Rafael Enciso

Rafael Enciso is an award-winning bassist and composer based in New York City, quickly emerging as one of the scene’s most distinctive young voices. Since moving to New York, he has performed with artists including Dayna Stephens, Marta Sánchez, Taylor Eigsti, Mike Rodriguez, Charles Altura, Ben Wendel, Frank Lacy, Ingrid Jensen, Nate Wood, Takuya Kuroda, and Miguel Zenón, as well as many of the city’s rising talents. A sought-after sideman, Rafael has appeared with Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Future of Jazz Orchestra, Nicola Caminiti’s quartet, Sam Towse’s electric band [human music], and the “X-tet.” He has performed at major venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, the Detroit Jazz Festival, the Rochester and Stanford Jazz Festivals, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Dizzy’s Club, the Jazz Gallery, and Blues Alley. Rafael toured with the Dayna Stephens Quartet and earned a DownBeat Award for his work with the Miguel Zenón Ensemble at Manhattan School of Music. As a bandleader and composer, he has brought his music to Bar Bayeux, NuBlu, Bop Shop Records, and the Soapbox Gallery, and was invited by Jason Moran to develop new work at the Kennedy Center’s Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program. Rafael’s upcoming projects include TKO and his debut album Crossfade, recorded at the Bunker Studio and featuring Gabriel Chakarji, Nicola Caminiti, Miguel Russell, Jahari Stampley, and producer/guest soloist Dayna Stephens. Crossfade arrives November 14, 2025 on Contagious Music.