‘Without music, I think I would not exist’

Pianist and band leader Irving Flores, 54, is a mainstay of the San Diego and Tijuana jazz and Latin music scenes. He is now producing and arranging an album of jazzy Christmas music for trombonist and singer Dave Scott. It is due out later this year. irv

My last gig as a headliner was March 1, 2020, at Dizzy’s with the Irving Flores Afro-cuban Quartet, which features Fernando Gomez on drums, Dean Hulett on bass and Amilkar Peña on congas. It was a beautiful concert, full of jazz, Latin flavor, great improvisations and the nice feedback of the audience. There were no face masks. People were still shaking hands, and friends gave us hugs.

One of the highlights for me that night was when we played (John Coltrane’s) “Naima.” I had written a 6/8 Afro-cuban arrangement, and it sounded very spiritual and emotional. The audience really loved it! We also played the classic “Chan Chan” by (famed Cuban composer) Compay Segundo. The last piece we did that night was a 13-minute version of my song “Armando Mi Conga.”

We were all a little bit scared about the COVID-19 news at that time and didn’t know what was going to happen. There was a rumor that a global pandemic was spreading everywhere, very fast. And then it was a reality.

My last gig as a sideman was March 11 in the Mississippi

Room at the Lafayette Hotel with a young singer named Ella Rossi at the Songs for Shelter benefit. We were performing in between two other acts and just did three songs. One of them was “Someone to Watch Over Me,” which seems more meaningful now. People weren’t shaking hands because the lockdown was about to become official. It was a scary feeling. We were afraid of the future.

Earlier that same day, my first gig got canceled — a March 12 performance at Bread & Salt with the Binational Mambo Orchestra for the 2020 San Diego Latino Film Festival. Before the pandemic, I was playing almost every day, whether it was with my band or Gilbert Castellanos, Charlie Arbelaez, Cobby Brzeski, the Brad Steinwehe Jazz Orchestra, Sacha Boutros or Allison Adams Tucker.

All my work disappeared. It was so difficult because we lost all the gigs for live music. I had been booked into July and everything was canceled. I was living in Bonita and received 60 days’ notice in July to leave the apartment I was renting. After that, it was difficult to find an affordable place. All the rents went up and it was impossible for me to pay $1,200 monthly

rent. I moved into a little cottage a musician friend of mine, Dave Scott, has behind his house in Escondido. That was in September, and he’s still letting me stay there (rentfree), in return for writing arrangements for his next three albums.

Another friend, Hiroyuki Ikezi, trained me with (online) technology. He also supported me with a computer, microphones, and all the equipment to make it possible to present my livestream sessions, which I started doing in May from the Harbor Music Hall in Little Italy.

The only way I was able to stay positive was by practicing every day, composing and doing livestream performances, but nothing was paying. It was illegal to perform live, and it was a big change. So, I practiced, wrote music and tried to survive.

Music, to me, is my universe, my soul, my entire life. Without music, I think I would not exist. I understand the lockdown, because music brings together big crowds and the virus spreads among many people. But I feel there are other ways to continue doing live music for the people, safely, and avoid spreading the virus through preventive measures.

“There was a rumor that a global pandemic was spreading everywhere, very fast. And then it was a reality.”

ROBERT SANCHEZ