Latin music was a very natural gravitation for Juan Carlos Quintero when he first picked up the guitar at age eight: “No matter what style I ever played in, I always came back to the Latin grooves. Latin music crosses so many boundaries and its ability to seduce at the same time as it celebrates life and my culture background has always amazed me.  It’s got a strong natural appeal to me.  A few years before I picked up the guitar, I remember being mesmerized by a dance band that played in a high school next door to my elementary school in Brussels. They were a cover band and I was convinced, ‘Those are the guys from the radio!’ I was hooked from then on.”

 

Quintero was particularly inspired by music masters like Quincy Jones, Cal Tjader, Miles, Tito Puente, & Antonio Carlos Jobim, but felt that improvisors like Chick Corea, Eddie Palmieri and Gary Burton deepened the excitement by bridging melodic improvisation with composition. Quintero took this lead attending Berklee College of Music in the early 80’s before launching his solo career later in the decade.  He studied composition at Boston’s New England Conservatory with George Russel before moving to Los Angeles, where he plugged into the city’s studio scene with the help of this mentor Tommy Tedesco (The Wrecking Crew). While developing his freelance guitar-work by day, Quintero composed a volume of original music and sought out old Boston schoolmates to help bring the music to life via gigs throughout Los Angeles. An opportunity to open for longtime hero, Gato Barbieri convinced him to keep writing and start making records... 

 

Achieving his goal of producing music blending contemporary jazz with music styles from Colombia, JC quickly became a staple of NAC, World, Jazz and Smooth Jazz radio with tracks from his first two albums, a self-titled effort in 1990 and Through The Winds in 1992 on Nova Records. Critically acclaimed records followed in 1997 with The Way Home on Escapade records segueing to releases on Moondo Records, a label he founded in early 2000 and distributed by Robert Fripp’s label, DGM. A decade of music ensued with notable releases, Medellín, Los Musicos, Los Primos, Las Cumbias...Las Guitarras, Joy To The World, and Guitarras De Pasión compilation series featuring music by JCQ (Vol. 1 Charted #1 on iTunes/World Music for 7 months). Amongst many highlights in JC’s recording career, a stand remains recording and performing alongside celebrated artists such as Alex Acuna, Poncho Sanchez, Justo Almario, Otmaro Ruiz, Francisco Aguabella, Abe Laboriel, Eddie resto and Luis Conte to name a few. Joining forces with top tier music collaborators and label partners has bolstered JCQ’s profile as a world-class guitarist/recording artist able to produce, perform and record a world of music while nurturing a signature sound.

 

 When his hands aren’t on the guitar, JC’s career in music expands to business, teaching, producing, publishing, and consulting. Recent highlights include teaching music business (College of the Canyons in Valencia, California, California State University), securing a publishing deal with BMG Rights Management, establishing a Production Music label in partnership with Warner Chappell (Café Moondo), serving as Executive in Charge of Music/Music Supervisor for Haim Saban’s entertainment company (Saban Brands LLC, Los Angeles) and rebooting his label, Moondo Music to reissue his recordings and sign new artists!

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- Jonathan Windran

 

“One of the greatest things about creating music today is the ability to record without limitations while nurturing an artistic voice! Often through collaboration, the results can easily surpass one’s vision and for me, that’s the gift" . - JC Quintero