Early years Born in
Granada in 1983. He is the nephew of Spanish writer
Sergi Pàmies. Sergio Pamies started studying piano at a young age. He started playing jazz because of his father, a self-taught guitarist and jazz aficionado. Pamies moved to Barcelona, where he graduated with a BM in Jazz Piano (Conservatori Liceu, Barcelona) in 2007. During his time in Barcelona he co-led the group Yakaré. Pamies toured Colombia in 2006 presenting Yakaré's debut album at Jazz al Parque (Bogotá), Festival de Piano de la UIS (Bucaramanga), and Auditorio EAFIT (Medellín). In 2007 Pamies participated as a piano soloist at Joan Albert Amargós’ concerto premiere Transformacions at the Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona).
Education After earning his BM at the Conservatori Liceu, Pamies moved to Texas (USA), where he graduated with a master's degree in jazz piano (2011) and a DMA in jazz studies (2016) at the
University of North Texas College of Music. During his time at UNT, Pamies was a member of the 7-time Grammy nominated
One O’Clock Lab Band, accompanying guest artists such as
Bobby McFerrin,
Arturo Sandoval,
Marvin Stamm,
Chuck Findley,
Doc Severinsen, and
Wycliffe Gordon, among others. Pamies directed the contemporary ensemble “The Zebras,” producing the recording
The Flamenco Jazz Project, which was awarded multiple
Down Beat Magazine Student Awards. Pamies was selected for the workshop “Latin Jazz Traditions,” performing with
Paquito D’Rivera at
Carnegie Hall (2015, New York). His composition for Big Band "Dudú" was selected for the concert program. His dissertation prepared for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts,
The Controversial Identity of Flamenco Jazz: A New Historical and Analytical Approach, is available online at the University of North Texas Library Website.
Solo career His debut album,
Entre Amigos, was released in 2008 (PSM), with a band that combined jazz musicians with flamenco musicians from Granada, such as
Sergio Gómez “El Colorao.” Pamies performed at the
XXI Jazz en la Costa International Festival. This album was also presented at the
Ibérica Festival (2009), a Flamenco International Festival that organized a 4-days tour in Prague, Brno, Boskovice (Czech Republic), and Bratislava (Slovakia). Pamies performed at
Los Veranos del Corral in a concert featuring his mentor, pianist Diego Amador (2009). His next recording,
Borrachito (Bebyne Records), was released in 2011, and it features
Christian Scott,
Diego Amador, ,
Rubem Dantas, and
Pepe Luis Carmona “Habichuela.” Pamies participated in the festivals
XVI Jazz Na Starówce (Warsaw, Poland, 2010),
Colores Flamencos (Olomouc and Sumperk, Czech Republic, 2011),
Munijazz Festival (Munilla, Spain, 2011),
XXI Jazz en el Lago (Atarfe, Spain, 2012),
XXVII Festival Internacional de Música y Danza Ciudad de Úbeda (Úbeda, Spain, 2015), among others. Pamies’ album,
What Brought You Here? was published in May 2017 by Bebyne Records. It was recorded in Dallas (Texas, USA) and features
Quamon Fowler,
Ashleigh Smith,
Lara Bello, and
Samuel Torres.
Teaching career Pamies served as a full-time
Teaching Fellow at the
University of North Texas (Denton, Texas) for eight years. Pamies was an adjunct faculty at
Mountain View College (Dallas, Texas), and was one of the instructors at the
GDYO Jazz Institute. Pamies held an adjunct faculty position at The University of Texas at Arlington from 2018 to 2020, where he taught jazz piano, advanced jazz improvisation, composition, arranging, and directed the jazz small group. Pamies was appointed Assistant Professor (jazz piano) at University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music in August 2020.
Publications Peer reviewed journals • Pamies Rodríguez, Sergio. “‘Well, You Needn’t’: Harmonic Challenges for the Jazz Improviser in Thelonious Monk’s Music.”
Jazz-hitz (2022, No. 5): 55-85. • Pamies Rodríguez, Sergio. “Some Remarks on the Pedagogy of Advanced Jazz Improvisation in the 2020s.”
Jazz Education in Research and Practice (2022, Vol. 3, No. 1): 97-117. • Pamies Rodríguez, Sergio. “Wynton Kelly: A Model for Soloing, Comping, and Rhythm Section Interplay.”
Jazz-hitz (2021, No. 4): 11-41. • Pamies Rodríguez, Sergio. “Deconstructing Modal Jazz Piano Techniques: The Relation between Debussy’s Piano Works and the Innovations of Post-bop Pianists.”
Jazz Education in Research and Practice(2021, Vol. 2, No. 1): 76-105. Specialized magazine • Pamies Rodríguez, Sergio. “Bebop Piano: Examining Bud Powell’s Left-Hand Techniques.”
Piano Professional (European Piano Teachers Association), London, Issue 57 (January 2022): 30-34. • Pamies Rodríguez, Sergio. “Important Considerations for the Jazz Pianist: How to Effectively Create Spontaneous Introductions.”
Piano Professional (European Piano Teachers Association), London, Issue 52 (January 2020): 25-27. Book Reviews • Pamies Rodríguez, Sergio. “Review of
Playing Solo Jazz Piano, by Jeremy Siskind.”
Jazz Education in Research and Practice (2023, Vol. 4, No. 1). • Pamies Rodríguez, Sergio. “Review of
Experiencing Chick Corea: A Listener Companion, by Monika Herzig.”
Jazz Education in Research and Practice (2022, Vol. 3, No. 1): 140-143. Dissertation • Pamies Rodríguez, Sergio. “The Controversial Identity of Flamenco Jazz: A New Historical and Analytical Approach,” Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance-Jazz). University of North Texas Jazz Studies. (May 15, 2016).
Style and influences Critics have acknowledged Pamies’ talent for composition, arranging, the lyrical qualities of his playing, and his unique vision for combining flamenco and jazz elements. Pamies has cited
Bill Evans,
Duke Ellington,
Thelonious Monk,
Miles Davis,
Paco de Lucía,
Camarón de la Isla, and the “Habichuela” family (
Pepe “Habichuela,”
Ketama,
Josemi Carmona) among his strongest influences. Jazz critic Troy Dostert wrote about the pianist: "Pamies highlights his substantial bop fluency, and his engaging piano statements are harmonically rich and technically adroit, without needless excess: the economy of Pamies's playing leads to some smart, carefully structured solos. And Pamies's compositions are thoughtful and compelling (...)." Other critics have pointed out his versatility (“Pamies is telling us not to put him in a box. He can play it all”) or his skills as a leader. ==Discography==