RALE MICIC TRIO FT. UGONNA OKEGWO & EJ STRICKLAND SG. SEBASTIÁN CHAMES
Rale Mićić – guitar
Ugonna Okegwo – double bass
E.J. Strickland – drums
Sebastián Chames – piano
Rale Mićić is a guitarist and composer born in Belgrade, Serbia, and one of the distinctive voices of the New York jazz scene, where he has lived since 2000. He arrived in the United States after receiving a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music, where he trained with figures such as George Garzone and John Thomas, and was a direct student of the influential guitarist Mick Goodrick, whose harmonic and aesthetic concepts deeply shaped his musical language.
Since settling in New York, he has developed a solid career as a leader, composer, and sideman, collaborating with artists such as Tom Harrell, Eric Alexander, Gene Bertoncini, Jason and Delfeayo Marsalis, and participating in chamber projects, quintets, and big bands. He is a regular member of the Tom Harrell Chamber Ensemble, with which he has performed at leading contemporary jazz venues.
As a leader and co-leader he has released six albums, including Bridges, Serbia, 3, Night Music, and Only Love Will Stay, works that combine modern jazz with influences from Balkan music and a strong melodic identity. His music is regularly presented at clubs and festivals across the United States and Europe, establishing him as a mature, elegant, and recognizable voice in today’s jazz scene.
Ugonna Okegwo, born in London and raised in Germany, is a double bassist based in New York since the late 1980s. He has been a member of the Tom Harrell Quintet and the Mingus Big Band, and has performed with artists such as Michael Brecker, Pharoah Sanders, Clark Terry, Wynton Marsalis, and Jon Hendricks.
As a leader he released the album UOniverse, and he appears on numerous recordings and international tours, noted for his deep sound, flexible swing, and strong rhythmic sensitivity.
E.J. Strickland is an American drummer and composer who studied at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York. He has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, Terence Blanchard, and Christian McBride, and has led his own projects since 2009. He is a highly sought-after musician on the New York scene, with an extensive discography and a style that combines power, subtlety, and a strong connection to the modern jazz tradition.
Sebastián Chames is a renowned Argentine pianist based in Madrid who has performed at numerous venues, including the Central, where his contribution has been celebrated on several occasions. His style combines technical virtuosity with musical sensitivity, bringing a distinctive touch to every collaboration.
