Nilson Matta to Host Jazz at Kitano All-Star Faculty Concert, 11/19

On Tuesday, November 19, Brazilian samba-jazz master Nilson Matta will host an annual tradition at Jazz at Kitano: the Open House for Samba Meets Jazz Workshops, featuring an all-star faculty concert, followed by an open jam session for past and prospective workshop attendees, musicians of all levels, and fans of Brazilian jazz.

Matta, the prominent bassist/composer/arranger and member of the celebrated Trio da Paz, is the artistic/music director of the Samba Meets Jazz Workshops, which are held annually in Rio de Janeiro (February) and Bar Harbor, Maine (July) and attract musicians of all skill levels, from amateurs to professionals, united by their love of Brazilian jazz. Students are also drawn to the program by the chance to work with a Who's Who of Brazilian, American and European jazz talent who serve as Teaching Artists.

At the Open House, the faculty will be well-represented by tenor great Harry Allen, trumpeter Claudio Roditi, pianist Matt King, and Brazilian percussion master Fernando Saci. Past workshops have included such distinguished faculty artists as Leny Andrade, Ivan Lins, Claudia Villela, Arturo O'Farrill, and StEve Wilson.
The next Samba Meets Jazz workshop will be held February 15-22, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro; more information is available at www.sambameetsjazz.com. Although the primary focus is on Brazilian jazz, the workshop also prominently features mainstream and Latin jazz styles. More information regarding the Rio workshops, as well as the two weeks of summer sessions in Bar Harbor, Maine, will be announced shortly.

Jazz at Kitano is at 66 Park Avenue @ 38th Street, NYC. The Open House gets under way at 7:30 PM, and there is a $15 minimum/no cover. RSVP's are requested but not mandatory (contact Alice Schiller, 917.620.8872).

One of the most celebrated Brazilian musicians in America, Grammy-nominee Nilson Matta has collaborated with the biggest names in jazz and Brazilian music including João Gilberto, Joe Henderson, Rosa Passos, Kenny Barron, Herbie Mann, and Paquito D'Rivera. He is a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Brazilian jazz Trio da Paz, with guitarist Romero Lubambo and drummer Duduka da Fonseca. Among his many accomplishments, Matta recorded and toured with Yo Yo Ma on the cellist's 2003 album Obrigado Brazil, winner of two Grammys, and on the 2004 live album, Obrigado Brazil Live in Concert. Matta's most recent recording as a leader is 2013's Nilson Matta's Black Orpheus (Motema Music), featuring his new arrangements of music from the iconic 1956 play and 1959 film.

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