Biography
The Ladin songwriter Jean Daniel Granruaz, or simply Jean Ruaz, was born in Bolzano in August 1977. Like some of his friends of the same age, he also became closer to music while listening to Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Eric Clapton. At the beginning he seemed to prefer the flaming energy of rock music, however, then he noticed that acoustic sounds were really what he was looking for. In this way he committed himself to jazz and ethnic music.
After having spent 2 years at the music school “Taller de Músics” in Spain he went to Argentina and learned more about Latin-American music, which combines pop and ethnic sounds. This was for him an incentive for an eclectic perception of music that joins different stiles. Nevertheless, he is really bound to his native country: “I often take long walks surrounded by nature hoping that it will help me to find inspiration for my songs that I normally work out with my friends engaged in music”, says Jean.
His first CD (“Monn tla löm”) was released in 2005 featuring Phil Mer, drummer of Pooh, who worked among others with Malika Ayane, Pino Daniele, Michele Zarillo and Patty Pravo. In this effort Jean Ruaz applies the smooth sound of Ladin, his mother tongue and the more international English language. The album was well acclaimed and got a nice feedback. In 2006 he won the first price of the competition Accordi e Ricordi where he opened for the well known band PFM. Moreover a video of the song "Monn tla löm" was released. His music may be defined as an individual pop-jazz, which goes from rock jazz sounds (“Monn tla löm”) to lounge melodies (“Spaceman”) and funk that remembers Police (“The dead man under my bed”). Monn tla löm was very appreciated because of its ethereal and refined atmosphere.
In 2012 he has been working in Cuba on his forthcoming CD which will be released throughout the year.
The musical production and sound engineering has been committed respectively to Dayrom Ortega and Alexei Pérez Guzmán. The rhythmic section feature Roicel Riverón on drums, Roberto Vázquez Ley "El Chino" on bass and double bass, Andy Abad Acosta on piano, members of premier timba-orchestra "Manolito Simonet & su Trabuco. On saxophone long time Paolo Milanes' musician Germán Velazco has given his contribution with his amazing playing as well as with music arranging. The strings have been played by Eutimio Nicolas Gaston Hernandez "Pescado" on violin and Mailin Cevilla on cello; they toured with Dominic Miller in 2009. The percussions are courtesy of Jorge Cuayo Molina and his son Andrés Cuayo Batista , musicians of Buena Vista Social Club's singer Omara Portuondo.
Throughout the past years he worked also with musicians such as Maria Pedevilla (Ladin author), Alessandro Trebo (piano and keyboard), Max Castlunger (percussions), Giulio Corini (contrabass), Nelide Bandello (drums), Dan Kinselman (saxophone), Francesco Ganassin (Clarinet), Enrico Tommasini (drums), Emanuel Valentin (percussions), Andreas Settili (piano), Loris Dellago (drums), Francesco Dellago (bass), Helga Plankensteiner (saxophone), Michi Lösch (piano), Ivan Miglioranza (guitar), Berni Brugger (trumpet), Hannes Mayr (double bass), Roberto Zecchinelli (bass), Carlo Cannevalis (drums), Alexander dal Plan (guitar, voice), Marco Stagni (bass), Klaus Telfser (double bass).
Jean Ruaz finds himself in music and thinks that through music one can really discover his personality.
After having spent 2 years at the music school “Taller de Músics” in Spain he went to Argentina and learned more about Latin-American music, which combines pop and ethnic sounds. This was for him an incentive for an eclectic perception of music that joins different stiles. Nevertheless, he is really bound to his native country: “I often take long walks surrounded by nature hoping that it will help me to find inspiration for my songs that I normally work out with my friends engaged in music”, says Jean.
His first CD (“Monn tla löm”) was released in 2005 featuring Phil Mer, drummer of Pooh, who worked among others with Malika Ayane, Pino Daniele, Michele Zarillo and Patty Pravo. In this effort Jean Ruaz applies the smooth sound of Ladin, his mother tongue and the more international English language. The album was well acclaimed and got a nice feedback. In 2006 he won the first price of the competition Accordi e Ricordi where he opened for the well known band PFM. Moreover a video of the song "Monn tla löm" was released. His music may be defined as an individual pop-jazz, which goes from rock jazz sounds (“Monn tla löm”) to lounge melodies (“Spaceman”) and funk that remembers Police (“The dead man under my bed”). Monn tla löm was very appreciated because of its ethereal and refined atmosphere.
In 2012 he has been working in Cuba on his forthcoming CD which will be released throughout the year.
The musical production and sound engineering has been committed respectively to Dayrom Ortega and Alexei Pérez Guzmán. The rhythmic section feature Roicel Riverón on drums, Roberto Vázquez Ley "El Chino" on bass and double bass, Andy Abad Acosta on piano, members of premier timba-orchestra "Manolito Simonet & su Trabuco. On saxophone long time Paolo Milanes' musician Germán Velazco has given his contribution with his amazing playing as well as with music arranging. The strings have been played by Eutimio Nicolas Gaston Hernandez "Pescado" on violin and Mailin Cevilla on cello; they toured with Dominic Miller in 2009. The percussions are courtesy of Jorge Cuayo Molina and his son Andrés Cuayo Batista , musicians of Buena Vista Social Club's singer Omara Portuondo.
Throughout the past years he worked also with musicians such as Maria Pedevilla (Ladin author), Alessandro Trebo (piano and keyboard), Max Castlunger (percussions), Giulio Corini (contrabass), Nelide Bandello (drums), Dan Kinselman (saxophone), Francesco Ganassin (Clarinet), Enrico Tommasini (drums), Emanuel Valentin (percussions), Andreas Settili (piano), Loris Dellago (drums), Francesco Dellago (bass), Helga Plankensteiner (saxophone), Michi Lösch (piano), Ivan Miglioranza (guitar), Berni Brugger (trumpet), Hannes Mayr (double bass), Roberto Zecchinelli (bass), Carlo Cannevalis (drums), Alexander dal Plan (guitar, voice), Marco Stagni (bass), Klaus Telfser (double bass).
Jean Ruaz finds himself in music and thinks that through music one can really discover his personality.