About Jorge Sylvester:

Born in Colon, Panama, in 1954, Jorge Sylvester's cultural roots include a Jamaican grandfather, a Panamanian mother, and a father from Belize. Recalling his early exposure to music, he notes "my father owned a lot of records and I listened to a lot of Sonny Stitt and John Coltrane." He further cites the influences of Eric Dolphy and Sonny Rollins, whom he credits for contributing to his approach to rhythm. By age 14, Sylvester was leading his own salsa band and going to gigs with older musicians. An alumnus of the Panama Conservatory of Music, he moved to Madrid, Spain, at age 22, working there for the next 10 years and touring throughout Europe. Most notably, he was co‑leader of a quintet and sextet with bassist Miguel Chastang, with whom he recorded two albums, and opened concerts for such stellar musicians as Miles Davis, Jackie McLean, and Joe Henderson.

Relocating to the United States in the early $0's, Sylvester studied music at The State University of New York at New Paltz, where he joined a cooperative program with Karl Berger's Creative Music Program in Woodstock, New York, which was under the artistic direction of Omette Coleman. There, the saxophonist studied with such musicians as Oliver Lake, Dave Holland, and Steve Lacy.

In recent years, Sylvester has been living in New York City and working with his own quintet, which includes Monte Croft, Gene Jackson, Marvin Sewell, and bassist Jeff Carney. In conclusion, Sylvester says, "Jazz is moving towards becoming a world music because it combines all the world's musical elements. I hope that people will listen to MusiCollage without any preconceived notions and will allow themselves to be open to the music."