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 in 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 10+ years.  Bill enjoys huge popularity in all genres.

Oakland's James Levi typifies the refined ease and edge 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, B-3 organ giant Jimmy Smith, and the immensely popular 

Herbie Hancock.

Erick Barbería is a native of Cuba.  Among his earliest influences was that of his father,

Luís Barbería, an accomplished and popular vocalist.  Erick is a graduate of 

Escuela Nacional de Arte, holding a degree in Folkloric Dance.  He taught percussion and

Cuban Folkloric Dance and Song in Havana before emigrating to the USA.  

Erick is consecrated in the Batá Aña, 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.