Brazilian drummer Samuel Martinelli presents a Brazilian Jazz concert featuring guest Marcus McLaurine, bassist for Clark Terry for more than 30 years, to explore the music intersections between Jazz and Brazilian music.

Brazilian music and Jazz have a long history of music integration, especially after the Bossa Nova movement that took place in Rio in the late 50s and spread throughout the world after the Carnegie Hall concert in 1962, where Tom Jobim, Joao Gilberto, and many others were presented to the world.

Jazz and Brazilian musicians always had respect and appreciation for one another, and this performance is part of a series of interviews and concerts that Mr. Martinelli is developing with the goal of keeping this beautiful cultural exchange between these two music cultures – Jazz, a truly American art, and Samba, a truly Brazilian art.

Accompanying the two musicians is the great John DiMartino, a master pianist well-versed in the two genres.

This Community Concert is presented by Samuel Martinelli with support from the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.  Our Community Concert programming provides free or low cost space to community partners and musicians to present their work. To inquire about presenting a Community Concert at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, email info@jmih.org. 

About Samuel Martinelli

“… Samuel Martinelli is one of the most talented musicians to come out of Brazil in recent times…” (Claudio Roditi)

Samuel Martinelli has an impressive background in both Jazz and Brazilian music, having been the last drummer for the multi Grammy-nominated trumpet player Claudio Roditi’s group, and having collaborated with legendary Brazilian singer Alcione and Ken Peplowski. He has also shared the stage and studio with other notable musicians such as Hendrik Meurkens, Marcus McLaurine, Russell Malone, Peter Washington, John DiMartino, Martin Wind, Maestro Maurice Peress, Paul Meyers, Jay Leonhart, Itaiguara Brandão, Tomoko Ohno, and Kenia.

In addition to his performance career, Samuel has a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies from Queens College – City University of New York and has lectured on drums and Brazilian music at prestigious institutions such as Queens College and Litchfield Jazz Camp. He is also the founder of Brazilian Rhythm Workshop.com, an online platform dedicated to teaching Brazilian music. Samuel is an endorser of Canopus Drums – Japan.

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