"Alexey was my student at Berklee Valencia. From the first moment I heard him I felt a great talent, that together with a huge passion, with no doubt would make him become a great musician he is now."
Perico Sambeat
SHORT BIO
Alexey León Reyes is a saxophonist, flutist born in Manzanillo, Cuba. Winner of the 1st prize at a young jazz musicians competition Jojazz, Havana, Cuba.
He represented the Russian Gnesin Academy of Music at the BT River of Music Festival, organized by the British Council playing in the Matthew Herbert Big Band during the celebration of the Olympic Games in London in 2012. He performed at Moscow International House of Music, The grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Chaikovsky Concert Hall as a member of Gnesin Academic Big Band and Gnesin Saxophone Quartet.
In the spring of 2013, he received the Michel Camilo scholarship to attend the Master's program in Contemporary music at the Berklee College of Music, Campus of Valencia to study with the acclaimed musicians and educators Perico Sambeat, Alain Pérez, Polo Ortí.
His debut album "Cuba meets Russia", released by the label Sedajazz, was chosen for the Spanish jazz show case Jazz eñe and was presented at the Rialto theater in Valencia.
In 2017 Alexey released his album Alexey Leon Quintet "Cuban connection" featuring Perico Sambeat, Ivan "Melon" Lewis, Carlos Sarduy.
In 2018 Cuban connection was nominated to premio Carles Santos "Mejor disco de Jazz", Valencia, España.
He performed with Perico Sambeat, Marc Miralta, Danilo Pérez and Berklee Global Jazz Institute, Jack Walrath, Oriente Lopez, Mauricio Zottarelli, Alain Pérez, Javier ¨Caramelo de Cuba¨Masso, Iván "Melón" Lewis, Carlos Sarduy among other musicians.
He performed at London BT River of music festival (UK), Amerfoort Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Madrid Jazz Festival (Spain), Terral (Malaga, Spain), Valencia Jazz Festival (Spain), etc.
Alexey is currently living in Valencia and is active on the Spanish jazz scene.
Scholarships and awards
2018 Cuban connection nominado al premio Carles Santos "Mejor disco de Jazz", Valencia, España
2017 1er premio interpretación, XX concurso de jovenes jazistas, JoJazz, la Habana, Cuba
2017 Best group prize, V Festival de Jazz Johnny Raducanu, Braila, Romania
2017 I premio, Concurs Jazz Jove, XXI Festival de jazz Palau de la música de Valencia
2016 Premio Mejor Grupo", IV Concurso Portón del Jazz, Malaga, Spain
2015 Premio Juan Claudio Cifuentes "Mejor solista", el VI Concurso de Jazz UJI, Spain
2015 Jazz Eñe, SGAE, Valencia, Spain
2014 Michel Camilo Scholarship, Valencia, Spain
2013 1st prize for improvisation and best ensemble, Gnesin Jazz Fest, Moscow, Russia
2012 2nd prize, VIII competition of young improvisers, Rostov, Russia
2011 3nd prize, The voice of saxophone in the modern world, Moscow, Russia
2010 2nd prize, Jazz Competition XXI New Generation, Moscow, Russia
2009 1st prize, Modern Saxophone competition, Cheboksary, Russia
2005-2008 Scholarship from ¨our culture and heritage¨ fund, Moscow, Russia
DISCOGRAPHY
AS A LEADER
2021 Alexey León y los tigres de Bengala (coming soon)
Javier Masso "Caramelo"/Carlos Sarduy/Marc Miralta /Reinier Elizarde "El Negrón" /Pedro Parblo Rodriguez/ Georvis Pico
2020 Alexey Leon Quartet "Okudzhava for my mother" (coming soon)
Evgeny Lebedev/Makar Novikov/Ignat Kravcov
2018 Alexey Leon Quintet "Cuban connection"
Perico Sambeat/Carlos Sarduy/Ivan "Melon" Lewis/Dany Noel/Ivan Cebrian/Matt Baker/Kumar Sublevao Beat/Frank Durand
2015 ¨Cuba meets Russia¨
Voro Garcia/Piotr Orzhechowski/Alberto Palau/ Aless Cessarini/ Mariano Steimberg/ Javier Vercher/Max Ridley
Recordings as a sideman
2018 Sergio Pereira "Nu Brazil"
(Zoho records)
Perico Sambeat/ Oriente Lopez/Voro Garcia/ Marcus Teixeira/Mauricio Zottarelli/Victoria Pilatovic/Ariel Ramirez/Paula Santoro/Gabriel Grossi/Baptiste Bailly
2018 Sedajazz Big Band "Compendium"
(Sedajazz Records)
Saxo Alto _ Perico Sambeat
Saxo Alto_ Alexey León
Saxo Tenor_ Vicente Macián
Saxo Tenor_ Joan Benavent
Saxo Barítono_ Fco. A. Blanco "Latino"
Trompeta_ Voro García
Trompeta_ Raúl García
Trompeta_ Fede Crespo
Trompeta_ Pep Zaragoza
Trombón_ Carlos Martin
Trombón_ Toni Belenguer
Trombón_ Vicente Pérez
Tuba_ Javi Boluda
Piano_ Alberto Palau
Guitarra- Iván Cebrián
Contrabajo_ Aless Cessarini
Batería_ Felip Santandreu
Percusión_ Carlos Llidó
2016 Sebastian Laverde "Alma en Clave"
Iván "Melón" Lewis/ Georvis Pico/Pedro Pablo Rodriguez/ Alberto Palau/Aless Cessarini
2017 Santi Navalón "Elektrik jazz mantra"
Voro Garcia/ Iván Cebrian/Javier Vercher/ Dany Noel/Frank Durand
