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Nelson Taveras

Nelson Ramón Taveras was an Afro-Dominican jazz pianist, saxophonist, and educator born in Washington Heights on June 18, 1976, to parents who had immigrated from Santo Domingo. He directed LaGuardia High School’s jazz ensemble during Charlie Rivera and Peter Liu’s high-school years.

Music and Teaching Career

Nelson studied jazz at the Manhattan School of Music and earned a master’s degree in music education from the City College of New York. He performed on piano and saxophone with the Nelson Taveras Quartet at clubs in Harlem, Greenwich Village, and Brooklyn; the quartet released several albums on small independent labels.

At LaGuardia, where he began directing the jazz ensemble in the early 2010s, Nelson expected students to understand jazz as a living musical tradition.

Nelson lived in Washington Heights, was divorced, and had no children. He had cluster headaches and migraine and lived with chronic pain after a stage-collapse injury in his late thirties.

Mentorship of Charlie Rivera

Main article: Nelson Taveras and Charlie Rivera

Charlie became first-chair saxophonist by October of his freshman year. Nelson placed a chair by the rehearsal-room door so Charlie could sit without asking and continued giving him solos despite severe absences. He maintained musical expectations while allowing Charlie to play seated.

The documented relationship is limited to the high-school mentorship. Nelson’s later contact with Charlie has not been established.

Memorable Quotes

No verified exact quotation is currently available.

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