Aaron Aranita: Bio
Aaron Aranita
Aaron Aranita has been a professional working musician for over 25 years. He has worked as a sideman and leader throughout the U.S. and Japan backing up some of the top names in the business, Bob Hope, Andy Williams, Natalie Cole, the Temptations, and Boy Katindig just to name a few. But that is only one aspect of his musicianship.
He started in music young, playing the clarinet then switching to bass in high school, went back to playing woodwinds in college, and then picking up keyboards along the way. He honed his craft in colleges such as Leeward Community College near his hometown of Waipahu, Hawaii and Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, California, and at dedicated establishments of musical learning such as the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Berklee School of Music was where Aaron decided to reach out even more and really learn from the best teachers available, Joe Viola for saxophone, Greg Hopkins, Phil Wilson and Andy Jaffe for arranging and composition. Evidently, he learned his lessons well because the people at Berklee to nominated him to the Dean's List in 1980.
As a side note, after Berklee, he even found the time to study piano tuning at the San Francisco School of Piano Tuning and Repair while performing with his band, Eastbound, in the Bay Area of California.
Now, as an accomplished musician, he composes both music and lyrics, owns and runs his own commercial studio, Sugartown Records, where he produces and records his own and other artists' albums, and even serves as musical director for the annual Great Hawaiian Jazz Blowout. He is also a well sought after accompanist among Hawaii's finest vocalists.
Aaron's 1998 release, "Eastbound," was nominated for the Jazz Category of the Hoku Hawaiian Music Awards. This CD continues to receive airplay on jazz radio programs throughout the nation and even across the Pacific in Japan. In fact, in 1996, one of the tunes on that CD, "Sugartown," was aired nationally on Late Night with David Letterman.
Among the awards and accolades he has received are the Billboard Certificate of Achievement for Jazz Composition for his tune, "Gregoria " (1988), and the NAJE Award for Flute and Saxophone Performance (1986).
Presently, Aaron serves as an active member of the Hawaii Recording Academy (HARA) and the National Recording Academy (NARAS). And for the past 12 years, he has been a BMI writer and publisher.
In 2001, Aaron Aranita and Eastbound released "One Day," a new CD of 14 of Aaron's original tunes performed by Aaron and some of Hawaii's finest musicians.
Other Jazz artists recording his compositions are Saxophonist- Paul Fleisher and Harvey Thompson ( “Bird Is The Word”).
Among the awards and accolades he has received are the Billboard Certificate of Achievement for Jazz Composition for his tune, “Gregoria“ (1988),
In 2005 He released “Don’t Stop The Feeling” with guest trumpet artist Valery Ponomarev.
Rogerio Araujo - Drummer
Rogerio Araujo, an active session drummer from Brazil, residing in Hawaii. He has been
backing up acts such as Sa & Guarabira (as a member of their band from 1992 to 1994)
and Gonzaguinha Junior(1996), having also performed internationally in New York with
Juarez Moreira(1987), and with Leo Gandelman (1997). Araujo also participated in the
JVC Jazz Festival at the Art Institute in New York. He accompanied Claudio Zoli in
Spain (1993) and Déborah Blando in Miami (1997). Araujo also has backed up musicians like Nivaldo Ornelas, and Arthur Maia. From 1989 to 1983, he was the drummer
and percussionist of the group Los Brujos, formed by George Platero in Argentina,
among others. He also performed with Jazz musicians in Hawaii from 1997 to 2005,
participating in the recording of the Aaron Aranita CD, Cheryl Bartlett and others.
Rogerio Araujo started playing music at 12, learning the drums. At fifteen he joined Zé
Renato and Cláudio Nucci in Grupo Agora, which performed in schools in Rio de Janeiro. Araujo studied at the Villa-Lobos public school of music, also taking private
classes with American drummer Bob Wyatt in 1986. In New York, he participated in
workshops with teachers Tommy Campbel, Harvey Mason, and John Riley, from 1988 to
1992, and also in 1996.
Carlos A. T. Beserra - Bassist
Carlos A. T. Beserra
Artistic name: ALBERTO BESERRA (Beto)
Born: in Pernambuco - BRAZIL
Date of birth: November 15th
Started the career as a professional musician in Recife city state of
Pernambuco - Brazil.
Went to Rio de Janeiro in 1965
Played in Brazil with most famous musicians as well as singers during
the Bossa Nova era.
In 1969 went Europe for one year, played in Spain and Portugal.
In 1970 went to Africa for 4 years, playing for the British Jazz
singer Hazel Scott and pianist Izio Gross in Johannesburg, Durban,
Cape Town, Namibia, Mozambique and Angola.
In 1975/76 played in Brazil and Argentina with a show “Brasil Canta e
Dança” sponsored by the major Brazilian television station “Rede
Globo de Televisão” and produced by Haroldo Costa.
In 1977 played in Rio de Janeiro with the famous Japanese pianist
Kunihiko Sugano.
In July 1977 went to Japan played at G & L Club in Nagoya City for
six month.
In 1978 played at the Hong Kong Miramar Hotel Jazz Club and Macao
Lisboa Hotel and Casino.
In 1979 went to Tokyo played and recorded with major names like:
Sadao Watanabe, Naoya Matsuoka, Shigeharo Mukai, Kazumi Watanabe,
Hidefumi Toki, Lisa Ono, Kioshi Hasegawa and many others.
Between 1983/93 went to New York City & Rio, Played, recorded and
wrote the arrangements for the famous Percussionist Guilherme
Franco’s Band “PÉ DE BOI”.
Also in New York City played and recorded with Saxophonist Joe Ford
(former McCoy Tyner regular member) Pianist Dave Kikosky etc...
Also in New York City has played with former “Weather Report” and
“Sergio Mendes” “Brasil 66” drumer Don Um Romão.
In New York City: August 1995 has recorded composed arranged and
produced 80% of the THE NOVA BOSSA NOVA Band.
Musicians that participated on the Nova Bossa Nova first record:
Trumpet and flugel horn: Claudio Roditi - Tenor Saxophone: Bob Mintzer
Alto Sax: Joe Ford - Accordion and vocals: Eddie Monteiro.
San Francisco, September 1995: Has played at the Valejo Jazz Festival.
1996 in New York City recorded, arranged, and played a John Coltrane
Tribute with his Band: Nova Bossa Nova for ARKADIA RECORDS
In August1997 in Japan has played with famous American Trombone
player Bill Watrous.
In Nagoya City, Japan from: 1995 to 2002 has been teaching Bass,
Arranging and a Jazz and Brazilian Ensemble at the “NAGOYA VISUAL
ARTS SCHOOL”.
In Japan played live gigs with famous drummers James Levy and Tommy
Campbell.
EDUCATION.
Escola Nacional de Musica in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Berklee School of Music in Boston, studied with Hal Grossman, John
Neves, George Garzone, Mike Metheny Herb Pomeroy etc...
Aaron Aranita
The Big Banditos Big Band
Origial Big Band Music now being recorded at Sugartown Records, with vocalists, Brian Chang, Alwyn Erub, Garry Moore, Ace Thomson, Keahi Conjugacion, Al Romero and Michaael Chock.
Chuck James, James Ganeko -drums
Ernie Provencher- Upright Bass
Aaron Aranita-electric bass
David Yamasaki, Brian Chang -Guitars
Aaron Aranita -Piano- keyborads
Deshannon Higa, Don Smith, Bob Scellato - Trumpets
Patrick Hennessy, Kyle Hanki, Dick Bowman -trombones
Aaron Aranita - Flute, Soprano,Alto, Tenor and Bari Saxophones
all music, lyrics and arrangements
by Aaron Aranita