Irving Flores

Born in Veracruz, raised in the Gulf of Mexico, Irving Flores was immersed in the Afro-Cuban rhythms. Dancing in the kitchen with his grandmother to her collection of danzón records, Flores constantly breathed the sounds of Cuba. His father, founder of the Tampico Orchestra and leader of his own big band, toured the U.S., Central and South America, extensively. Flores’s childhood toys were instruments from his father’s trips abroad, his books and the charts his father would bring home from his global musical tours.

Living in a tropical climate, his first instrument was the organ and soon he would play the alto sax alongside his father and his project — the Irving Flores Super Combo band. At 16, he left for Mexico City to begin a life long journey that would ultimately lead him to the U.S. to pursue his own music.

In Mexico City, he attended the Music Conservatory, studied under the greatest of mentors, performed in famous ballrooms like Salon Colonia, appeared in concert at the majestic Bellas Artes, and eventually toured the world. Now based in San Diego, California, Flores continues to push musical boundaries and innovate within the jazz genre, contributing richly to its evolution, including through lively performances with renown trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos and reaching new audiences through his performances and recordings.

None more so than on his electrifying new opus. Recorded live in New York City during a pair of 10-hour sessions at East Side Sound in March of last year, Armando Mi Conga is a culmination of years of wisdom and experience, of sacrifice, dedication, discipline. Of love, of loss, blood, sweat, tears, and rebirth.

And he didn't do it alone. Along for the supreme exaltation of joy are some legendary figures in jazz, including Giovanni Hidalgo (congas), Brian Lynch (trumpet), Horacio “El Negro” Hernández (drums), John Benitez (upright and electric bass), and Norbert Stachel on tenor sax, baritone sax, clarinet, and flute, showcasing Flores’s ability to bring together top talent to create truly spectacular music.

It's a path he's followed his whole career. His passion for education and community-building further strengthens the album’s depth and reach.