About Me
Joshua Ramos was born in 1982 in Chicago to a musical family. His parents Jose and Gladys Ramos were both gifted singers and Jose also played viola. Gladys Ramos had a vocal trio with her two sisters Marilu and Rosita and this all had an impact on Joshua. He first picked up the bass in the seventh grade under the instruction of Bass Player, Margaro Torres (cousin of famed Salsa Pianist/Arranger Edwin Sanchez) who played at his church. Margaro Torres taught and influenced Joshua to play and really kindled his interest in music.
While attending Whitney Young high School, Joshua played in many ensembles including Concert Band and Jazz Joshua was in a rock band that specialized in Red hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin Hendrix and Rage Against the Machine with his best friends, including great Drummer, Eriberto Olivares who passed away tragically in 2008. On weekends Joshua Studied at Merit Music where he was in the Honors Jazz band and this led to Gallery 37 for four consecutive years where he performed with Latin Jazz luminaries: John Santos, Wayne Wallace and a young Victor Garcia.
Upon beginning school at Northern Illinois University, Joshua immediately started playing professionally with famous pianist and then student, Dan Nimmer, of Wynton Marsalis fame. Dan Nimmer taught Joshua how to play Jazz and nurtured his growth, providing him with many gigs and performance opportunities in Chicago steakhouses. Joshua also met professional Saxophonist, Greg Ward, with whom he still plays to this day. While at NIU in the NIU Jazz Ensemble under the direction of master Jazz Educator, Ronald Carter, Joshua was privileged to perform with Carl Allen, Conrad Herwig, Byron Stripland, Dennis Mackrel, Red Holloway and other greats until completion of his Jazz Performance degree.
Today, Joshua makes a busy career out of teaching music at various locations and performing. He has been on television numerous times in the United States Europe and Central America. Music has taken him all over the world. He has toured Taiwan, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago; Lima, Peru; Nicaragua; Moscow, Russia; Kitzbuhl, Austria, New York and the East coast, California and the West coast, The Rocky Mountains, Toronto Canada and Montreal Canada. Joshua keeps busy with The Occidental Brothers, Zara Zaharieva (Wife and Virtuoso Violinist,) Liquid Soul, The Chicago ?Jazz Institute, Ernie Adams, Ken Chaney, The Awakening, Liam Teague and Robert Chappel in Panoramic, Darwin Noguera, We Tree, Life Christian Center worship Team, Victor Garcia and CALJE, Skinny Williams, Samba Mapangala, Dariwn Noguera's Evolution Group (Recently on the Grammy Ballot,) Tito Carillo, Andrew Salgado, PowerPlay and countless others. To his credit he can list performing with Jimmy Bosch, Dave Valentin, pianist Edwin Sanchez and even Tim Robbins. This list is just the beginning as Joshua forsees a life full of nonstop music.
Joshua has opened for Stevie Wonder, Spyro Gyra and Vernon Reid with Liquid Soul. With the Occidental Bothers band he ha sperformed at Licoln Center, Kennedy Center the Montreal and Toronto Jazz Festivals he has shared the bill with Cindy Blackman, Lonnie Plaxico, BenAllison Vijay Ayer, Jason Moran, Andrew Byrd. Iam writing this in the third person and I cant even remember who else there are so many people.
While attending Whitney Young high School, Joshua played in many ensembles including Concert Band and Jazz Joshua was in a rock band that specialized in Red hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin Hendrix and Rage Against the Machine with his best friends, including great Drummer, Eriberto Olivares who passed away tragically in 2008. On weekends Joshua Studied at Merit Music where he was in the Honors Jazz band and this led to Gallery 37 for four consecutive years where he performed with Latin Jazz luminaries: John Santos, Wayne Wallace and a young Victor Garcia.
Upon beginning school at Northern Illinois University, Joshua immediately started playing professionally with famous pianist and then student, Dan Nimmer, of Wynton Marsalis fame. Dan Nimmer taught Joshua how to play Jazz and nurtured his growth, providing him with many gigs and performance opportunities in Chicago steakhouses. Joshua also met professional Saxophonist, Greg Ward, with whom he still plays to this day. While at NIU in the NIU Jazz Ensemble under the direction of master Jazz Educator, Ronald Carter, Joshua was privileged to perform with Carl Allen, Conrad Herwig, Byron Stripland, Dennis Mackrel, Red Holloway and other greats until completion of his Jazz Performance degree.
Today, Joshua makes a busy career out of teaching music at various locations and performing. He has been on television numerous times in the United States Europe and Central America. Music has taken him all over the world. He has toured Taiwan, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago; Lima, Peru; Nicaragua; Moscow, Russia; Kitzbuhl, Austria, New York and the East coast, California and the West coast, The Rocky Mountains, Toronto Canada and Montreal Canada. Joshua keeps busy with The Occidental Brothers, Zara Zaharieva (Wife and Virtuoso Violinist,) Liquid Soul, The Chicago ?Jazz Institute, Ernie Adams, Ken Chaney, The Awakening, Liam Teague and Robert Chappel in Panoramic, Darwin Noguera, We Tree, Life Christian Center worship Team, Victor Garcia and CALJE, Skinny Williams, Samba Mapangala, Dariwn Noguera's Evolution Group (Recently on the Grammy Ballot,) Tito Carillo, Andrew Salgado, PowerPlay and countless others. To his credit he can list performing with Jimmy Bosch, Dave Valentin, pianist Edwin Sanchez and even Tim Robbins. This list is just the beginning as Joshua forsees a life full of nonstop music.
Joshua has opened for Stevie Wonder, Spyro Gyra and Vernon Reid with Liquid Soul. With the Occidental Bothers band he ha sperformed at Licoln Center, Kennedy Center the Montreal and Toronto Jazz Festivals he has shared the bill with Cindy Blackman, Lonnie Plaxico, BenAllison Vijay Ayer, Jason Moran, Andrew Byrd. Iam writing this in the third person and I cant even remember who else there are so many people.
