Photo by Maurício himself Photo by Maurício himself
Born in Brasília, Brazil, Maurício de Souza is a jazz drummer who easily performs in both traditional jazz and Brazilian jazz styles. His good taste and finesse have allowed him to play in numerous settings with various accomplished musicians. Maurício studied with world renowned jazz drummer and master teacher Joe Morello for eight years. He also had a year of private studies with distinguished all-round percussion teacher Glenn Weber. Aside from the inspiration of Mr. Morello, other influential performers include Buddy Rich, Airto Moreira, Dave Weckl, Roy Haynes, and Bill Stewart.
Since settling in Northern New Jersey in 2004, de Souza has been very active in the NY/NJ metropolitan area, performing at some of the finest jazz venues mostly as a band leader. In New York, de Souza has been heard at Smoke Jazz Club, Smalls Jazz Club, Garage Jazz Club, Lenox Lounge, Bar Next Door, Kitano Hotel, Cutting Room, Via Brasil, New York Athletic Club, and Bubby's (Brooklyn) to name a few. In New Jersey, de Souza has been heard at Trumpets (Montclair), Priory (Newark), Cornerstone (Metuchen), TheMMAC (Concert Hall, Bloomfield), Salt Creek Grille (Princeton), Delta’s (New Brunswick), Cecil’s (West Orange), Tomaso's Jazz Room (Edgewater), Cross Roads (Garwood), Chico's House of Jazz (Asbury Park), Mohawk House (Sparta), Giamano's (Bradley Beach), and Museum of Early Trades and Crafts (Madison) to name a few. In Philadelphia, de Souza has been heard at Chris’s and Ortlieb’s Jazz clubs. De Souza has also performed at Cubata in Waterbury, Connecticut and Lily Pad in Massachusetts. Festival appearances include the 2008/2009 Red Bank Jazz and Blues Festival (Marina Stage, Red Bank, NJ), the 2006/2007/2008/2009/2010 Church St. Music Festivals (Montclair, NJ), the 2009/2010 Journal Square Summer Series (Jersey City), the 2007/2008 Artes Latinas Festival (Westampton, NJ), the 2005 Burlington County (NJ) Music Festival, the 2005 Chester (NJ) Music Festival, and the 2004 Campbell Music Festival in Camden, NJ. Internationally, Maurício has performed in Brasília, Brazil with his quartet/quintet at Gate's Pub, Velvet Pub, Restaurante Feitiço Mineiro, Schlob Bar e Restaurante, C'Est Si Bon, and Jazz Cafe. Other performances include appearances as a guest percussionist in numerous orchestral concerts with the Bergen Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Orchestra, and the Orquestra Sinfônica do Teatro Nacional Cláudio Santoro de Brasília (Brazil).
De Souza's new record, "Here. There..." (Pulsa Music) has recently been released. The album combines both his groups, Maurício de Souza Group and Bossa Brasil®. The musicians involved in the project are: Maurício de Souza (drums), Mike Stern (guitar), Andrew Beals (alto sax), Gregory Rivkin (trumpet), Carl Viggiani and Noah Haidu (piano), Jerry Weir (vibes), and Morrie Louden (bass). "Here. There..." is now available online at DigStation (www.digstation.com), CD Baby (www.cdbaby.com), and at live performances.
Maurício de Souza Group performs a variety of jazz standards from Miles to Metheny. The group concentrates on performing the most refined tunes from each of the modern jazz eras. The challenging arrangements include tunes in 3/4, 5/4, and 7/4 time as well as modal tunes. Esteemed performers Andrew Beals (alto sax) and Noah Haidu (piano) have contributed highly to the advanced melodic material and intense drive of the group. De Souza's other group, Bossa Brasil®, performs the most sophisticated Brazilian music. The repertoire includes compositions from Brazil’s most outstanding artists such as Tom Jobim, Egberto Gismonti, Roberto Menescal, Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, Victor Assis Brasil, Hermeto Pascoal, Baden Powell, Luiz Eça, and Pixinguinha. Some of the even more exotic rhythms explored by the group include the “Baião” and the "Chorinho." Esteemed Brazilian performers Hélio Alves (piano), Nilson Matta (bass), Leonardo Cioglia (bass), Aloisio Aguiar (piano), and extremely tasteful pianist Carl Viggiani have contributed highly to the authentic and original sound of the group.
Maurício is a Pulsa Music recording Artist.
Maurício is a member of the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation: www.jsjbf.org
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