J.R. has certainly “paid his dues†in the music world. “When my uncle, a prominent guitarist and composer, first played me “Bachata Rosa†by Juan Luis Guerra, I knew that music was my calling,†says Felix. "Being that I came from a family of musicians, I was always surrounded by music, but that album just really struck a chord within me. After that, I picked up the guitar and my uncles started teaching me the basics."
Wanting to gain a deeper understanding of composition and arranging, J.R. delved into the complex and demanding world of Jazz by enrolling at the City College Music Conservatory in New York City. While there, J.R. began playing Bass and Jazz Piano, and continued to hone his vocal skills. Though shy and introverted, J.R. befriended a classmate of his at the conservatory, guitarrist Jacob Plasse. "After hearing him playing over Coltrane's 'Lazybird' and the way he phrased the melody to Miles' 'Blue in Green,' I knew that his was the sound I wanted for my group," J.R. says.
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Born and raised in SoHo, Jacob’s parents raised him amongst a social circle of renowned painters, writers, and most importantly, musicians. He began studying classical and jazz guitar at the age of 9 with guitarists John Kriesberg and Dave Stryker. After hearing latin jazz master Chucho Valdes perform, Jacob became interested in latin music; this eventually culminated in an extended study abroad in Cuba, where he soaked up the intense polyrhythms of AfroCuban music.
While studying at the City College Music Conservatory under the likes of jazz icons John Patitucci and former Machito arranger Ray Santos, Jacob and Felix began playing in diverse settings around NYC, further expanding their understanding of music. They began playing with (various) bands and artists, such as Conjunto Clasico, Tito Nieves, Raulin Rodriguez, Oriente Lopez, Dave Samuels, Wes “Warmdaddy†Anderson, and Mo’ Guajiro, among others. In the summer of 2006, Jacob and Felix traveled to the Dominican Republic to record, arrange, and co-produce the bachata duo Xtreme’s second album, "Haciendo Historia." Working alongside legendary producer and arranger Sergio George, and renowned songwriter and producer Michael Figueroa, they created a new direction for the genre of Bachata. The album went on to become a smash hit, selling over 200,000 copies in less than 6 months on the strength of its chart-topping single, "Shorty Shorty".
Rounding out the group is bassist Jose Vargas. Born in the Dominican Republic, Jose was heavily influenced by the native sounds of the island, Bachata and Merengue. He was trained by distinguished session musicians Memin and Isaiah Leclerc, and subsequently joined Aventura frontman Henry Santos' group, the Hustleheartz. While touring, he met Felix and Jacob and began collaborating with them.
Sur Tres' music grew out of the collective knowledge of its members' musical experiences. They draw inspiration from artists such as Sin Bandera, Juanes, and Alejandro Sanz, but their music is distinctly their own. S3's music is the heartfelt work of artists sculpting a musical vision that reaches their listener's deepest emotions.
"IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW"
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