Guillermo Klein's Big Van

Sten Hostfalt was introduced on the mid-90s New York City Jazz scene as a guitarist, featured soloist and member of the first, formative edition of Argentine composer Guillermo Klein's large NYC ensemble 'Big Van'. Initially formed at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA in 1992, and in part featuring members of the school's premier big band, The Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra (led by Herb Pomeroy, and historically known simply as 'The Recording Band'), the band played the Boston music scene, at venues like The Middle East Cafe', and Scullers Jazz Club before gradually migrating to New York City in 1994.

Appearing at Mitch Borden's Smalls Jazz Club from fall 1994 and June 1995, the band held a Sunday residency throughout '95, during the inception of the venue since deemed a formative key community for Jazz of our time. During this time the band also appeared at the Knitting Factory (74 Leonard Street),
and at The Jazz Gallery, during the early Hudson Street era.

Regular members of the band at this time were saxophonists Mark Turner, Chris Cheek, Seamus Blake, Melvin Butler, and Matt Hong. Diego Urcola, David Boato, Juan Cruz de Urquiza, Richard Nant and Ingrid Jensen-trumpets. Sandro Tomasi, Matt Pavolka and Masa Ikeda-trombones, Sten Hostfalt-guitar
Aaron Goldberg-piano, Johannes Wiedenmueller-bass, Jeff Ballard or Marc Miralta on drums, and director/composer Guillermo Klein, at times also on keyboards and voice.

This early edition of Klein's band recorded the CD 'Big Van' at Mastersound Astoria in 1994, an album that initially released on the italian label Beat, and distributed in the U.S. by Pentaflower, then was re-released under Klein's name in 1997 as 'Big Van/El Minotauro' on Candid (U.K.) and in Japan on Teichiku Records. Tenor saxophonist George Garzone who sat in with the band at Smalls a few times, wrote the Candid edition's CD liner notes.

Enthusiastic press of the Big Van's live concerts and recorded media included The New York Times, All Music Guide, Jazz Times, and Cadence. Klein and his
subsequent, somewhat smaller more recent to current lineup of the band, called 'Los Guachos' have since, for the past + 30 years been widely recognized as
an influential, creative new millennium force in Jazz of New York City, and The Americas as well as Internationally.


Ref: Guillermo Klein Biography from M.I.T. Massachussetts Institute of Technology School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 
https://mta.mit.edu/people/visiting-artists/guillermo-klein