Nilson Matta

Nilson Matta has long been considered one of the greatest bass players in the world, and since his arrival in New York in 1985 he has become the first call of many of the top US musicians.

Matta studied bass at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) with premier bass player Sandrino Santoro. His mastery of the instrument and unique sound has earned him a reputation as one of the industries most sought after players.

During his years living in Brazil, Matta played bass with luminaries such as João Gilberto, Hemeto Pascoal, Robeto Carlos, Chico Buarque de Holanda, Nana Caymmi, João Bosco, Johnny Alf, MPB-4, Helio Delmiro, Luis Bonfa and many others.

Since Matta moved to New York he has performed and recorded with renowned artists Joe Henderson, Paquito D’Rivera, Slide Hampton, Herbie Mann, Mark Murphy, Oscar Castro Neves, Don Friedman, PaulWinter, Claudio Roditi, Gato Barbieri, and many others.

With legendary pianist Don Pullen, Matta co-founded the project "The African Brazilian Connection." The group released three critically acclaimed albums on Blue Note Records.

Matta then started a project of his own with longtime friends Romero Lubambo and Duduka da Fronseca, called Trio Da Paz. The trio quickly gained the distinction of one of the foremost Brazilian Jazz groups in the world. After releasing five albums, they are more in demand than ever.

From 1995 through 1998, Matta worked extensively with four-time Grammy Award winning saxophonist Joe Henderson. Matta played a vital role in the recording of the album, Joe Henderson Big Band, which went on to take home the GRAMMY for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance in 1998.

When Yo-Yo Ma went looking for band members to fill out his new Brazilian project, Matta was the obvious choice on bass. He recorded Obrigado Brazil and Brazil – Live in Concert with Yo-Yo Ma, both of which were GRAMMY winners. These albums prompted a two year worldwide tour that touched every corner of the globe. After that Matta also recorded with Yo-Yo Ma on his album, Songs of Joy & Peace.

Since 2006, Matta has largely focused on his own projects. In 2008 Matta released Walking With My Bass, which received numerous accolades in publications around the world. The album was autobiographical and the almost two dozen guests on the album serve as a history of Matta's long and distinguished career. Some of the special guests include João Bosco, Ivan Lins, Harry Allen, Rosa Passos, Robertinho Silva, Mauricio Einhorn, Joyce, Helio Alves, Vic Juris, Filó Machado, Claudio Roditi, Kenny Barron and many more...

Matta also focuses his efforts on passing on his talents and experiences to the next generation of bassists. He is a member of the International Society of Bassists and often appears as a featured guest and performer at their conventions. Matta is also well known for his teaching ability, which has been showcased in different settings thought the country. Matta gives lessons to young bassists in addition to his world-renowned master classes. He has been teaching at Litchfield Jazz Campus and is also a faculty member and a Music Director for the "Samba Meets Jazz Workshops" in Bar Harbor, Maine and Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Helio Alves

Helio Alves was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1966 and started piano lessons at age six. Following his early immersion in playing the pop standards and classical music favored by his parents, he gravitated to jazz in his teens. Alves moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music and received his BA in 1990. In Boston he met trumpeter Claudio Roditi, who advised the 24-year old pianist to move to New York City, and urged him to get in touch when he arrived. Alves eventually moved to New York City in 1993.

Since then pianist and composer Helio Alves has received high praise as an in-demand sideman with Joe Henderson, Yo-Yo Ma, Paquito D'Rivera, Gato Barbieri, Dave Samuels, Airto Moreira & Flora Purim and Oscar Castro-Neves, to name but a few. Alves has recorded two Reservoir releases with Roditi, Samba Manhattan Style (1995) and Double Standards (1997). He is also featured on Roditi's 2009 release "Brazilliance X4 (Resonance) as well as "Simpatico" (Resonance 2010).

From 1995 to 1997, Alves toured extensively with Joe Henderson's Double Rainbow Quartet celebrating the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, and was featured in the Grammy-winning release, Joe Henderson's Big Band (Verve, 1996). Alves was the pianist on Grammy-winning releases by Yo-Yo Ma (Obrigado Brazil, 2003) and Paquito D’Rivera (Brazilian Dreams, 2002), and on the Grammy-nominated Samba Jazz Fantasia (Malandro Records, 2002), by Duduka Da Fonseca, and "Forests" (Zoho Music 2008) by the "Brazilian Trio", that he co leads with Da Fonseca and bassist Nilson Matta.

His growing discography includes releases by Rosa Passos (Amorosa, SONY/Classical, 2004), Joyce (Samba Jazz e Outras Bossas, Far Out Recordings, 2007 and "Slow Music, Biscoito Fino, 2009), Louis Hayes ( The Time Keeper, 2009), Slide Hampton (Slide Plays Jobim, 2002), Sadao Watanabe (Sadao With Brazilian Friends, Warner 2010) and Gino Sitson (Bamisphere, 2005, and Way To Go, 2009). He's also been featured on recordings and performances with The Caribbean Jazz Project, Phil Woods, Herbie Mann, Gal Costa, Sadao Watanabe, Randy Brecker, Don Braden, Santi Debriano, Hendrik Meurkens, Paul Winter, David Sanchez, Harry Allen, The New York Voices, Andy Narell, Mike Stern among many others.

Helio has also released four albums under his own name: "Trios" (Reservoir Music, 1998), featuring John Patitucci, Al Foster, Nilson Matta and Duduka Da Fonseca, "Portrait in Black & White" (Reservoir Music, 2004) featuring Matt Wilson and Santi Debriano, "It's Clear" (Reservoir Music, 2009) featuring Romero Lubambo, Scott Colley and Ernesto Simpson and "Musica" with Antonio Sanchez, Reuben Rogers, Claudio Roditi and Romero Lubambo.

Duduka Da Fonseca

Grammy & Latin Grammy Nominated Drummer
Author - Percussionist

Duduka Da Fonseca was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 31st, 1951. Rio was then enjoying the embryonic stages of Bossa Nova, which would eventually become a global phenomenon. "Growing up in Ipanema in the 50's was fantastic," Duduka recalls. "Its beaches were beautiful and pure. Ipanema was a neighborhood of mostly family homes with very few buildings and cars. We played soccer in the streets and climbed trees. It was peaceful."

"I was very fortunate that my parents loved good music. I was brought up listening to Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, Dorival Caymmi, Luis Bonfá, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and many others."

Duduka began playing the drums at thirteen: "I am self-taught. My way to learn was playing along with the vinyl records of the Brazilian musicians and American Jazz masters. I have always been a curious person and life has been my teacher."

At fourteen Duduka formed his first Samba Jazz Trio, called Bossa Trio, with his brother Miguel playing the bass. For many years they played numerous Bossa Nova/Samba Jazz concerts and also on various television shows.

"Bossa Nova and Samba Jazz had just been created a few years back and so much amazing music was coming out as a result. It was an extremely rich musical time in Brazil."

In the early 70's Duduka co-founded The Samba Jazz Sextet, Mandengo with Raul Mascarenhas (tenor sax), Mauro Senise (alto sax), Barrozinho (trumpet), Tony Botelho (acoustic bass) and Tomas Improta (piano). Mandengo performed together for many years until Duduka moved to New York in 1975.

Since then, Duduka has also played and recorded in Brazil with Haroldo Mauro Jr, Sergio Barrozo, Alfredo Cardim, Ion Muniz, Toninho Horta, Victor Assis Brasil, Claudio Roditi, Tenorio Jr, Dom Salvador, Cesarius Alvim, Edison Maciel Ricardo Santos, Edson Lobo, João Donato, Nana Vasconcelos, Mario Adnet, Nivaldo Ornelas, Paulo Jobim, Jacques Morelenbaum, OSESP (São Paulo Symphony Orchestra), Milton Nascimento, Dori Caymmi and Raul de Souza amongst many others.

In New York, Duduka followed his dream of playing with American Jazz musicians, where he could blend the musical cultures of Brazil and the US.

"When I arrived in New York it was a much different musical scene then today. Samba Jazz was not on the map at that time. I am very proud to be one of a few musicians who in the late 70's helped revive the Brazilian Jazz scene in New York City."

After moving to New York, Duduka established numerous Brazilian Jazz groups. One of these groups, Brazilian Express appeared on a National PBS television special in 1981.

Duduka’s New York Samba Band performed at the Blue Note, Fat Tuesday’s, The Village Gate, One Step Down, and many other venues. In 1986 Duduka formed the Brazilian Jazz All Stars, which featured artists Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, Eliane Elias, Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, Café and Gilherme Franco.

Most recently, Duduka was a founding member and co-leader of Trio Da Paz, nominated for the Indie Awards as best Latin Jazz Group in 1993 and winner of the Jazz Journalists Association Awards for the best Brazilian Jazz album of 2002 (Partido Out).

Along with Helio Alves and Nilson Matta, Duduka is the co-founder and co-leader of the Grammy Nominated Brazilian Trio.

Duduka has appeared on over 200 albums and performed with artists such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Gerry Mulligan, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter, Tom Harrell, Eddie Gomez, Rufus Reid, Lee Konitz, Herbie Mann, Jorge Dalto, Joe Henderson, Kenny Barron, Emily Remler, Nancy Wilson, Slide Hampton, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Gil Goldstein, Joanne Brackeen, Marc Johnson, George Mraz, John Patitucci, Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap, Maucha Adnet , Phil Woods and Steve Allee amongst many others.

From 1984 to 1999 Duduka was a member of the faculty at the Drummers Collective NYC, conducting workshops and private lessons. He has also conducted workshops and master classes in Brazil, Europe and Asia. Duduka is the author of the bestseller instructional book and CD, Brazilian Rhythms for Drumset(Alfred Publishing Co., Inc).

In 2002 Duduka's first solo album, Samba Jazz Fantasia (Anzic) was nominated for the 45th Grammy®. In 2009 his Brazilian Trio album, Forests (Zoho), was nominated for the 10th Latin Grammy.