Born in the '40s in Buenos Aires, Juan Carlos Caceres became intimately involved with the existentialist movement that thrived in the city during the years of his youth. Caceres was an accomplished jazz trombonist by his mid-twenties, and though he studied fine arts at the university rather than music, he quickly became a fixture in the Buenos Aires jazz community. He became a mainstay at the legendary Cueva de Passarato jazz club, which was not only an important musical venue, but a gathering place for revolutionary and existential thinkers. In the late '60s Caceres relocated to Paris, where he engaged in a wide variety of artistic pursuits, including painting, producing, teaching, and above all, playing. Becoming an expert on the music surrounding the River Plates, which separates Argentina and Uruguay, Caceres became instrumental in popularizing styles such as tango, murga, and candombe. His musicianship flourished as he earned a reputation not only as a proficient trombonist, but as a pianist, vocalist, and songwriter as well. His debut record, entitled Sudacas, was released on the French/American label Celluloid Records. His second release, Toca Tango, featured a non-traditional, fusion-oriented ensemble and the stunning candombe compositions Tango Negro and title cut Toca Tango. His fourth original release, Murga Argentina, found a home on the Manana Music label. Caceres' 2007 release Utopia was the first to earn him the moniker "The Lion," heralded as a triumph of both performance and musicology. Caceres continued to maintain a busy performance and lecture schedule well past the age of 60. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi