Name: Dominican Jazz Project
Start: 2025-03-07T19:30:00-05:00
Location: Sharp 9 Gallery

“…a reminder of the power of music and brotherhood.”
—Mark Sullivan, All About Jazz
Sandy Gabriel, saxophones
Carlos Luis, voice, guitar
Stephen Anderson, piano
Ramón Vázquez, bass
Guy Frómeta, drums
David Almengod, percussion
Described as a "national pride" (Dominican Republic Jazz Festival), as "vibrant, passionate music" (JAZZIZ), and as "full of creative energy and the joy of musical discovery" (All About Jazz), the Dominican Jazz Project, Desde Lejos CD won two awards at the 2023 Premios Indie Dominicanos (Dominican Indie Awards) in the categories of Best Jazz Album and Best Jazz Song (for Anderson's, Fuera de la Oscuridad). The ensemble includes some of the most internationally renowned musicians living in the Dominican Republic (Sandy Gabriel, saxophone, Guy Frómeta, and David Almengod) and Ramón Vázquez in Puerto Rico. Founded in 2014, the Dominican Jazz Project (http://DominicanJazzProject.com) has performed at many important festivals in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, including the Festival Internacional de Cuba in January 2024, the 2019 Dominican Republic Jazz Festival, the 2018 Sajoma Jazz Festival, and three appearances at the Jazzomania Jazz Festival in Santo Domingo, DR). The Desde Lejos CD represented Summit Records on the 64th Grammy and 21st Latin Grammy Awards ballots, and the self-titled Dominican Jazz Project debut CD likewise represented the label on the 59th Annual Grammy and 17th Annual Latin Grammy Awards ballots. Un Cambio de Ritmo, from the Desde Lejos CD, was recognized on the All About Jazz "Popular Jazz Songs: 2021" list of most downloaded songs. In May 2022, pianist and composer, Stephen Anderson was formally distinguished by the Ministra de Cultura, Señora Milagros Germán, on behalf of the government in the Dominican Republic "for his research and contributions to the national musical heritage" whose compositions and rhythms "have traveled with [their] seal of identity." In April 2022, the DJP was invited to the Palacio Nacional for the condecoración (e.g., formal “decoration”) ceremony of bandmate, Guillo Carias, by President Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, President of the Dominican Republic.