Francisco Mela

• Name — Francisco Mela • Birth Name — Francisco Jose Mela • Born — 5 February 1968 • Birthplace — Bayamo, Cuba • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician • Instrument — Drums

Born in Bayamo, Cuba, Francisco Mela studied at the Music School of Arts El Yarey as a teenager before furthering his studies at the National School of Arts for Teachers, el CENCEA. He taught at Rafael's Cabrera Conservatory of Music and played with some of the country's top Latin jazz musicians, as well as leading his group, MelaSon Latin Jazz Band, that toured throughout Mexico. In 2000, he moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music and was invited to join the percussion faculty. He became the house drummer at the Wally's Café. It was here where he developed the concept for what would later be his own group. In 2005, Mela joined the quartet of saxophonist Joe Lovano. Of particular note was the group's 2008 album on Blue Note entitled Folk Art. Later that year, Mela was approached by McCoy Tyner to join his trio. Mela was named the Twin Cities Jazz Festival's first artistic director in 2014, Before appointment, he served as artistic director for the Xalapa Jazz Festival in Veracruz, Mexico (2010-2013). In late 2016, Mela was part of an inaugural ensemble that joined Afro-Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés and saxophonist Joe Lovano for an international tour throughout Europe and North America. He also leads his own group, The Crash Trio.

"...Mela's drumming is expressive and rudimentary perfect, laying down an expansive palette, while not crowding his fellow accompanists." "Mela also has one of the most mercurial and quickest-thinking brains in music and can be both powerful and lucid, turning on a dime from an almost other-worldly, hallucinatory voice to a musician with a painterly, patrician demeanor." "...the drummer achieves a rare balance between sophistication and abandon, as he delivers irrepressible rhythmic layers behind, between and around the rest of his band." "The brilliance of Cirio, recorded live at the Blue Note, lies in drummer/bandleader Francisco Mela’s ability to inform its eight pieces with the Cuban sensibilities of his upbringing without ever succumbing to an unfettered traditional island rhythm." "...Mr. Mela is a bandleader on the rise..."

• Year — Title — Label — Featured personnel • 2016 — FE — self released — Francisco Mela (drums); Gerald Cannon (bass); Leo Genovese (piano); special guest, John Scofield (guitar) • 2011 — Francisco Mela & Cuban Safari: Tree Of Life — Half Note — Francisco Mela (drums, vocals); Elio Villafranca (piano); Leo Genovese (piano); Uri Gurvich (saxophone); Ben Monder (guitar); Luques Curtis (bass); Mauricio Herrera (percussion); Esperanza Spalding (vocals) track 4; Peter Slavov (bass); Arturo Stable (percussion); Jowee Omicil (saxophone) • 2008 — Cirio: Live at the Blue Note — | Half Note — Francisco Mela (drums, vocals); Jason Moran (piano); Larry Grenadier (bass); Mark Turner (soprano sax); Lionel Loueke (guitar, vocals) • 2006 — Melao — Ayva Musica — Francisco Mela (drums, vocals, percussion); Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone); George Garzone (tenor saxophone); Anat Cohen (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Lionel Loueke (guitar); Nir Felder (electric guitar & effects); Leo Genovese (piano, Fender Rhodes, keyboard); Peter Slavov (bass)