Our Teaching Staff
César Bauvallet
Renowned trombonist, percussionist (congas, bongos, timbales, batá drums, as well as drumset and hand percussion), singer, composer, arranger and bandleader César Bauvallet is most widely known as the leader of Albuquerque’s most popular 9-piece Salsa band, Son Como Son as well as Tradiciones. Originally from Cuba, César graduated from the renowned Amadeo Roldán Conservatory in Havana in 1981. He has been a music educator and professional performer for more than 30 years. We are proud to welcome him to our Faculty in the Spring of 2013.
Jim Ahrend
New York pianist Jim Ahrend has called Albuquerque home since 2008. His rapid absorption into the local jazz scene has included playing with local legends like Bobby Shew, Mike Anthony, Glenn Kostur, Doug Lawrence, Tony Lujan, and many others. An alumnus of New England Conservatory, Ahrend is the organist at Monte Vista Church in Nob Hill; music coordinator for the weekly jazz vespers series, “Faith, Hope and Jazz”; and is in his fourth year as keyboardist for the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra. From 2002-2007 he appeared regularly onstage and on national TV (HSN) with guitarist Esteban. A frequent performer at Outpost, Ahrend says he eagerly anticipates expanding his role as an Outpost as an instructor.
Kanoa Kaluhiwa
Tenor saxophonist Kanoa Kaluhiwa was born in Hawaii, but spent his formative years in Las Cruces, New Mexico. While still a high school student, Kanoa played professionally and was awarded two scholarships to the Eastman School of Music summer Sessions in New York. Upon graduation from high school, he was awarded a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music in Boston where he spent two years studying jazz performance and music theory under George Garzone and Joe Viola among others. He is currently teaching private lessons at Baums Music. One of New Mexico’s most sought after saxophonists, he currently performs every Thursday night with the Pat Malone Group at La Posada in Santa Fe.
Rodney Bowe
Rodney Bowe has been a popular, working, New Mexico-based professional bassist, vocalist and band leader for over 40 years. He studied jazz bass at Eastern New Mexico University and the University of New Mexico and has studied with Ray Brown, Abraham Laboriel, and Gary Willis. Bowe recently performed with the nationally acclaimed Ron McCurdy Langston Hughes Project.
Paul Gonzales
Paul Gonzales began his professional career in 1984 as Jazz Trumpet Soloist with the Army Band of New England. He has worked extensively with New Mexico groups including Tetragon, Son Como Son, Jackie Zamora’s Brazilian Jazz Quintet, the New Mexico Jazz Latino Orchestra, the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra, Doug Lawrence’s Nuevos Mexicanos and more. He has backed up nationally touring Jazz, Salsa, and Pop artists for the past 25 years and taught adult & youth Jazz Combo classes at Outpost for 7 years. He also hosted the Monday Jazz Show on KUNM-FM for 13 years.