Nilson Matta Brings His ‘Brazilian Voyage’ to Southampton
In the next installment of a concert series that has brought many world-class musicians to the South Fork, the audience will embark on a “Brazilian Voyage” when Nilson Matta, a Grammy-nominated bassist and composer, leads a trio by the same name at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Southampton Arts Center.
Mr. Matta, whose album “30” with his Trio Da Paz was nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 59th annual Grammy Awards, has been called “a powerhouse bass player” by Downbeat magazine. A pioneer in playing Brazilian jazz on an acoustic bass, he has performed or recorded with renowned musicians including João Gilberto, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Henderson, Paquito D’Rivera, Herbie Mann, and Astrud Gilberto. In addition to Trio Da Paz, he co-founded the African-Brazilian Connection and the Brazilian Trio, and is a director of the Samba Meets Jazz workshops, a weeklong program in Rio de Janeiro, New York City, and Bar Harbor, Maine.
Appearing with Mr. Matta on Saturday will be Maurice Zottarelli, a Brazilian drummer, and the pianist and flutist Oriente Lopez, who is from Cuba. The trio will perform Mr. Matta’s compositions and standards from the Brazilian songbook.
As it has at previous concerts in the series, Union Cantina will provide food relating to the musical theme. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
“I always try to bring into the band virtuoso musicians,” Mr. Matta said last week from Brazil, “people who can play jazz, salsa, and, especially, Brazilian music.” The bassist, who took up the instrument at age 10, listed Brazilian artists including Mr. Gilberto, Hermeto Pascoal, and Antonio Carlos Jobim among his influences, as well as Johann Sebastian Bach and the American jazz musicians Charles Mingus, Bill Evans, and John Coltrane. “I am really excited to bring the Brazilian Voyage Trio and play my acoustic bass for a Southampton audience,” he said.
“It’s imperative to the success of a live show that we present top-notch performances in various styles under the jazz umbrella,” Claes Brondal, a drummer and live-music promoter who organizes the weekly Jam Session at Bay Burger in Sag Harbor, said last week. “We constantly seek out great musicians via networking and research. Many world-class musicians are more than happy to perform out here on the East End, even in the off-season.”
Mr. Matta, he said, “seemed like an ideal artist to include in our Live From Southampton Arts Center series, since he represents some of the best Brazilian jazz in the U.S.A.” Concerts in the series are recorded for broadcast on WPPB, Peconic Public Broadcasting.
The series will continue next month with “Jazz y Clave Descarga,” featuring the pianist Hector Martignon, on April 22. On May 20, the series will present “Salsa Meets Hip-Hop and Jazz” featuring Baba Israel, an artist, producer, and educator. The series will wrap on June 20 with the New York-based musicians Peter and Will Anderson.