Concerto Aldo Zottarelli Jr e Convidados & Natal CorDaVoz 2012

Queridos amigos! (english version, scroll down)

Duas datas muito bacanas essa semana em Rio Claro, nas quais estarei participando com muita honra e felicidade.

Na Quinta dia 20, o Madrigal CorDaVoz se apresenta no Casarão da Cultura em Rio Claro (avenida 3 esquina com a rua 7), às 20:30hs, com muitas surpresas no repertório. Eu vou participar tocando percussão com o grupo.  Cartaz em anexo.

Na sexta dia 21, meu pai Aldo Zottarelli Jr volta aos palcos depois de quase 20 anos sem tocar ao vivo, para um show que com certeza será marcante na cidade, com a participação de muitos músicos e amigos, e com intuito beneficente. Será no Grupo Ginástico Rioclarense, Rua 2 no. 941, Centro.
Para acessar o evento no Facebook clique aqui.

Apreçam!

Dear friends!

Here are two very cool shows in Rio Claro, on which I am very honored and happy to be participating. 

Thursday Dec 20, the Madrigal CorDaVoz will be playing at Casarão da Cultura em Rio Claro,  8:30pm, with many surprises on the set list. I'll participating on percussion.

On Friday Dec 21, my dad Aldo Zottarelli Jr goes back on stage after a hiatus of almost 20 years, for a show that will be certainly a memorable experience in the city! Many special guests and friends will be participating on the show as well. It will happen at Grupo Ginástico Rioclarense (Rua 2 no. 941, Centro)

TOP PICKS of 2012

Hello friends!
We are extremely honored to report that MOZIK has been selected as a TOP PICK of 2012 by the Jazz Inside Magazine, among many of the greatest artists of today. This is amazing for us, and we are very very happy.
Check out the list below... and again, thank you all so much for all the support and the love.
We are getting ready for a great weekend of music in the next few days at the Boise State University in Boise, ID, and this news was a great incentive as well as "fuel injection" for us!
See you out there, and stay tuned for upcoming dates for 2013!!

Review on Modern Drummer Magazine Brazil - CD "Aguas Profundas" by Oriente Lopez

Here is a new review published by the MODERN DRUMMER MAGAZINE BRAZIL, November 2012 edition. It's in portuguese. (English translation is at the bottom of the post, just scroll down if you don't see it....)

Thanks for reading it!

CD – CRÍTICAS
ORIENTE LOPEZ – “Aguas Profundas”

MODERN DRUMMER MAGAZINE BRAZIL – NOVEMBRO 2012
por F. Marrone

O excelente músico Oriente Lopez lança seu mais novo trabalho, “’Águas Profundas”,  contando com um time de músicos do mais alto nível: Itaiguara Brandão, Paquito D’Rivera, Luis Felipe Lamoglia, Hendrik Meurkens, Romero Lubambo e o baterista Mauricio Zottarelli.

Zottarelli expressa sua musicalidade de forma quase indescritível, mostrando seu incrível domínio sobre o instrumento, fazendo com que a música se torne o alvo de todas as frases e grooves. O baterista sabe colocar cada figura no lugar certo, tocando sempre para a música, com muito bom gosto na escolha de timbres, além de apresentar técnica e musicalidade absurdas!

Mauricio já tocou com muita gente grande, como Hiromi, Eliane Elias, Marc Johnson, Prasanna, Esperanza Spalding, Keiko Matsui, Richard Bona, Joe Locke, Geoff Keezer, Mike Pope, Carmen Souza, Cláudio Roditi, Rosa Passos, Dom Salvador (com quem ganhou em 2012 o Prêmio da Música Brasileira com o disco The Art of Samba Jazz), Jovino Santos Neto, Nilson Matta, Toninho Horta, Filó Machado, Cidinho Teixeira, Gustavo Assis Brasil, Hendrik Meurkens, entre muitos outros. Em 2009 lançou seu primeiro CD, 7 Lives, e em 2011 o disco Mozik, em parceria com Gilson Schachnik.

Aguas Profundas contém 13 músicas, todas compostas por Oriente Lopez. As que mais se destacam são: “Centro Habana”, um samba jazz com convenções de tirar o fôlego! A “respirada” do batera aos 2:20s é a cereja do bolo. “AEIOU”, outro samba jazz com linda melodia, meio na onda “Hermeto”, com destaque para a flauta e harmônica. “Congoja” é uma linda balada com o piano contando uma bela história. Mauricio mostra sua genialidade através das vassourinhas, deixando a música simplesmente fluir. “Carrusel” é um jazz com pitadas de latin e samba, com destaque para o contrabaixo e as frases do batera. “Midtown Waltz” é um incrível shuffle com frases que me fizeram lembrar do mestre Steve Gadd — são figuras que deixam qualquer baterista de cabelo em pé! “SOS” é uma música com uma incrível mistura de drum’n’bass, jazz e rock. As frases de Zottarelli realmente são coisas de outro mundo! Destaque também para o saxofone de Luis Felipe Lamoglia. Falando em frases e nuances, temos “Tornado”, um “power funk” com levadas lineares e abuso de dinâmica.

Este álbum mostra um nível de musicalidade fora do comum. Parabéns!

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

MODERN DRUMMER MAGAZINE BRASIL – NOVEMBER 2012
by F. Marrone

The excellent musician Oriente Lopez launches his newest recording, Águas Profundas, with a team of musicians of the highest caliber: Itaiguara Brandão, Paquito D'Rivera, Luis Felipe Lamoglia, Hendrik Meurkens, Romero Lubambo and drummer Mauricio Zottarelli.
Zottarelli expresses his musicality in an almost indescribable manner, showing his incredible mastery of the instrument, and making the music become the target of all his phrases and grooves. The drummer knows how to put each figure in the right place, always playing for the music, with tasteful tones to choose from, besides presenting extraordinary technique and musicality! 
Mauricio has performed with many of the greats, such as Hiromi, Eliane Elias, Marc Johnson, Prasanna, Esperanza Spalding, Keiko Matsui, Richard Bona, Joe Locke, Geoff Keezer, Mike Pope, Carmen Souza, Claudio Roditi, Rosa Passos, Dom Salvador (with whom in 2012 he won the Award of Brazilian music with the album The Art of Jazz Samba), Jovino Santos Neto, Nilson Matta, Toninho Horta, Filo Machado, Cidinho Teixeira, Gustavo Assis Brazil, Hendrik Meurkens, among many others. In 2009 he released his first CD, 7 Lives, and in 2011 the album Mozik in partnership with Gilson Schachnik.

Águas Profundas contains 13 songs, all composed by Oriente Lopez. The ones that stand out are: "Centro Habana," a samba jazz with breathtaking ensemble figures! The way the drummer stops at (as if to catch a breath) 2:20s is the icing on the cake. "AEIOU", another samba jazz with beautiful melody, reminiscing of Hermeto Pascoal, nicely features the flute and harmonica. "Congoja" is a beautiful ballad with piano telling a very pretty story. Mauricio shows his genius through the brushes, simply letting the music flow. "Carrusel" is a jazz with a touch of latin and samba, especially in the bass and in the drummer’s phrases. "Midtown Waltz" is an amazing shuffle with phrases that reminded me of the master Steve Gadd - figures that would leave any drummer’s hair standing up! "SOS" is a song with an amazing blend of drum'n'bass, jazz and rock. Zottarelli’s phrasing is really out of this world! Another highlight is Luis Felipe Lamoglia’s saxophone. Speaking about phrases and nuances, we also have "Tornado," a "power funk" with linear grooves and much use of dynamics.

This album shows an extraordinary level of musicality. Congratulations!

MOZIK new CD review - Jazz Inside Magazine - Nov 2012

MOZIK CD review - JAZZ INSIDE MAGAZINE NOV 2012

By Alex Henderson

One doesn’t have to travel to Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo or Belo Horizonte to find quality Brazilian jazz. Plenty of it has been recorded in the United States over the years. And while this self-titled CD from the quintet Mozik was recorded in 2011 in a studio at the Berklee College of Music in Boston (where it was financed by a Berklee grant), their approach to electric jazz is always mindful of Brazilian rhythms. Indeed, the rhythms of Brazil are by no means an afterthought for flutist Yulia Musayelyan, keyboardist Gilson Schachnik, guitarist Gustavo Assis-Brasil, bassist Fernando Huergo or drummer Mauricio Zottarelli, the five musicians who comprise Mozik.

Although Mozik include three pieces by Antonio Carlos Jobim on this album (“Desafinado,” “O Amore em Paz” and “A Felicidade”), the quintet doesn’t go out of its way to emulate 1960s bossa nova the way that many Brazilian jazz groups do. Instead, Mozik are more reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s, some times recalling the L.A. Four (a group that included saxophonist/flutist Bud Shank and Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida) and the Brazilian group Azymuth. Unlike the L.A. Four, Mozik don’t use any saxophone. But Musayelyan’s flute playing does bring to mind the flute playing that Shank brought to the L.A. Four. And unlike Azymuth, Mozik don’t include much singing. The only singing on this album comes on the final track, “Canto das Tres Racas,” which includes some wordless back- ground vocals. Other than that, this is very much an instrumental album—and those instrumentals range from two lively Schachnik originals (“Zelia” and “Web’s Samba”) to Thelonious Monk’s “Pannonica.”

Named for the Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, “Pannonica” has been recorded by countless artists as a haunting ballad. That was how Monk wrote “Pannonica,” and that is how it has been approached by many other artists over the years. But Mozik take “Pannonica” in an unexpected direction, adding a Brazilian beat and playing the Monk standard at a fast tempo. Ordinarily, one doesn’t expect to hear “Pannonica” played fast, and one doesn’t expect to hear it with a Brazilian beat. But both of those things work well for Mozik, whose interpretation of “Pannonica” is a most pleasant surprise.

Another pleasant surprise is Mozik’s version of Herbie Hancock’s “The Eye of the Hurricane,” one of the definitive modal post-bop pieces that Hancock composed early in his career when he was on Blue Note and had yet to play fusion. “The Eye of the Hurricane,” like “Pannonica,” is not a tune that one ordinarily identifies with Brazilian jazz, but Mozik have no problem putting a Brazilian spin on the Hancock standard.

It should be noted that MOZIK’s members come from different parts of the world.

Zottarelli and Schachnik (who teaches at Berklee) are both natives of Brazil, while Moscow-born Musayelyan grew up in Russia. But one doesn’t have to be from Brazil to play Brazilian jazz effectively, and Musayelyan’s lyrical flute demonstrates that she has no problem being surrounded by Brazilian rhythms.

Mozik’s contribution to instrumental Brazilian jazz is consistently engaging on this disc.

 (translation)

Crítica do CD MOZIK – Jazz Inside Magazine NY – Novembro 2012
 por Alex Henderson

Não há mais a necessidade de se viajar até o Rio de Janeiro, são Paulo ou Belo Horizonte à procura de Jazz brasileiro de qualidade.  Muitas gravações foram feitas nos Estados Unidos ao longo dos anos.  E mesmo nesse CD do quinteto MOZIK, que foi gravado em 2011 num estúdio na Berklee College of Music em Boston (e financiado através de um incentivo da própria Berklee) a abordagem do quinteto no que se refere ao jazz elétrico está sempre conectada com os ritmos brasileiros. De fato, os ritmos do Brasil não são somente detalhes para a flautista Yulia Musayelyan, o tecladista Gilson Schachnik, o guitarrista Gustavo Assis Brasil, o baixista Fernando Huergo e o baterista Mauricio Zottarelli, músicos que compõem o MOZIK.

Apesar do MOZIK incluir três músicas de Antonio Carlos Jobim (“Desafinado”, “O Amor em Paz” e “A Felicidade”) o quinteto não se interessa em copiar a bossa nova dos anos 60 como muitos outros grupos de brazilian jazz fazem.  Em vez disso, MOZIK é mais uma reminiscência dos anos 70 e 80, às vezes se assemelhando ao LA Four (grupo que incluiu o saxofonista/flautista Bud Shank e o guitarrista brasileiro Laurindo de Almeida)  e o grupo brasileiro Azymuth. Ao contrário do LA Four, MOZIK não usa saxofone. Mas a flauta de Musayelyan lembra a flauta de Shank naquele grupo. E ao contrário do Azymuth, MOZIK não inclui muitos vocais. O único momento do disco que inclui vocais é a última faixa, “Canto das Três Raças”, que contém vocais de fundo sem letras. Alem disso, o disco é essencialmente instrumental, e as faixas variam de duas composições originais de Schachnik (“Zélia” e “Webs Samba”) até “Pannonica” de Thelonious Monk.

Chamada de “Pannonica” em homenagem à Baronesa Pannonica de Koenigswater, a  música já foi gravada por inúmeros artistas como uma balada lenta. Foi assim que Monk a compôs, e assim foi abordada por muitos outros artistas ao longo dos anos. Mas MOZIK leva a composição para um outro lado, adicionando uma batida brasileira e tocando o standard de Monk num adamento mais rápido. Normalmente não se espera ouvir esse standard tocado rápido, nem com uma batida brasileira , mas ambas mudanças funcionam muito bem para o MOZIK, e sua interpretação de “Pannonica” é uma surpresa extremamente agradável.

Outra grata surpresa é a versão da música de Herbie Hancock  “Eye of the Hurricane, uma das definitivas composições modais de post-bop, que Hancock compôs cedo em sua carreira quando estava no selo Blue Note e ainda não tinha se aventurado no fusion. Da mesma maneira que em “Pannonica”,  “Eye of the Hurricane” não é uma música que normalmente identificamos com o jazz brasileiro, mas o MOZIK não tem problema algum em colocar um sabor brasileiro no standard de Hancock.

Deve se chamar ateção para o fato de que os membros do MOZIK vêm de diferentes partes do mundo. Zottarelli e Schachnik (que dá aulas na Berklee) são ambos do Brasil, enquanto Musayelyan nasceu em Moscow e cresceu na Rússia. Mas não é necessário nascer no Brasil para se tocar música Brasileira com autoridade, e o liricismo da flauta de Musayelyan comprova que ela está bem à vontade no meio dos ritmos brasileiros.

A contribuição de MOZIK ao jazz brasileiro instrumental é envolvente durante todo o disco. 

MOZIK Fall 2012 Tour Dates

Hi friends!
As always, I want to thank your continuous support, and keep you up to date on cool things that I am doing. I am playing some shows with my project MOZIK, a collaboration with pianist/composer Gilson Schachnik. Here are the dates, I hope some of you can join us - 

Oct 30th - 12pm - Clinic at Cambridge School of Weston, MA (free admission)

Oct 30th - 8pm - Scullers Jazz Club, Boston MA. 
           Guest artists: Rebecca Parris (vocals) and Marcus Santos (percussion)
            tickets/reservations here.            

Nov 10th - 12:30pm - Blue Note Jazz Club NYC - Late night Series (Saturday night into Sunday)
             tickets/reservations here.

Nov 16th - 7:30pm - Nighttown - Cleveland, OH
      Guest artist: Kenia Ashby (vocals)
                for more info click here.       

Dec 9,10th - Boise State University - Boise, ID
Boise Jazz Society website - tickets and info here. 

Here is the poster with all the dates. Please spread the word! 

New video from Soultone Cymbals!

Hello friends!

Check out this new video from Soultone Cymbals - I am playing my song "7 Lives", on a beautiful drum kit made by DC California. The kit is all hammered brass, and it sounds fantastic. 

The cymbals are all Soultone of course, including an incredible Prototype natural Flat Ride. 

Many thanks also to Vic Firth, FSA Cajons, LP Percussion and Powerclick in-ear monitoring.

Hope you enjoy it! Please pass it around.... thanks! 

Tour w/ Carmen Souza - New Record

Hi folks!
I hope everybody is doing well these days!

I write this note from London, UK, where we are finishing the rehearsals with the Carmen Souza 4et for the upcoming tour, which also celebrates the CD Release of Carmen's new album, "Kachupada" - on which I had the pleasure to play drums and percussion.

"Cachupa" is a traditional dish from Cape Verde, and mixes a lot of ingredients... and the result is something completely amazing! In many ways, Carmen's music is a mix of many different things too... So check out the video below to see what the new record is all about!

I am going to be performing with the group on all the dates below, and I look forward to seeing some of you out there!

10/2  -  KARLSRUHE - Germany

10/4  - PUCHEIM, Germany

10/5  - NURNBERG, Germany

10/6  - FULDA, Germany

10/9  - BONN, Germany

10/10  - ESSEN, Germany

10/11  - KIEL, Germany

10/12  - HALLE, Germany

10/13  - HANNOVER, Germany

10/14  - KASSEL, Germany

10/17  - REGENSBURG, Germany

10/19  - ALES, France

10/20  - New Morning, PARIS, France

10/22  - BAKU, Azerbaijan

10/23  - TOUCOING JAZZ FESTIVAL, France

Carmen's record "Kachupada" can be found on iTunes. 

MOZIK live at Blue Note NYC in November!

Hey friends!

Just announced.... the group MOZIK will be performing the late night series at the Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC!
November 10th 2012, Saturday, at 12:30am (Saturday night, into Sunday).
We are looking forward to the show, and working on some other dates that will be posted here soon as well as on our webpage - www.mzdrums.com
In the meantime, here is our promo video, and the details of the show are below with the link for you to make reservations/get tickets.
Please spread the word and come out to support us! We'll greatly appreciate it!

MOZIK is:

Gilson Schachnik - piano, keys

Yulia Musayelyan - flute

Fernando Huergo - bass

Gustavo Assis Brasil - guitars

MZ - drums, percussion

BLUE NOTE Jazz Club - NYC

Saturday, November 10th 2012, 12:30am

(sat night into sunday)

$10

Make reservations - Blue Note website

Workshops & clinics - Tour dates

Hello everybody!

These are some of my new dates coming up, I hope you can join us....
I will be doing some workshops and clinics in August, check them out below, and please go to my website (www.mzdrums.com) for more information, tickets, directions and etc.

Aug 4 - 7:30pm @ Rocksound Music Bar - Barcelona, Spain - promoted by Bateras Beat Barcelona
Aug 15 - 7pm @ Auditório EM&T Campinas - av. Carlos Grimaldi 145, Campinas SP, Brazil
Aug 16 - 8pm @ Teatro Carlos Gomes, Salão Nobre, Centro - Blumenau SC, Brazil

And, just before these clinics.... I am on the road with Carmen Souza, playing the last few shows of the "Protegid" Tour. Stay tuned for more dates in the fall for her new CD Release, "Kachupada". Here is a new review of the upcoming new album!

July 27 - Luanda Jazz Festival - Luanda, Angola - Africa
Aug 1 & 2 - Red Sea Jazz Festival - Eilat, Israel

Texas bound

Hello friends!
Just a quick post to let you know what's happening this week.... 
I am on my way to Texas to work on a record by the very talented guitarist/songwriter Dan Rixon. His songs are super cool, it should be a lot of fun in the studio! More info on this as it happens. Dan's plan is to have a release by the end of the year, if not sooner.


While in Texas, I am very happy to be playing a couple of gigs with my friend and tremendous musician/composer Gabriel Santiago. Its an honor to participate in his group and play his music!
The gigs are - 
July 13th at the The Firehouse Lounge, Austin, TX - 9pm
July 14th at Carmens de la Calle, San Antonio, TX - 8:30pm. 


see you out there!


LINKS: 
Dan Rixon - http://www.rixonmusic.com/
Gabriel Santiago - http://www.gabrielsantiagoproject.com/

Dom Salvador - Brazilian Music Awards!

It is with great honor and happiness that I announce that on June 13th, the Dom Salvador Sextet was awarded the Best Instrumental Record of the Year award on the prestigious

  Brazilian Music Award - Prêmio da Música Brasileira. 

 I am very happy to be part of this recording, both as a drummer and also as a "helping hand" on getting the record done and released. Congrats to Salvador and to all other musicians and artists involved!
You can check out the list of winners here. (in portuguese)

The record "The Art of Samba Jazz" was voted best instrumental recording from a list of some of the greatest artists of today, and incredible recordings in Brazilian music and beyond. This is a huge award and recognition to the genius of Brazilian pianist Dom Salvador, who is such an important name to Brazilian music. Salvador has been living in the US since the 70's, and has maintained a busy career of performances and recordings.
The Dom Salvador Sextet was also nominated as the best group of the year.

The master receiving the award at the ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - photo by W. Meier

Dom Salvador and MZ with the award

2 cool shows!

Dear friends, here is a quick reminder of 2 shows I am very happy to be a part of....

This week I am at Dizzy's Coca-Cola Club with the Oriente Lopez Trio:
Oriente Lopez: piano, compositions;
Itaiguara Brandão: bass,
and myself on drums.

We started the week last night, it was a great show. We play again tonight (wed) and also friday and saturday,  starting at 11pm, right after the Paquito D'Rivera group. It will be a fantastic week of music, for sure! Come by! Here is the link with more info.

Oriente Lopez trio with Itaiguara and MZ on tuesday night at Dizzy's Club, NYC

And, coming up next monday, June 18th, I am playing with the great bassist/composer Mike Pope, with a killer group! Please mark your calendars and come check this out if you can. We are playing a bunch of Mike's new songs, which will be released on a new CD very soon. Stay tuned!
Here is the Shapeshifter's Lab webpage with more info.

New Reviews!

Here are two reviews from two different projects I am involved with. I am extremely happy and proud to be part of these two records, and I encourage you to check them out if you have a chance! Beautiful music by two immensely talented artists!

1. JAZZ TIMES - june 2012 - review of Amanda Ruzza's "This is what happened"(2012)

I played drums and percussion, and I co-produced the recording with Amanda. And, for Portuguese speakers - check out this great interview with Amanda where she talks about the CD, her compositions and much more!   entrevista com Amanda Ruzza - Baixista.com.br

2. DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE - review of Jon Gold's new album: "Bossa of Possibility"(2012)

4 and 1/2 stars!!!

Drum Clinic & Fundraising for Make a Wish Foundation

Dear friends!
On May 1st I will participate on a Drum Clinic/event that will be raising funds to the Make a Wish foundation of NJ. The clinic also features artists Mike Donahue (http://www.mikedonahuedrums.net) and Marcus Santos (http://www.marcussantos.com). At 7pm, at the Sam Ash Music Store in Edison, NJ.
Please see the poster, press release and more information below, and do come by if you are in the area! It will be a fun night of music, and we'll be supporting a great cause. thanks y'all!

Drum Clinic on May 1st, 2012

Drummers Mike Donahue, Mauricio Zottarelli and percussionist Marcus Santos join forces on May 1st for an evening of music, drumming and to raise funds to a great cause

Fellow artists Mike Donahue (http://www.mikedonahuedrums.net), Mauricio Zottarelli (http://www.mzdrums.com) and Marcus Santos (http://www.marcussantos.com) will join forces on May 1st, 2012 in a performance/drum clinic to raise funds for the NJ Make a Wish Foundation. The show will take place on May 1st at the Sam Ash music store in Edison, NJ - 1831 Rt. 27 Edison, NJ (732)572-5595, at 7pm. The event will feature the 3 musicians performing individually and collectively, showcasing a diverse and multicultural array of drumming styles, music, and artistry. Their extensive experience in the music scene, as performers and educators, will surely make this clinic a memorable musical night, fun for the whole family, and will benefit one of the most admired and well-know charities in the world.

Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish® experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities. Since its humble beginnings, the organization has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon, reaching more than 250,000 children around the world.

Mike Donahue has been playing the drums for over 20 years. He has studied with Top Rated NYC drummer Ray Marchia and jazz drumming legend Joe Morello. Mike plays and records throughout New York and New Jersey and is looked at as a diverse and solid performer. His instructional methods & techniques have also made him a successful drum instructor. His musical experience has taken him through practically every musical genre and Mike continues to define himself as a drummer and explore the endless creative outlets in the world of music. Mike actively works with schools, camps and organizations that can benefit from his free drum clinic “Chasing Your Dreams 1 Beat At A Time”. Mike also holds charity drum clinics to raise money for great causes.

Brazilian born, New York City-based drummer/composer Mauricio Zottarelli has been on the forefront of the Jazz, Latin and Brazilian music scenes for years. Coming from a musical family, Mauricio is a critically acclaimed and award-winning drummer and artist. He is credited in more than 70 albums so far in his career, and has worked with dozens of the most important and notable artists of today, crossing over many musical styles. Some of them are: Hiromi, Dig Trio, Eliane Elias, Marc Johnson, Prasanna, Esperanza Spalding, Keiko Matsui, Richard Bona, Cláudio Roditi, Joe Locke, Geoffrey Keezer, Mike Pope, Ivan Lins, Carmen Souza, Chuck Loeb, Rosa Passos, Dom Salvador, Jovino Santos Neto, Nilson Matta, Toninho Horta, Filó Machado, Cidinho Teixeira group, Gustavo Assis Brasil, Marc Rossi Group, Hendrik Meurkens, Oriente Lopez, and many others. He also has an active career as an educator, teaching in the NYC area, performing workshops/clinics and as a regular columnist for Modern Drummer Magazine in Brazil.

A contemporary percussionist and educator, Marcus Santos, is a native of Bahia, Brazil.He commits his life to the study, teaching and performance of his hometown's Afro-Brazilian music and heritage. Marcus won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music where he completed his studies with honors. Santos has performed internationally and has shared the stage with artists such as Paquito D'Rivera, The Brand New Heavies, Orchestra La Passion and the Gipsy Kings. The Brazilian Immigrant Center honored him with the ‘Outstanding Arts Performer’ award in 2008 and Berklee College of Music has awarded him as ‘Outstanding Percussionist' in 2004. Santos has released a successful DVD, “Modern Approach to Pandeiro”, and has led numerous workshops on Afro-Brazilian percussion and music for Social Change in universities and conventions around the world, including MIT, Harvard, Brown University, Universidad Central de Venezuela and PASIC. Apart from his busy performing and teaching schedules, Santos is artistic director of drumming groups in six different states in the US.

The May 1st Drum clinic is free and open to all ages. Donations to the Make a Wish Foundation are strongly encouraged, and the artists will be raffling giveaways for the attendees who contribute with the Make A Wish Foundation.

The Detais:

What? Drum clinic / Musical Performance to benefit the Make a Wish Foundation

Where? Sam Ash Music Store in Edison NJ - 1831 Rt. 27 Edison, NJ (732)572-5595

When/What time? May 1st, 2012 at 7pm

Who’s playing? Artists Mike Donahue, Mauricio Zottarelli and Marcus Santos

Price/admission? The clinic is free and open to all ages. Donations to the Foundation are strongly encouraged.

For more information: (732) 803-7655 (Mike Donahue) and (732)572-5595 (Sam Ash Store) 

New drum videos

Hello everybody!
Here are a couple of new videos recorded at the Soultone Cymbals studio in California, back in March.
Hope you like them!  "Tornado" is a song by Oriente Lopez, and its featured on Oriente's new CD, "Aguas Profundas" - you can buy it/check it out at the CDBaby website, click here.

The other track is a new song called "Test Drive", and it features Gustavo Assis Brasil on guitar.
Enjoy, and feel free to share it!

"TORNADO", by Oriente Lopez

"TEST DRIVE", by MZ

Carmen Souza Europe Tour February 2012

On these past 2 weeks I have been very fortunate to be working again with the amazing Carmen Souza and group. The tour started in France, with shows in Paris and Corsica. Later on, we played at the Half Note in Athens, Greece for 5 dates, and finished with a concert in Crete, Greece. We also went into the studio in London, UK to work on Carmen's new record, which is scheduled to come out in the fall. There will be more dates coming up, so stay tuned for more details on that. Below, some photos of the concerts!

Listen to most of our set at the Duc de Lombards in Paris, France, broadcasted live by TSF Jazz.
Click here and look for Carmen's set on Feb 9th. Enjoy!
TSF Jazz - Carmen Souza live in Paris, France

here is a review (in greek...) and some photos of the week's residency at the Half Note.
http://www.mixtape.gr/carmen-souza-half-note-jazz-club/

some photos of the dates in Greece:

Half Note, Athens - by A. Katsarou

Crete, Greece - Cine Studio Live - by J. Velegrakis

see more photos at:  www.shooting-on-stage.com

In the Studio - part 1

Hello friends!

Here is a video that I am really proud and happy about. I am playing my song "No Standing Zone" from my 2009 CD "7 Lives". We filmed the studio session with 4 cameras, a few days after getting my new Soultone Cymbals. Really happy about that too, they sound fantastic as you can see! Check it out. There is another song that was taped as well on the same day, it will be out soon!
enjoy... cheers!