Jorge Pardo, born December 1, 1956, in Madrid, Spain, is a tenor and soprano saxophonist and flautist whose career blends jazz and flamenco. He began formal study at age 14 at the Real Conservatorio de Madrid, quickly joining university ensembles and later performing with notable musicians such as Jean-Luc Vallet and Tete Montoliu. Pardo’s debut studio album, Jorge Pardo, was released in 1982 under Blau, followed by El canto de los guerreros (1984) and A mi aire (1987). His discography expanded with Las cigarras son quizá sordas (1991), Veloz hacia su sino (1993), 2332 (1997), and Mira (2001), each marking a progressive fusion of flamenco rhythms and jazz harmony. Collaborations included work with Paco de Lucía, Chick Corea, and Gil Goldstein, and he toured internationally, notably with Chick Corea’s Touchstone Tour. In 2013, he received the Académie du Jazz’s Best European Jazz Musician award, was honored with Spain’s Premio Nacional de Músicas Actuales in 2015, and won a Grammy Award for the album Antidote with Chick Corea in 2020.
