Victor de Diego Quartet

Victor de Diego – Haize Berriak 

A slight, intentional vibration. A subtle, deliberate shift toward the unknown, the yet-to-be-discovered, and the uncertain yet promisingly new and seductive. It is a breath of air in a state of grace, responding to the natural impulse to remain in constant motion.

For forty years, Victor de Diego’s name has been synonymous with jazz, as he is considered one of its most important figures and a necessary reference point. Originally from Bilbao, he is a saxophonist, flutist, composer, and teacher. After studying at the Bilbao Conservatory of Music, he began his professional career in 1984 with projects such as Porkpie Hat, Infussion, and Quartet Creciente. In 1988, he moved to Barcelona and graduated from Conservatorio del Liceu de Barcelona obtaining the upper degree in saxophone. An integral part of the Barcelona music scene, de Diego has enjoyed a brilliant and renowned career. He has collaborated with renowned artists such as Armando Manzanero, Olga Guillot, and Joan Manuel Serrat. He has also worked with notable musicians including Tete Montoliu, Bebo Valdés, Jerry González, Chano Domínguez, Omara Portuondo, Dick Oatts, Rick Margitza, Phil Woods, Randy Brecker, Paquito de Rivera, Jesse Davis, Frank Wess, and Benny Golson. De Diego has worked as a session musician for television and theater and has been a member of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, the Orquestra de Cambra del Teatre Lliure de Barcelona, and the Russian State Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to releasing two albums with the De Diego Brothers project with his brother, trumpeter Juan de Diego, the Bilbao native has released seven albums under his own name. These works perfectly exemplify his ability to bring something new to each one, showcasing an artist in constant evolution. His new release, Haize Berriak, is no exception. The album features Roger Mas, a Barcelona-based pianist with a degree in jazz piano and music education from the Blanquerna Faculty of Education Sciences. Mas is also a teacher at Musikene, the Conservatori del Liceu, and the Begues Jazz Camp. He has collaborated with Carles Benavent, Marc Ayza, Jo Krause, Giulia Valle, and Víctor de Diego, among others. Sicilian double bassist, composer, and arranger Giuseppe Campisi studied at the Berklee College of Music and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He has released three albums and collaborated on more than forty recordings with artists such as Dick Oatts, Wayne Escoffery, Perico Sambeat, Jesse Davis, George Garzone, Ben Van Gelder, and Andrea Motis. Finally, drummer Andreu Pitarch completed his studies at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya, the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Manhattan School of Music in New York. Alongside his teaching, Andreu has collaborated with renowned artists including Peter Bernstein, Ethan Iverson, Arturo O’Farrill, Jon Faddis, Miguel Zenón, Maria Schneider, Ben Solomon and Perico Sambeat.

Recorded at Underpool Studio in Barcelona by Sergi Felipe, Haize Berriak brings us closer to expressive and elegant jazz. Designed to convey emotional states through new textures and intentions, it seduces us into paying attention and enjoying the music. Victor de Diego is a musician who can transition masterfully from an introspective mood to the most effervescent dynamism in compositions such as El tigre de Rekalde, captivating us with the emotional landscapes of Amatxu. A steamy recreation of Syedaas song flute from John Coltrane’s legendary album Giant Steps precedes the almost tropical narrative of Sabiñe, composed by De Diego and brought to life by the polyrhythms of Andreu Pitarch and Roger Mas’s interaction with the rest of the band. Haize Berriak pays homage to timeless classics, reimagining All the Things sophisticated harmonies and Where Are You velvety cadence. This is an album that reveals new nuances with every listen, offering a rich tapestry of emotions and rhythms in songs such as Collserola, another of De Diego’s compositions. The final surprise of this album is Ara nun diran (Nere amatxurentzat), a magnificent reimagining of the beautiful, nostalgic Basque song written by one of the most iconic figures of the nineteenth century: the bard José María Iparaguirre.

Haize Berriak captures the enthusiastic and tireless spirit of musicians like Victor de Diego, who are constantly on the move. Like a narrator aware of the unknown, he peels back the layers of the mysterious world behind every breath and heartbeat, every one of those instants that evolve capriciously to be transcribed onto the staff.