about




Born in S. Paulo Brasil, I started to play music at the age of 6. Always fascinated by the sound of string instruments, I played the cello for some years. At the age of 14 I switched to double bass, aiming to become a symphony orchestra player. In 1974, I went to Germany to further my classical studies.

The change to Europe
In 1973 
I came to Germany to further my classical studies, at the Musikhochschule Trossingen. When I moved to Munich in 1976, I realized I didn't want to be a classical player - one of many bass players playing the same thing day in and day out. But I didn't know exactly what musical direction I wanted to take.
Everything was up in the air until one night I happened to walk by the legendary Jazz Club “Domicile”, and there was this fascinating music coming out of the club; so I went downstairs and heard Art Blakey with that incredible band of his. From that moment on I knew this was the music I wanted to play. At that time all the great American and European bands were playing in Munich -Chet Baker, Leo Wright, Art Farmer, Archie Shepp, Junior Cook, Thad Jones Mel Lewis Big Band, George Coleman, Hilton Ruiz, Clifford Jordan, Benny Bailey, Larry Porter, Horace Parlan, Fritz Pauer, Isla Eckinger (who would become my idol), you name them, and they'd all be playing for a week or more at this place. Munich's jazz life was incredibly intense then. I started gigging around town, playing virtually every day, either in a club or at a jam session. There were so many clubs, man. Sure about eight or even more.



Important musical experiences

It was around this time that I met alto saxophonist Alan Praskin. He would come over every day and bring three or four tunes with him. He would make me memorize at least one tune a day, so that in a relatively short time I had quite a large repertoire. I could play in Dixieland bands, Swing bands, Bop bands, because I new the tunes - all thanks to Alan. I would sometimes sub for the bassist with the Allotria Jazz Band, and got to play Dixie and Swing with players like Trummy Young, Billy Butterfield, and Earl Warren.


The time with Art Farmer
I started playing with Art Farmer in 1985, and I played with him for the next 13 years, until he passed away. Working with Art broadened my understanding of the music. He also showed me what was required to be a professional musician - basic things, like, having the music together, being on time, looking good on stage.
This is also when I started playing with drummer Mario Gonzi. He was 17 when he joined Art's band. Having played so many years together, we were able to develop that kind of empathy, that happens only a few times in life; everything fits. During this time I worked with a lot of other great musicians - I have especially fond memories of playing with another incredible trumpeter, Benny Bailey.
And, there were also all those Brazilian guys coming through, like Sebastiao Tapajós, Mauricio Einhorn, Cláudio Roditi and many others.



Bass and voices
 
Too, at the same time, I got the chance to work with many singers, which was very important for me. Singers seldom sing songs in the original keys, so I had to transpose on the spot. It also got me interested in learning the lyrics to the songs - if you know the lyrics, you have a deeper understanding of the song, which effects how you interpret it. I've been lucky to play with some great singers over the years - Leon Thomas, Jay Clayton, Ursula Duzdiak, Sabina Sciubba, Kitty Margolis, Etta Cameron - they were all great. They were all storytellers who could turn the corniest lyric suddenly into something very deep.
Kitty was the queen of the storytellers, but she could scat like any instrumentalist. Sabina and I had a duo called “VOCEBASSO” for about two years, and it was one of the most beautiful experiences I had. Sabina is more than just a singer. As a vocalist she has that incredible technique but is also a superb storyteller.
In the mid-eighties, I met pianist Larry Porter. We had a quartet together, Larry, Alan Praskin, Billie Elgart, and myself, and it was a great band with very unusual music.
Around this time I ran into tenor saxophonist Sal Nistico. In my mind he was very underrated; man, he would lay down those tunes with his superb skills coupled with profound imagination. I met Sal through guitarist Karl Ratzer, who is truly one of the geniuses of his instrument. He has a unique sense of musical aesthetics. I have worked with Karl a lot over the years. One of his groups was a quintet with pianist Fritz Pauer (whom I had already known from Art Farmer's quintet), Sal, and Idris Muhammad, one of the finest drummers in the world. When Idris left, Joe Chambers came in for a second. For a bassist to play with drummers like that is paradise. One time we were playing with Joe and we were really cooking. I looked over at Joe and all he was doing was playing the ride cymbal - he wasn't using his other hand, he wasn't using his feet - he was just playing the ride cymbal, and it sounded like a whole drum set and more. I'll never forget that…



Unforgettable tours and concerts with fantastic colleagues
 
In the beginning of the nineties, I started gigging with Archie Shepp. With Archie, I would go on stage without knowing what would happen next. Is he going to play a tune? Is he going to play free? - You didn't know what he was going to do, but you knew it would be exciting, and you better be ready!
During this time I also was gigging with saxophonist Jim Pepper, mostly in trio with drummer Allan Jones. Pepper was a Native American Indian, and he played like that - with that big beautiful sound. Was he unique!
Throughout the 90's, I was playing a lot with Mal Waldron. He had a very special style of his own, the way he used repetition (Power of Repetition) - and a special sound. He was looking for colors when he played. Rhythmical colors! And his playing was so incredibly clear. He would play those really slow ballads, and the tension would never dissipate.
With all of them, I got to tour a lot of countries - most of Central Europe, Japan, Canada, Brasil, Scandinavia, and New York.



Teacher at the UMPA

I've been teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich for some  years now. The students that come through are technically on a high level. They have to be, because I would rather concentrate on the music than some exercises. Yet for me the most important thing to teach to them is that the music has to swing, like Fats Waller, like Charlie Parker, like Ornette Coleman, like Bill Evans….. Otherwise, you know… And that it also means to take care of the tradition. You know, passing the torch and keeping the flame burning.



Recent artistic projects

 “ACERVO” (2006-2008)
meaning “THE CONTENT OF A LIBRARY” - talking about the Brazilian library of music…With this project I concentrated on the music of Northern Brazil, which is much more “African” than the music in the South. You know, the slaves from Africa were brought there first and then sold all over the country. But the large majority of black people are still living up in the North of the country.Therefore, this music containes more of the African rhythms and sounds like AFOXÉ, MARACATÚ, XAXÁDO,  BAIAO, FREVO etc.


2013
Right now I'm working on my new CD and project with new originals, which I recorded in March 2013 in São Paulo with wonderful local musicians (Djalma Lima, Junior Galante, Lelo Izar, Paulo Malheiros und Wanja Slavin). The release is planned for December 2013. Stay tuned!

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