Billy Carrión: The Evolution of a Sonic Storyteller
Raised between Brooklyn, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico, Billy was immersed in music from birth. His father, a journeyman salsa singer, filled their small apartment with every genre imaginable, turning rhythm into a second language for Billy before he ever picked up an instrument.
His father would often show him maracas as early as age 5. By age 9, he was playing and learning the ins and outs of the alto saxophone because according to his father “the baritone was too big.” By 14, he was a professional with his first big break to travel on a quick tour with some of musics elite. His first gig placed him directly alongside veterans like Robby Ameen, Pete Rodriguez, Raul Agraz, David Oquendo, Professor Joe Torres, and Rubén Rodríguez, marking the start of a career defined by "learning on the stage.” Billy earned his way into music's elite through passion, an "old school" dedication to the masters, and finding his own path forward, with mentorship from masters such as Ray Barretto, Giovanni Hidalgo, Jerry Gonzalez, and Allen Won.
For over two decades, Billy was known as a first-call baritone saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist on woodwinds, percussion, vocals, even synths, and eventually, the bass.. He toured and recorded globally with legends such as Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Henry Cole, Alfredo Rodriguez, Ray Santos, Nestor Torres, Los Pleneros De La 21, Ray Santos, Bobby Porcelli, Tom Vela and The Wayside, among others. His versatility made him a staple in the studio as well, where he spent years as an arranger and woodwind artist at Big Blue Meenie Studios in Jersey City, contributing to genre-bending recordings that pushed the boundaries of rock and jazz. On any given night you could’ve seen Billy at the Bitter End one night, the Exit Zero Jazz fest the next, or even at the Toro Y Salsa Fest halfway around world the next night. Billy has toured the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Europe in venues and festivals.
The Transformation
In December 2023, Billy’s career reached a sudden crossroads. A severe case of a nerve disorder resulted in permanent facial paralysis, bringing his career to an abrupt halt. Faced with the loss of his primary voice and most of his doubles, Billy didn't quit.
Billy decided to dedicate himself to the bass; an instrument he had quietly explored for years as a compositional tool and light double. What began as a shift in necessity became a total artistic culmination. Billy emerged with a fully realized voice on the bass, one that carries the weight and melodic memory of his decades as a woodwind specialist.
A New Sonic Vision
Now, Billy Carrión steps forward as a full time bassist whose sound is as unique as his journey. His playing is a tapestry of influences: the deep jazz harmony he studies and admires, the Afro-Caribbean rhythms of his heritage, and the nostalgic, melodic memory of 8/16-bit video game soundtracks.
Billy performs on a collection of specialized instruments designed to match his tonal vision. His primary tool is the "Bone Breaker Bace," a custom contrabass handcrafted by Mark Zandveld.
Whether leading his original jazz quartet, Higher Standards, pushing boundaries with the electric collective U.L.T.R.A. S., exploring modern modal jazz with Glenn Whites Sacred Machines, swinging hard with the Ardie Walser Quartet, or even covering classic Latin jazz staples mixed with classic video game arrangements with his Latin jazz ensemble Sin Egoísmo, Billy remains focused on evolving music to its purest form, one note at a time.
Billy also teaches private lessons at His & Her Music in Bloomfield, NJ, a family-owned music school.
Offstage, Billy continues to share his world through his Twitch channel where he connects with fans through retro gaming and unfiltered conversation.
“You don’t need lessons, you need gigs. You need people to hear what you have to say,”
- John Benitez