Video Clips: Rita Payés Plays and Sings

Born in 1999 in Vilassar de Mar, a Spanish seaside suburb just north of Barcelona, Rita Payés grew up with musician parents and played piano and guitar and sang. She started serious music studies at the School of Music in Premià de Mar and, at age 8, she attended the School of Modern Music in Badalona. There, she studied trombone with David Sanabria and Joan Palacio. [Photo above of Rita Payés]

In 2017 she joined the esteemed Sant Andreu Jazz Band led by the dynamic bassist and saxophonist Joan Chamorro. She also recorded with fellow young Spaniards Andrea Motis, Magalí Datzira and Eva Fernandez. At the age of 16, she released her first album with Joan—Joan Chamorro presents Rita Payés, featuring Scott Hamilton, Dick Oatts, Scott Robinson, Toni Belenguer and Jo Krause, among others.

Joan is a true gift to jazz, and I can't say enough about his ability to motivate and empower young women in Spain and turn them into confident, accomplished artists.

So today, I'm featuring eight clips of Rita singing and playing trombone (with a little help from Carl Woideck). As you'll hear, Rita is marvelous and on trombone has a sound reminiscent at times of Carl Fontana:

Here she is with her mom, guitarist Elisabeth Roma, a frequent musical partner...

Here's Rita on guitar with Roma, bassist Horacio and percussionist Juan Berbín...

Here's Rita eight years ago with Joan (on bass here) and the gang in Barcelona. Trumpeter-singer Andrea Motis is at far left and Rita is next to her in red...

Here's Rita and her Carl Fontana sound with the WDR Big Band, courtesy of Carl Woideck...

Also from Carl Woideck, here's Nardis with the WDR Big Band...

Here's One for Billy...

Here's a Rita and Roma duet live in Paris, with Rita on trombone and guitar...

And here's Rita with Joan and the gang, leaving it all on the table on Nobody Else But Me. That's Fredrik Norén, lead trumpeter in the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, taking the first trumpet solo and Joan Mar Sauqué on the second...

JazzWax notes: Here's my post in 2013 during my State Department trip to Barcelona, when I first discovered Joan Chamorro and the Sant Andreu Jazz Band.

And here's my most recent post on Joan. Salud, Joan!

A special thanks to Carl Woideck for the reminder.