Rafael Enciso Jazz Quartet

Rafael Enciso is a bassist and composer hailing from Ithaca, New York. He has spent time in Rochester, New York, and now lives in New York City. He has worked both as a sideman and a bandleader, and is an extremely versatile musician. In Rochester, Rafael quickly became a top call bassist in the city, playing at nearly every venue that the city had to offer. Notably, Rafael recorded his quartets twice at Bop Shop Records, playing his original compositions. Since he moved to New York City in Fall of 2021, Rafael has been making waves with his bass playing and composition, working with Dayna Stephens, Frank Lacy, Kendrick Scott, Marc Cary, Gary Versace, and other current jazz musicians. Recently, Rafael brought his own group, featuring Nicola Caminiti, Gabriel Chakarji, Miguel Russell, and Juan Diego Villalobos to Nublu in February of 2022. Rafael has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Eastman School of Music, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Manhattan School of Music, studying with Jay Anderson and Buster Williams. As an educator, Rafael has maintained a small private studio for 4 years, teaching bass, composition, and theory. He has been a guest lecturer at Ithaca College, the Hochstein Music School, Opus Ithaca, the Eastman Community Music School, and various high schools in the Central/Upstate New York region. Rafael has recorded and released his music, “Music for Large(r) Ensemble”, arranged for jazz quintet and string quartet. This EP is available exclusively on Bandcamp.