Education:
Roosevelt Performing Arts High School
Fresno, California
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts
California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts)
Valencia, California
Scholarships/Awards:
Berklee College of Music in 1990
Cal Arts in 1992
Gilbert Castellanos Quintet - First Place Winner, 1995 Coltrane Competition
Festivals/Major Performances:
1991: Music Educators Conference, New Orleans
with the Art Blakey Ensemble of Berkeley
with Black Note
1993: Montreal Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
Pasadena Jazz Festival
Santa Barbara Jazz Festival
1994: Boston Globe Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
JVC New York Jazz Festival
Jackie Robinson Jazz Festival - Hartford, Conn
Ravina Jazz Festival - Chicago, Illinois
Wolftrap - Washington D.C
North Sea Jazz Festival - Hague Holland
Umbria Jazz Festival - Perugia, Italy
Macerata Piazza Liberia - Munich, Germany
1995: Munchner Jazz Festival - Munich, Germany
Festival Jazz SCRL - Rome, Italy
Festival de Jazz de Vitoria - Spain
JVC Capital Radio Jazz Festival - Pori, Finland
Montreal Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
1996: Atlanta Conference for Jazz Educators (IAJE)
Blues Alley - Washington D.C.
as Gilbert Castellanos
1997: Idyllwild Jazz Festival
1998: Idlewild Jazz Festival
KRTM Jazz Concert
Jazz in the East Village
1999: Duke Ellington Tribute at UCSD with Cecil Lytle and Barbara Morrison
98.1 The Breeze 1999 Gaslamp Jazz Festival
Quincy Troop "Artist On the Edge" at the Museum of Contemporary Art La Jolla
"Concert at the Museum" at the San Deigo Museum of Art
Anthenaeum Summer Jazz Series
"An Evening with Culture Clash"
"USD 50th Anniversary Celebration"
Idyllwild Jazz Festival
2002: became a member of the world Renowned Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Member of The Willie Jones III Quintet. Futjitsu Concord Jazz Festival Tour of Japan.
2003- Joined the Anthony Wilson Nonet and the Benny Wallace Nonet. Newport Beach Jazz Party, Ensenada Jazz Festival, Idyllwild Jazz Festival, Street Scene, Montery Jazz Festival,
2004-Newport Beach Jazz Party, International Latino Film Festival, Kennedy Center(D.C.), Europen Tour w/CHJO, Oregon Drum Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, Futjitsu Concord Jazz Festival Tour of Japan.UCSD Jazz Camp.
Summer 2004-06- UCSD Jazz Camp faculty member
2005-Montery Jazz Festival- Next Generation Festival- clinician and performer. USC Jazz faculty member. IAJE w/ Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, , International Latino Film Festival, Alaska Jazz Festival, UCSD Jazz Camp, Montery Jazz Festival- Next Generation Festival, Ensenada Jazz Festival, Europen tour.
Recording/Motion Pictures:
C. Ruiz - S/T (JVC Records)
Black/Note - L.A. Undergroud (Red Records)
Cal Arts Jazz CD - S/T (Capital Records)
College Boyz - Nuttin' Less, Nuttin' Mo (CEMA Records)
Black/Note - Jungle Music ( Columbia Records)
D-Knowledge - All That and A Bag of Words (Qwest Records)
Black/Note - Nothing But the Swing (Impulse Records)
Black/Note - Higher Learning (A John Singleton/Colombia Pictures Production)
Gilbert Castellanos - All the Pretty Horses (A film by Billy BobThorton, performed on
soundtrack)
Gilbert Castellanos - Composed "Manny Brown" theme song for "These Days"
KPBS broadcast
Gilbert Castellanos- The Gilbert Castellanos Hammond B-3 Quartet(solo debut CD)
Recorded with:
Les Mccann, Natalie Cole, Jack Costanzo, Daniel Jackson, Bobby Matos, The Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Black/Note, Rene Olstead & A.J. Croce (see discography)
Other Projects include composition and recording of two theme songs for National Public Radio "Manny Brown" and "Nightmare on Essex St." Other original compostions entitled "WL G,""En LA Noche," & Mambo Montiki" which can be heard on Jack Costanza's "Scorching the Skins."
Gilbert has performed with:
Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Nancy Wilson, George Benson, Gerald Wilson, Ernie Andrews, Poncho Sanchez, Jimmy Smith, Diana Krall, Al Jarreau, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Dr. John, Charlie Hayden, Tootie Heath, Joe Lovano, Eric Reed, Lewis Nash, Donald Brown, Billy Higgins, Charles Mcpherson, Luis Gasca, Steve tyrell, Les Mccann, Mulgrew Miller, Russel Malone, Plas Johnson, Gladys Night, Nnenna Freelon, Daniel Jackson, Marshall Hawkins, Huston Person, John Santos, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Willie Jones III, Michael Buble, Anthony Wilson, Benny Maupin, Greg Hutchinson, Henry Franklin, Brian Blade, Lou Rawls, Oscar Brashear, Snooky Young, Benny Wallace, Herlin Riely, John Pattatuchi, Bobby Shew, Johnny Mandel, Jack Costanzo, Brian Lynch, Robert Hurst, Christian Mcbride, Dee Dee Bridgewater, John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzarelli, Renee Olstead, Ndugu Chancler, Francisco Aguabella, James Moody, Gary Lefebvre, James Newton, Peter Washington, Gerald Clayton, Barbara Morrison, Ramon Banda, Eldar Djangirov, Bob Magnuson, Harvy Mason, Seamus Blake, Daniel Lanois, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Darek Oles, Carl Anderson, Liza Minnelli, Natalie Cole, Dave Pike, Lila Downs, Kenny Burrell, Gladys Night, Wycliffe Gordon, Renee Rosnes, Benny Green, Jeff Cayton.
Current Projects:
Gilbert Castellanos Quintet-Founded in 2002
with Gerald Clayton on keys, Kevin Kanner on drums, Adam Schroeder on baritone sax and Dan Lutz on bass. Original compositions and classic "Blue Note" arrangements.
Latin Trumpet Summit- Founded 2004
Four trumpets with an afro cuban rhythm section that feature original music and arrangements of jazz classics by GIlbert Castellanos. Past guests have included Bobby Rodriguez, Sal Cracchiolo, Donald Vega and James Zoller.
Gilbert Castellanos and his Hammond B-3 Quartet-Founded in 1998
Once again Gilbert opens the door to lead another experiment with rhythm and timber by joining forces with Joe Bagg on his Hammond B-3 organ. Their set includes a healthy diet of old standards as well as interpretations with their own twist.
Past Projects:
Unido-Founded in 1996
Unido encompassed the powerful forces behind Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms. While also providing many new originals, Unido was the collaboration of an impressive group of San Diego's best local talent: GIlbert Castellanos(t), Lynn Willard (p), Skip Howlett(timbales), Steve Feierabend (ts), Ignacio Arrango (b), and Tito Velez(congas). Major influences are Cachao, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and the Ft. Apache Band.
Gilbert Castellanos Quartet-Founded in 1994
GCQ has performed in venues throughout the West Coast including San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego. Many of the group's compositions came from the 1950's and 1960's hard bop jazz pioneers such as Lee Morgan, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Joe Henderson, and Kenny Dorham, as well as many originals. GCQ is also quite capable of mixing Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms with an original hard bop.
Jazz Portraits/ A Series- Founded in 1996
This is a series of tributes performed at El Campo Ruse, Ole Madrid, Dizzy's and MOPA. All music arranged and conducted by Gilbert Castellanos, plus special guest performers.
Lee Morgan-1996
Elmo Hope-1996
Art Blakey-1997
Horace Silver-1997,2004
Jimmy Smith-1998
Wayne Shorter-1998
Daniel Jackson-1999
Clifford Brown-2000
Kenny Dorham-2000
Charlie Parker goes Latin-2001
Freddie Hubbard-2002
Hank Mobley-2002
Pepper Adams/Donald Bird-2003
Miles Davis-2003
Thelonious Monk-2004
Dizzy Gillespie-2004
Discograhy -Recordings/Motion Pictures :
*Gladys Night- TBA (2006)
*John Pizzarelli- TBA (2006- Telarc Records)
*Anthony Wilson Nonet TBA (2006-Groovenote Records)
*Gilbert Castellanos Quintet- Underground (2006- Seedling Records)
*Diana Krall- Christmas Songs (2005-Verve Records)
*Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra- Live At MCC (2005-MCG Records)
*Gregory Page- Sleeping Dogs(2005-Bed Pan Records)
*Daniel Lanois- Belladonna (Dig) (2005- Anti Records)
*Rob Thorsen- Moon Ray (2005-Azica Records)
*Michael Buble- It’s Time (2005-Reprise Records)
*Jamie- Music From A Love Shared (2004 –Shadowlight music Records)
*Daniel Jackson- The Window (2004- DJ Records)
*Composed & performed “Nightmare On Essex Street ” theme “These Days” (2004-KPBS broadcast )
*A.J. Croce- Adrian James Croce (2004- Eleven Thirty Records)
*Starline Theorie- Vega (2004 Azra Records)
*Steve Feierabend- Bop Mambo (2003 Feierbend Records)
*Curtise Stigers- Secret Heart (2002- Concord Records)
*Jack Costanzo-Scorching The Skins (2002- Cubop Records)
*Sue Palmer- Sound Track To A B Movie (2002- Sue Palmer)
*Bobby Matos & John Santos- Mambo Jazz (2001- Cubop Records)
*Jack Costanzo- Back From Havana (2001 -Cubop Records)
*Romy Kaye- My Mother’s Daughter (2001-Kaye Records)
*Jack Costanzo- Chicken And Rice (2000- Crescendo Records)
*Henry “Skipper” Franklin- Bass Encounters(2000-Resurgent Music Records)
*Gilbert Castellanos Hammond B-3 Quartet (1999 -Webster’s Jazz Classics Records)
*Chuck Perrin- Swallow Life (1999- Webster’s Jazz Classics Records)
*Composed & performed “Manny Brown” theme “These Days” (1999-KPBS broadcast )
*Marcus Shelby- Midtown Sunset (1998-Noir Records)
*Jimmer Bolden- The Hippest Cat In Hollywood (1998 Jimni Records)
*Unsteady- Double Or Nothing (1997- Asian Man Records)
*Otmaro Ruiz – Distant Friends (1997-Moo Records)
*John Singelton-Higher Learning Motion Picture (1995- Columbia Pictures)
*Black/Note- Nothin’ But The Swing (1995-Impulse Records)
*D-Knowledge- All That And A Bag of Words(1994-Qwest Records)
*The College Boyz – Nuttin’ Less Nuttin’ Mo’(1994- Virgin Records)
*Black/Note- Jungle Music (1993- Columbia Records)
*Black/Note- L.A. Underground (1993-Red Records)
*George Roessler- Bumpy Jazz (1991- Roessler Records)