Tuesday June 23, 2026

Afro-Latino Quintet

Dear Garage fans-
I am so happy to get another
chance to perform with these
gentlemen. I also so look forward
to seeing all of you at our Season 3 Finale and Celebration.

Darwin Noguera - Piano America pianist, Darwin Noguera, hailing from Nicaragua is sculpting a formidable name for himself in the world of Latin, Jazz, and Hip-Hop music. Inspired by the likes of icons such as Chucho Valdes and Robert Glasper, the eclectic artist continues to enthrall and excite listeners with rich compositions. A promising artist, Darwin is swiftly becoming an emerging voice in Jazz and Latin, having helmed 3 albums, commissioned works, recordings, performances and masterclasses across the United States and the world.

Rocky …. - Tenor Sax Award-winning Cuban-born tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger Rocky Yera began playing music at age twelve and developed under the guidance of multi-Grammy-winning producer Richard Aspinwall. A graduate of New World School of the Arts, Miami Dade College, Florida International University, and DePaul University, Rocky has received multiple honors from DownBeat Magazine, the Vail Jazz Foundation, the Grammy High School Jazz Band, the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation, and Luminarts, becoming a Luminarts Fellow in 2014. He has performed and recorded with artists including Phil Woods, Ira Sullivan, Jeff Hamilton, Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Roy Hargrove, Howard Levy, and others, and has appeared at venues and festivals such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Dizzy’s Club, Minton’s Playhouse, The Green Mill, The Jazz Showcase, Umbria Jazz Festival, and the North Sea Jazz Festival. Now active on the Chicago music scene, Rocky continues to perform widely while developing his own original music, including his debut album Just Practice, featuring his compositions, arrangements, and distinctive use of guitar effects with saxophone.

Subbing for Juan Pastor

Josh Ramos - Ramos was born in 1982 in Chicago to a musical family. His parents Jose and Gladys Ramos were both gifted singers and Jose also played viola. Gladys Ramos had a vocal trio with her two sisters Marilu and Rosita and this all had an impact on Joshua. He first picked up the bass in the seventh grade under the instruction of Bass Player, Margaro Torres (cousin of famed Salsa Pianist/Arranger Edwin Sanchez) who played at his church. Margaro Torres taught and influenced Joshua to play and really kindled his interest in music.

While attending Whitney Young high School, Joshua played in many ensembles including Concert Band and Jazz Joshua was in a rock band that specialized in Red hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin Hendrix and Rage Against the Machine with his best friends, including great Drummer,

Mexican-born, Chicago-based drummer, composer, and educator Gustavo Cortiñas brings a deeply expressive, multicultural voice to contemporary jazz. Described by All About Jazz as “one of Chicago’s most imaginative and exciting composers,” Cortiñas has released seven albums as a leader, including Desafío Candente, The Crisis Knows No Borders, and his 2026 release The Drum Also Sings. His music fuses the rhythmic and melodic traditions of Mexico and Latin America with the improvisational language of jazz, creating work that is emotionally direct, socially engaged, and rhythmically alive. A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans and Northwestern University, Cortiñas has performed and recorded extensively across the U.S. and internationally. He was named the Chicago Tribune’s 2025 Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz and is a member of the Chicago Jazz Composer’s Collective.