ARTISTS APPEARING IN "JAZZ ARTISTS ON THE GREENS 2008": www.jaotg.org
Nilson MattaNilson Matta has long been considered one of Brazil's best bass players. Since his arrival in New York 1985 he has become the first call of many of the top US musicians. Nilson studied bass at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) with Sandrino Santoro, Brazil's premier classical bass player. While in Brazil he played with such top artists as João Gilberto, Hermeto Pascoal, Chico Buarque de Holanda, Nana Caymmi, João Bosco, Johnny Alf, Nivaldo Ornellas, MPB-4, Helio Delmiro, Luis Bonfa, and many others.
In 1983 Nilson was invited to Japan to perform with singer Lisa Ono. Together they spent a year promoting Brazilian music. While with drummer Pascoal Meirelles in 1984, Nilson founded the fusion band "Cama De Gato."
Nilson moved to New York City in 1985. Since that time he has performed and recorded with such renowned artists as Joe Henderson, Paquito D'Rivera, Slide Hampton, Herbie Mann, Mark Murphy, Oscar Castro Neves, Don Friedman, Paul Winter, Claudio Roditi, Gato Barbieri, Yo Yo Ma, Kenny Barron and many others.
Five years after his move to the States, he co-founded an extraordinary quintet – The African Brazilian Connection with pianist Don Pullen. This group released three critically acclaimed CDs for Blue Note Records: Kele Mou Bana, Ode to Life and Live at Montreux Jazz Festival.
In 1993 Nilson returned to Brazil to record the CD, "The Magic" with the great composer and guitarist Luis Bonfa. Along with fellow Brazilians, Romero Lubambo and Duduka da Fonseca, Nilson founded Trio da Paz: one of the foremost Brazilian Jazz groups in the world. The trio has recorded five CDs; Brazil from the Inside, Black Orpheus, Partido Out, Café and Somewhere. Their third release, Partido Out, won the Jazz Journalists Association Award for The Best Brazilian Jazz Album of the Year in 2002.
From 1995 till 1998, Matta worked extensively with four time Grammy Award winning saxophonist Joe Henderson, recording on the Grammy award winning 1997 "Joe Henderson Big Band" (Verve Records). A few years later, he recorded his first record as a leader, "Encontros" (2000). Included on this CD was harmonica player Hendrik Murkens. With jazz pianist Kenny Barron he recorded a CD "Canta Brasil" and toured in Europe and USA.
In 2003 and 2004 he recorded 2 CDs with the virtuoso cellist Yo Yo Ma "Obrigado Brasil" Grammy award 2003 and "Live at Zankel Hall" (Carnegie Hall) also a Grammy award 2004. Recently performed on Nancy Wilson’s CD "Turned to Blue" for MCG Jazz and with tenor sax player George Garzone for Venus Records in Japan. In September 2006, Nilson Matta released a CD for Blue Toucan Music, "Nilson Matta & Friends - Walking With My Bass" It's an autobiography project with a wide range of guests.
Recent Recordings: Walking With My Bass.Website:www.nilsonmatta.com
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Claudio RoditiBorn in 1946 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Claudio Roditi began his musical studies when he was just six years old. His parents noticed that he loved to tap out rhythms on the table and bought him his first real instrument: a set of bongo drums. By the time he was nine, Claudio had fallen in love with the trumpet, and by twelve, he had already become a serious jazz listener. The young trumpeter was named a finalist in the International Jazz Competition in Vienna in 1966, and the following year he moved to Mexico City, where he was active on the contemporary music scene.
Drawn to the United States to study and absorb jazz, Claudio relocated to Boston in 1970 and studied at Berklee College of Music. Later he joined the faculty of the School of Contemporary Music and rounded out his schedule with club and concert performances. In 1976, he made the move to the jazz mecca of the world, New York City.
After his arrival in New York, Claudio performed and/or recorded with many of the jazz greats, including Joe Henderson, Charlie Rouse, Herbie Mann, Tito Puente, Paquito D'Rivera, and McCoy Tyner, among others. Beginning in 1989, Claudio traveled for several years as a member of Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra. Currently he performs with the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Big Band, a Gillespie tribute group conducted by Slide Hampton. His solo work on the CD "Symphonic Bossa Nova" with Ettore Stratta and the Royal Philharmonic earned him a Grammy nomination in 1995. Currently a resident of New Jersey, Claudio leads his own band and tours worldwide with several leading jazz groups. He also conducts clinics and master classes throughout the U.S. and Europe, and sees advanced students privately.
With nineteen critically acclaimed releases to his credit, Claudio Roditi is truly an artist on the move with his music. Integrating post-bop elements and Brazilian rhythmic concepts into his palette with ease, he plays with power and lyricism. This versatility keeps the trumpeter/flugelhornist in demand as a leader, a studio musician and a sideman.
An able writer and arranger, Roditi showcases a variety of original music on nearly every release. While some CDs highlight Claudio's abiding love of bebop, others focus on his beloved samba—the music of his roots; several succeed at a seamless blending of the two. Yet regardless of what he plays, there's one thing listeners can always count on: his rich, distinctive tone. As one critic wrote: "His music is smooth and sharp and seldom less than perfect, and yet it does have warmth; and the tone that he commands from his horn is one of the most beautiful and richest we have heard." Claudio Roditi is a name and a sound to remember.
Recent Recordings: Symphonic Bossa Nova, Two of Swords.Website: No website available
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Mauricio ZottarelliBorn in Santos, SP, Brazil, Mauricio moved to the US in 1999 as a scholarship student to study at Berklee College of Music, in Boston - MA. During the next 3 years, Mauricio studied simultaneously Film Scoring, Performance and Arranging, and graduated from the prestigious college in 2002. More recently, Mauricio has been studying Indian rhythms with the amazing South Indian guitar player Prasanna, and has studied piano and composition with jazz-instructor Charlie Banacos.
Best known for his musicality, impeccable time and ability to play in several different styles, Mauricio is often seen performing with some of the most preeminent jazz, fusion, pop/rock, Latin and Brazilian names in today's music scene. Some of his performance/recording credits include - Dig Trio, Prasanna, Cláudio Roditi, Rosa Passos, Dom Salvador, Nilson Matta, Toninho Horta, among many others.
Recent Recordings: Gustavo Assis Brasil Live in Concert DVD, Dig Trio .
Website: http://www.mzdrums.com/
Music Sample: Drum Solo, Live Nov. 2005
Klaus MuellerKlaus Mueller was born in Germany and raised in Japan, Chile and Brazil. Mueller returned to Germany in 1992 to study piano at the Academy of Music Stuttgart. In 1997 he finished his studies with honorary accomplishments in jazz and popular music. He later made his move to New York City in 1998 when he was offered a full scholarship to complete his studies at the New School and graduated in 2000. Mueller was rapidly distinguished with favorable attention as a pianist which led him to work with artists such as Nilson Matta, Kenny Garrett and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Portinho, Claudio Roditi, to name a few. Mueller has not only been regarded as a notable pianist, but also arranger. In 2003 his talent as an arranger was recognized and he was asked to arrange for jazz piano legend Herbie Hancock. The orchestral arrangements were for the "Gershwin's World" tour in collaboration with Robert Sadin and performed by the Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, and many other orchestras across the world., Klaus' broad range of musical talents have firmly established his presence and he continues to involve himself in challenging and exciting projects.
Recent Recordings: No current published recordings .
Website: http://www.klausmuellermusic.com, http://www.myspace.com/klausmusik
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Sean ThomasMusician and educator, Sean is the visionary behind thie Jazz Artisits on the Greens series. A graduate of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, he had the opportunity to study and perform with Jazz Masters--Tom Mc Intosh, Ron Carter, Thelonious Monk Jnr., Barry Harris, Max Roach, Lewis Nash and Wynton Marsalis to name a few. He toured India and Thailand with the Thelonious Monk Jazz Ensemble under the direction of distinguished Jazz Masters: Carl Atkins Thelonious Monk Jnr., Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter and performed both drums and steel pans at the Snowmass Jazz Festival in Aspen Colorado.
Thomas returned to his native Trinidad and began teaching in schools and also offered private tuition. In 1994 and 2002, he did the musical arrangement for his alma mater, St. Augustine Senior Comprehensive School for the Schools National Panorama Competition (an island wide steelpan competition for schools). The school placed first and second respectively. He also did the musical arrangement for Moods Steel Orchestra for the National Conventional Steelpan (Small Band Category) Competition. Moods Steel Orchestra was declared the National Panorama Champions in their category for 1994.
Thomas continued to teach and perform until in 1999 he decided to challenge himself by producing and performing a jazz concert, "In the Realm of Masters" featuring The Ruiz Brothers (Curtis – Electric Bass, Felix – Piano and Jason Baptiste – Double Tenor). This was indeed a challenging and exciting year for Thomas as during that very year he won the Best Instrumental Category - 'BET - Jazz Discovery'. To quote reporter Angela Pidduck, Trinidad Newsday, Sunday 28 July 2002, "Thomas sent a recorded copy of his music to 'BET - Jazz Discovery'. They liked one of the pieces on that tape and showcased that recording with a group selected from another part of the world, before a panel of judges who were shown a television video clip around Christmas 1999, That was my Christmas gift. I was the 'BET - Jazz Discovery' winner for that week".
Yearly, he conducts a workshop/concert for musicians entitled ‘Jazz Artist Workshop’ which has featured local Jazz Fusion pianist Clive "Zanda" Alexander. Patterned after a workshop conducted in Holland by past tutor and mentor Dr. Barry Harris, Thomas introduced the steelpan to the workshop for the very first time.
When Thomas is not teaching he entertains audiences both locally and abroad having performed at the Barbados Jazz Festival with one of Trinidad's Jazz Fusion guitarists Michael Boothman and at the St. Lucia and Grenada Jazz Festivals with St. Lucia's Ronald "Boo" Hinkson in 2000. The Sean Thomas Quartet featuring Grant Langford on Tenor Saxophone (U.S.A.) performed in 2003 at the Grenada Spice Jazz Festival and at Trinidad’s "Jazz Artists on the Greens 2003/4/6/7".
His passion and drive to spread the music has forced him to form a company S.T. Jazz Incorporated, based in Trinidad to promote and educate both current and upcoming musicians about Jazz Music. As musical director, Thomas believes that the company will help to strengthen and broaden the musicians' knowledge via its workshops, nightly performances and jam sessions.
Recent Recordings: No current published recordings .
Website: S.T. Jazz
Music Sample: Bopso
Grant LangfordSaxophonist, recording artist, composer, and educator Grant Langford lives in New York City. Since 2005 he is a featured member of the world famous Count Basie Orchestra. Over the past two years CBO has traveled to Europe, Africa, and Asia as well as concerts in the US. We have done concerts with special guest vocalists; Tony Bennett, Patti Austin, Diane Schuur, Nnenna Freelon, Carmen Bradford, and Dennis Rowland.
Grant is also a regular member of the Valery Ponomarev Sextet, George Gee, Cab Calloway, and Harlem Renaissance Orchestras. Mr. Langford was the first recipient of the 2003 Young Lion award by the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium.
He has also performed as a sideman in the U.S. and abroad with the Ray Charles Orchestra, TS Monk Tentet, Eric Reed Quintet, Sean Thomas Quartet, Dave Gibson Quintet, Kent Glenn-Putter Smith Quartet, Ben Dixon, Grassella Oliphant, Louis Hayes and The Brooklyn Soul Organization.
Mr. Langford is also involved in teaching saxophone and jazz theory. Most recently he taught private saxophone, clarinet, and flute lessons at Sunnyside Music Studio and Teacher's Choice school in NYC. While touring with the CBO he has done clinics at the High School and Collegiate level. Those clinics consisted of the history of Jazz, Bigband techniques, and saxophone section work. From 2002-3 Mr. Langford taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Mile High Summer Jazz Camp.
Grant received his Bachelor's Degree from the New England Conservatory of Music and his teachers have included Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Charlie Banacas, Danilo Perez, George Russell, Fred Haas, and Alan Chase. He began playing Saxophone at the age of 12 in his native North Carolina.
Mr. Langford's most recent recording is 2004 release by The Brooklyn Soul Organization. This is a collaborative project with Grammy nominated saxophonist Bradford Leali, veteran Organist Radam Schwartz, and the up-and-coming Jerome Jennings on Drums. This features two compositions by Langford. This record was released in 2004 on the M&N label. Langford describes his latest project, "this is a very creative group that plays a lot of new music but stresses the groove, soul and uplifting listeners and each other.
Recent Recordings: "Brooklyn Soul Organization".Website:www.langfordjazz.com/
Music Sample: Ramblin'
Marisa LindsayMarisa Lindsay was born in Barbados. Undeniably influenced by Jazz, Marisa's vocal talent reflects her naturally charismatic personality while drawing the audience in, to reveal a deep, soulful, sensual woman.
Marisa's newly released CD; Submit2love was launched during Marisa's return to her hometown at the Barbados Jazz Festival. Her performances and the CD have received rave reviews at home and abroad.
Influenced by Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin and Billie Holiday, Marisa's performances take you through the turns and twists of her musical journey with heartfelt emotion.
Marisa has toured the world as a proud representative of Barbados on numerous tours to London, Ireland, Scotland and New York. She has twice performed on the prestigious Barbados Jazz Festival stage. Marisa has opened for many international acts like Air Supply, Brian Mcknight, Peabo Bryson.
Recent Recordings: Submit2love.Website: www.marisalindsay.com
Music Sample: Night and Day
Bellita y JazztumbatáLilia Exposito Pino (aka Bellita) is a rarity in the male-dominated Cuban-jazz movement. A successful female bandleader and top instrumentalist, she combines a driving, sparkling keyboard style with funky vocal unisons à la Tania Maria. Schooled in the "Nova Trove" movement of the 60s and 70s, she delivers the Afro-Cuban sensuality.
Recent Recordings: Jazztumbata.
Website: http://www.montunocubano.com/Tumbao/Jojazz/Bellita.htm
Music Sample: Motiro de Amar
The Kariwak PlayersThe Kariwak Players was formed in 1983 by the late Newman Alexander, an esteemed and knowledgeable musician who influenced the love and appreciation of Jazz among musicians in Tobago. John Arnold who leads the band presently was also a founding member of the band. Newman was the mentor and leader of the band for many years before his demise, but he left an indelible impression on John and John was determined that the knowledge Newman gave will not be wasted and as such the band continued.
The band has performed at the Trinidad and Tobago Steelpan and Jazz Festival, We Beat Festival in St.James, Tobago Jazz Festival, Tobago Jazz Caravan and plays regularly at the Kariwak Village most weekends throughout the year.
At present the band comprises of John Arnold on Keys, who also doubles as the bassist, Desmond Graham on Steeldrums, Roy "Jumbo" Dennis on drums, Sheron "Cats" Daniel on guitar, Judy Balfour on vocals and the diva singer Lynette Louis. The band plays mainly jazz but also plays other genres including, latin,soca, reggae and world music.
John Arnold is a well known musician, arranger, and cultural activist and is also the director of the illustrious and internationally renowned choir, Signal Hill Alumni Choir. The band under his leadership operates in a very improvised way and an air of free interplay exist between the members and it is felt and seen whether they are on stage or off the stage.The band lives jazz and improvisation.
Recent Recordings: "Smooth Jazzy Feelings".Website: No website available
Music Sample: Caparadi
Tobago Euphonics SoundsTobago Euphonics Sounds was formed in October 1989 especially to service the tourism Industry. The band prides itself with nine (9) friendly members, who are well disciplined, trust worthy and dependable.The musical repertoire is varied and consists of over forty (40) tunes. In the year 2004, the band represented Trinidad and Tobago at the I T B Travel &Tourism Fair in Germany and then did a "TOBAGO LIME" Road Show to four (4) cities. Again, in the year 2005 the band was asked to represent Trinidad and Tobago in Norway, Austria and Germany. They presently perform five (5) nights per week at various Hotels and Restaurants on the Island in addition to the Cruise Ships and other special events.
Recent Recordings: .
Website: No Website available
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