Biography

Contracuarteto's biography

Founded and led by double bassist Roberto Lecaros, this band belongs to the tradition of “pianoless quartets”, with a sound evoking those of Warne Marsh’s or Gerry Mulligan’s bands, where the absence of harmonic instruments plays a part in its counterpoint richness. Contracuarteto boasts one of the most powerful sounds of the current generation of Chilean musicians. In 2006 they recorded live their debut eponymous album at the Thelonious Club in Santiago, where they earned instant recognition from the critics and specialised press as the best jazz band in Chile.
They shared the stage with international musicians such as John Scofield Trío, Al Di Meola, John Patitucci, Jeff Gardner and Yuri Honing Trío, and appeared at several jazz festivals across the country. Contracuarteto made it to the final of the 29th Jazz Hoeilaart International Contest (Belgium) as the only band representing Latin America.
Roberto Lecaros graduated in Arts from the Universidad de Chile and is a renowned teacher. He was first double bass in the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional Juvenil de Chile, the Orquesta Filarmónica Municipal de Temuco and the Orquesta del Instituto de Música de Santiago, and was also a member of different chamber ensembles and tango orchestras. In the jazz scene he has appeared at numerous festivals and concerts in his country and the world, sharing the stage with big names of the genre, including Danilo Pérez, Martin Joseph, Francis Lockwood, Frank Gambale, Ernesto Jodos, Leszek Mozdzer and Ludvig Berghe. Cristian Gallardo, the band’s alto sax, is a member of the Conchalí Big Band, with which he toured Europe and performed alongside international musicians such as James Moody, Bruce Barth, Pat O’Leary, Ivan Lins and Luis Salinas, among others. In addition, he leads his own quintet.
The other saxophonist in Contracuarteto is Andrés Pérez, who has been selected among the best one hundred young musicians by newspaper El Mercurio. He was a member of the regular line-up of musicians of Ed Motta, with whom he recorded the album Aystelum, nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Jazz Album 2006. Later on, in 2007, he appeared at the DrumFest International Festival 2007 (Backstage), alongside Rick Latham, Maxx Furian and Horacio “El Negro” Hernández.
Last but not least is Félix Lecaros. He began banging the drums at age 6, and has shared the stage with top-notch artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Danilo Pérez, Bruce Barth and the Yellowjacets, among others. He participated in Mike Stern’s tour around Chile and was invited to conduct a clinic at the Zildjian Day, alongside Cindy Blackman and Oscar Giunta. In 2006 he travelled to Sweden to record with the band Urban Language. In the same year, he was invited to the International Jazz Seminar in Barcelona, Spain, where he played with Seamus Blake, Perico Sambeat, Bill Stewart and Kevin Hays.

www.myspace.com/contracuarteto • www.myspace.com/robertolecaros

www.myspace.com/gallardocristian • www.myspace.com/felixlecaros

www.myspace.com/perezsaxproyect