www.mariahwilkins.com
Klein
left
Argentina
to
attend
Berklee
College
of
Music
after
hearing
a
moving
speech
by
the
former
dean
Gary
Burton
about
his
relationship
working
with
Piazzolla.
Klein
intended
to
study
classical
music
on
his
arrival
but
found
himself
among
peers
that
were
passionate
about
jazz.
The
music
of
Wayne
Shorter
provided
the
bridge
from
classical
to
jazz
studies.
Being
a
fan
of
unique
harmonic
expression,
Klein
was
easily
drawn
to
the
work
of
this
master
composer
who
is
deemed
to
be
one
of
the
most
intriguing
harmonic
architects
in
jazz.
Klein
was
also
able
to
develop
a
talented
network
of
musical
friends,
many
of
which
came
to
Berklee
from
South
America.
This
group
of
colleagues
provided
the
frame work
for
what
would
eventually
become
Klein's
main
musical
voice,
the
Big
Van
large
ensemble
that
would
later
become
Los
Guachos.
After
graduating
from
Berklee,
Klein
moved
to
New
York
City
like
many
of
his
fellow
graduates.
He
settled
into
Greenwich
Village
and
quickly
became
associated
with
a
jazz
club
called
Smalls
where
he
established
a
weekly
engagement
with
his
17‐piece
Big
Van
band
that
incorporated
musicians
living
in
New
York
as
well
as
commuters
from
Boston.
Smalls
was
critical
in
fostering
a
community
of
young
artists
that
would
ultimately
be
some
of
the
most
influential
voices
of
modern
jazz.
Klein
later
scaled
the
band
down
to
a
more
streamlined
11
piece
unit
that
began
to
be
known
as
Los
Guachos
(roughly
translated,
the
bastards).
The
band
continued
to
develop
with
the
help
of
residences
at
Smalls
and,
later,
the
Jazz
Standard.
After
recording
an
album
that
was
ultimately
shelved,
Klein
was
able
to
find
a
home
with
Sunnyside
Records.
The
label
released
two
CDs
by
Los
Guachos,
Los
Guachos
II
(1999)
and
Los
Guachos
III
(2002).
Even
with
media
attention
and
devoted
fans,
Klein
found
it
increasingly
difficult
to
make
a
living
as
a
working
musician
in
the
States.
He
moved
back
to
Argentina
in
the
early
fall
of
2000
with
his
wife.
While
in
Argentina,
Klein
was
able
to
make
another
recording
a long side
loca l
musicians,
Una
Nave
(2005).
He
stayed
in
Argentina
for
two
years
before
moving
to
Barcelona,
Spain.
Currently,
Klein
lives
in
Buenos
Aires
with
his
wife
and
children.
Los
Guachos'
latest
recording,
Filtros,
was
released
2008
on
Sunnyside
Records.