Bill Ortíz, James Levi, and Erick Barbería.

Three highly celebrated members of the Art Jackson & AREYTO aggregation are

                           Bill Ortíz, James Levi, and Erick Barbería.

Bill Ortíz was born and educated in San Francisco.  He is a master musician and an eloquent

spokesman for trumpet and flugelhorn, his on-stage instruments, to which he has committed a

lifetime of passion and the pursuit of excellence.  A first choice for first chair in an impressive list

of headliner music acts, Bill's credits include stints with Tony Toni Tone, En Vogue, Sheila E,

and Boz Scaggs.  He is a regular performer with Lavay Smith, and continues to hold down

Santana's front line, as he has for ten+ years.  Bill enjoys huge popularity in all genres.

Oakland's James Levi typifies the refined ease that accompanies a thorough knowledge of how to

best approach the music being presented.  He is an imaginative, highly skilled percussion exponent

always cognizant of where "the one" may be hiding, and always displaying impeccable taste.

James has a lengthy resume full of imminently visible luminaries including Bill Summers, the

Whispers, and the immensely popular Herbie Hancock.

Erick Barbería was born and educated in Cuba.  Among his earliest influences was that of his father, Luís Barbería, an accomplished vocalist.  Erick is a graduate of Escuela Nacional de Arte,

with a degree in Folkloric Dance.  He taught Cuban Folkloric Dance and Song, and percussion

in Havana before emigrating to the USA.  Erick is consecrated in the batá añá and is a widely

recognized babalawo of the Yoruba tradition.  Among his many first rank musical associations,

he worked with the great Latin Jazz pianist Chucho Valdés.  He is a valued and solid foundation

at the root of AREYTO.