Nilson Matta is a Brazilian

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), keyboard bass (synth bass) or a low br ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

. He has been based in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

since 1985. He is also known for his work with

Trio da Paz Trio da Paz is a Brazilian jazz group formed in 1986 that consists of Romero Lubambo on guitar, Nilson Matta on bass and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums. They’ve been nominated by the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Latin Jazz Album. Discogra ...

Don Pullen Don Gabriel Pullen (December 25, 1941 – April 22, 1995) was an American jazz pianist and organist. Pullen developed a strikingly individual style throughout his career. He composed pieces ranging from blues to bebop and modern jazz. The great ...

African Brazilian Connection,

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

, Yo Yo Ma and Nilson Matta's Brazilian Voyage.

Biography

Nilson studied bass at the

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (, UFRJ) is a public university, public research university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the largest federal university in the country and is one of the Brazilian centers of excellence in teaching and r ...

(UFRJ) with Sandrino Santoro, a Brazilian classical bass player. During his years living in Brazil, Nilson played the bass with musicians such as

João Gilberto João Gilberto (born João Gilberto do Prado Pereira de Oliveira – ; 10 June 1931 – 6 July 2019) was a Brazilian guitarist, singer, and composer who was a pioneer of the musical genre of bossa nova in the late 1950s. Around the world, he w ...

Hermeto Pascoal Hermeto Pascoal (born June 22, 1936) is a Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist. He was born in Lagoa da Canoa, Alagoas, Brazil. Pascoal is best known in music of Brazil, Brazilian music for his orchestration and improvisation, as well as ...

Roberto Carlos (singer) Roberto Carlos Braga (; born 19 April 1941) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, also known as "King of Latin Music" or simply "the King". Most of his songs were written in partnership with his friend Erasmo Carlos (no relation). Roberto Carlos ha ...

, Chico Buarque de Holanda, Nana Caymmi, João Bosco, Johnny Alf, Helio Delmiro, Luis Bonfá, MPB4, and Roberto Carlos. Nilson moved to New York City in 1985. Since that time he has performed and recorded with artists as Joe Henderson,

Paquito D'Rivera Francisco de Jesús Rivera Figueras (born 4 June 1948), known as Paquito D'Rivera, is a Cuban-American alto saxophonist, clarinetist and composer. He was a member of the Cuban songo band Irakere and, since the 1980s, he has established him ...

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombone, jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tub ...

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz Flute, flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet ...

, Mark Murphy, Oscar Castro Neves,

Don Friedman Donald Ernest Friedman (May 4, 1935 – June 30, 2016) was an American jazz pianist. He began playing in Los Angeles and moved to New York in 1958. In the 1960s, he played with both modern stylists and more traditional musicians. Early life Fr ...

Paul Winter Paul Winter (born August 31, 1939) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He is a pioneer of world music and earth music, which interweaves the voices of the wild with instrumental voices from classical, jazz and world music. The ...

, and

Gato Barbieri Leandro "Gato" Barbieri (November 28, 1932 – April 2, 2016) was an Argentine jazz tenor saxophonist who rose to fame during the free jazz movement in the 1960s and is known for his Latin jazz recordings of the 1970s. His nickname, Gato, is Spa ...

. After moving to New York City, Nilson co-founded the project "The African Brazilian Connection" with pianist Don Pullen. The group released three albums on

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...

. Nilson then started a project of his own with longtime friends

Romero Lubambo Romero Lubambo (born 1955) is a Brazilian jazz guitarist. Career He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He grew up with American jazz and classical music in the house because his uncle played guitar, lived next door, and visited frequently. Luba ...

and Duduka da Fronseca - "Trio Da Paz". The trio released five albums. From 1995 through 1998, Matta worked extensively with saxophonist Joe Henderson. Nilson played on the album ''Joe Henderson Big Band'', which won the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance in 1998. Yo Yo Ma selected Nilson to play on ''Obrigado Brazil'' and ''Obrigado Brazil – Live in Carnegie Hall Concert with Yo Yo Ma'', both of which were Grammy winners. These albums prompted a worldwide tour that lasted for two years. Nilson also recorded with Yo Yo Ma on his album ''Songs of Joy & Peace'' in 2008. Since 2006, Nilson has been focused on many of his own projects. That year he released ''Walking with My Bass''. 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 through the country. Nilson gives lessons to young bassists in addition to his master classes. He has taught at Litchfield Jazz Campus. Nilson is the Artistic/Music Director of Samba Meets Jazz Workshops, with vocal and instrumental programs for adults in Bar Harbor, ME, Boston's North Shore, as well as in international locations.

Discography

As sideman

Source:Cook, Richard and Morton, Brian (2008) ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings''. (9th ed.) Penguin.

References

External links

Official Site
at Motéma Music {{DEFAULTSORT:Matta, Nilson Brazilian jazz musicians Jazz double-bassists Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Brazilian emigrants to the United States 21st-century double-bassists Trio da Paz members Motéma Music artists