Fabian Almazan grew up with Cuban music in Havana, studied classical piano in Miami and is currently part of the New York jazz scene. He also composes film music, amongst others for Spike Lee. These different aspects of his musical personality come together in his richly varied compositions and his colorful piano playing.
Fabian’s recent album Alcanza on his own label Biophilia was crowned 5 stars in the leading jazz magazine Downbeat. He previously reached the first position in the Downbeat Critics Poll in the Rising Star Pianist category. Double bassist Linda May Han Oh, a regular member of his various ensembles, has also reached first place in the Downbeat Critics Poll, in the Rising Star Bass category. She is of Malaysian origin, grew up in Australia and currently lives in New York. Besides performing with Almazan, she also playes with artists such as Joe Lovano, Steve Wilson, Vijay Iyer, Dave Douglas and Pat Metheny. She very recently received the JJA Jazz Award 2018 in the bass category.
The trio at the BIMHUIS is completed by drummer Henry ColeCole, Puerto Rican native, and a current resident of New York, is at the forefront of a growing wave of jazz innovation and cross-cultural rhythm in the 21st century. He has proven indispensable to the sound of some of the world’s most acclaimed jazz groups, including the Grammy-nominated Miguel Zenón Quartet, Grammy winner David Sánchez, The Gary Burton Quartet, Quincy Jone’s Global Gumbo, Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, The Ben Wendel Quartet and the all-star quartet ‘90 Miles’ featuring Sánchez, Stefon Harris and Nicholas Payton.
‘Its flavors are bold, evoking a range of emotions—melancholy, wonder, passion, joy, awe—in what is often a densely contrapuntal swirl of sound’ (Downbeat over het album Alcanza van Fabian Almazan & Rhizome, *****).
‘A brilliantly expressive pianist’ (Jazz Times).
Fabian Almazan piano, Linda May Han Oh double bass, Henry Cole drums