Andres Reyes is an accomplished jazz guitarist hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah. He started studying the guitar at the age of 16 inspired by classic rock and blues guitarists such as Angus Young, Chuck Berry, Slash, Buddy Guy and Dave Mustaine. He would spend hours learning riffs and memorizing the fretboard and fingering exercises. He was exposed to jazz in high school and devoted his time and energy consuming every jazz record he could find.

Andres was accepted into the jazz program at the university of Utah after only playing the music for 6 months. He studied feverishly and started working in the local music scene that summer following his freshman year. Since then he has performed all over Utah, working in jazz, funk, indie-folk, afro-cuban, samba, party bands, and solo guitar outfits. His tenacity and curiosity for music has led to a diverse performance portfolio.

Andres has a DIY attitude, always looking for opportunities for creative performances. During his bachelors he would organize backyard concerts over the summers, calling on his fellow peers to put together rehearsals to prepare for these performances. In August of 2016, Andres rented out a warehouse for a day and put on a music festival that included 9 bands, an art gallery, a modern dance performance and spoken poetry. Following this, Andres started working for a newly opened jazz club in the city named Avant Groove. He spent the next 9 months booking acts for the club, curating and developing relationships with local and national jazz acts.

In 2018 Andres co founded a nonprofit named Boom Bap Bam. The mission of the nonprofit is to spread jazz music and history throughout Utah. He saw a need for the knowledge of jazz culture that was not being filled in Utah. They accomplished this through organizing themed events that featured live music and lectures, open to the public and all ages. Boom Bap Bam also prioritizes displaying work from minority voices, something Andres really tried to champion.

In addition to his public work, Andres has been taught for over a decade, in performing arts schools, colleges, studios and private lessons. He’s had students of all ages and in a wide variety of skill levels. And he’s built curriculums to teach music theory, jazz improvisation, guitar techniques, rehearsal techniques and aural skills. Andres has also directed and led ensembles of all genres, including jazz, rock, metal, funk, hip-hop, country and neo-soul.

Andres’ teaching style is goal oriented yet flexible. He uses the students goals to develop the lesson plans, and scaffolds the practice to help the student achieve the results they want. The one thing that is stressed across all students is the importance of learning music by ear. Andres believes that if it sounds good, then it is good, and that’s why it is important to have strong aural skills.

Currently Andres is an adjunct professor for Salt Lake Community College. He is currently working on his debut album as well as performing all over Utah, and working with the local community to build a stronger jazz scene. Andres is excited to share his experience, knowledge and advice with anyone that wishes to study with him.