occasions and recently had an unusual gig accompanying Joan Rivers.

But more often, Victor plays regularly in Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, touring the West Coast often. He creates new music and is carving out his own path in the modern jazz world. For the future, he says, "I love to bring my music to different places and perform for new audiences. It definitely has a positive effect on my music making." Victor Noriega will certainly prove to be an inspiration to many others as his vital career continues to unfold.

By Scott Yanow, Author of ten books including The Jazz Singers, Trumpet Kings, Jazz On Film and Jazz On Record 1917-76

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PRESS/REVIEWS

John Reid, Keith Community Radio, Keith Banffshire, Scotland on ALAY:
"This is indeed an innovative recording, at times complex and containing many moods and rhythm's... After several listenings the melodies and harmonies fall into place and the high quality of musicianship from the trio becomes apparent. There is no substitute for class, a great recording."

Gordon Todd, Jazz Music director, KBCS 91.3, FM Seattle:
"Stone'’s Throw” is an impressive debut recording from a pianist and composer of considerable talent. Noriega’s tunes crackle with individuality, making it clear that his ambitions reside in innovation, not imitation. Introspective at times, energetic and boundary-stretching at others, these tunes seamlessly blend jazz and modern classical influences, expertly rendered by Noriega and his trio."”

Earshot Jazz magazine, May 2004 by Todd Matthews:
"Noriega is a gifted composer who seems to approach the music from a classically-trained perspective. His tunes are layered, complex, interesting and rhythmic... Noriega has so much up his sleeve, the end result is a richness that is exciting to hear... this is very original songwriting that leaves a listener feeling that he or she has gone on an uncharted musical journey of sorts.”"