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'. 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.


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
A composer, arranger, pianist and occasional singer, Klein began
his craft in childhood in Argentina. When his father gave him a
piano at age 11, he promptly began writing songs, inspired by
the legendary Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla. Klein
attended Berklee College of Music, where his intention to
study classical music gave way to his passion for jazz. His 
colleagues at Berklee—many of whom came from South
America—provided the framework for what would eventually
become Klein’s main musical voice, the Big Van large
ensemble (later called Los Guachos). After graduating
from Berklee, Klein moved to New York City and quickly
became associated with Smalls, a jazz club where he
established a weekly engagement with his 17-piece Big
Van band. Smalls was critical in fostering young artists
that would ultimately be some of the most influential
voices of modern jazz. Klein scaled the band down to
a more streamlined 11-piece unit, known as Los Guachos
(roughly translated, the bastards). The band developed
in residencies at Smalls and, later, the Jazz Standard.
Sunnyside Records soon released two CDs by Los
Guachos: Los Guachos II (1999) and Los Guachos III 
(2002), and Klein is still with this label. Since moving
back to Argentina in 2000 with his wife, Klein has
recorded with local musicians and has released a
series of critically-acclaimed CDs with Los Guachos
including: Live in Barcelona (Sunnyside, 2005), Filtros 
(Sunnyside, 2008) and his latest, Carrera (Sunnyside,
2012). Other important recordings include his work
as a composer and/or arranger on Solar Return Suite 
(with the MIT Wind Ensemble), Domador de Huellas 
(Sunnyside, 2010), Bienestan (Sunnyside 2011) with
Aaron Goldberg and Miguel Zenon’s Grammy
-nominated, Alma Aldentro. Klein plays regularly
with some of the most outstanding musicians in t
he jazz community, like Chris Cheek, Miguel Zenón,
Bill McHenry, Jeff Ballard, Ben Monder, Aaron
Goldberg, Carmen Canela or Jorge Rossy. In
addition to teaching composition in Buenos
Aires, Klein has given master classes and
seminars throughout Europe, including the
Jazz Institut Berlin, Sibelius Academy in
Helsinki, Jazz Schule Basel, and Le Mirail
​in Toulouse.