Xesús Abelardo Rábade Villar

Pseudonym: Abe Rábade
Category: Pianist and composer
Birth Date: 8th September 1977
Birth Place: Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña)
Correo electrónico: 
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 Curriculum

He studied at the Conservatoire and Music School in Santiago de Compostela and took a degree 'cum laude' in Piano and Jazz at the Berklee College of Music in Boston (USA) with Professors Suso Atanes, Joanes Brackeen, Pave Schmelling, Hal Crook, Greg Hopkins, Ray Santis and Dave Frank. Nowadays, he combines Performance with Composition and Teaching.

 Work & Activities

He collaborated with Paco Charlín, Val Tzenkov, Miguel Zenón, Jamey Haddad, Skip Hadden, Mike Mossman, Jesús Santandreu y Jeff Harrington. He has been the leader of the group 'Abe Rábade Trío' since 1996. He composes for the Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra (Boston, USA) and SEM Big Band (Santiago). He is the author of 45 original compositions for jazz groups (acoustic trio and quintet), 10 compositions for jazz orchestras, which he has performed in Spain, Boston, New Orleans and Alaska and two research works for the Xunta de Galicia about the medieval poems by Alfonso X, the Wise King and Martin Códax. His first album Babel de Sons has just come out.

 Other Interesting Aspects

He got the following prizes: Liberace Foundation Award (1997), Jazz Piano Performance Award (1999) and Claire Fischer Composition Award (1999). He admires John Coltrax as a singer and leader of his group and Duke Ellington as a composer and expert on arrangement.