Portuguese pianists: Jazz

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Jazz in Portugal grew well and matured with a quality recognized in other places where its expres sion is much greater. New generatio ns found languages ​​and styles using influences ranging from classics to contemporary music, from pop and rock to traditional music. Let's talk about three Portuguese jazz pianists, two of them well known to the general public, and another that is beginning to assert itself on the national scene.

Bernardo Sassetti

He started out on classical piano, but quickly turned to jazz, starting his professional career at age 17. He played with several renowned international musicians, but he was regularly accompanied by Carlos Barreto and Alexandre Frazão in concert, or we could see him in a duo with Mário Laginha. Sassetti was a consensual figure in the Portuguese music scene, having recorded several albums and soundtracks for films. This sensitive and versatile musician was already a reference in the national piano when he died on May 10, 2012, at just 41 years old.

Mário Laginha

Mário Laginha is one of the most recognized Portuguese pianists by the national public, thanks largely to his decades-long collaboration with singer Maria João. But she is just one of the many musicians with whom Laginha has collaborated (from Carlos Bica to Bernardo Sassetti, Pedro Burmester, the brothers Barreiros, José Salgueiro, among others) on a route that began in jazz - in 1987 he was considered the best Portuguese jazz musician - and continues today with his own compositions that go far beyond standards. Considered one of the most creative and original musicians of his generation, Mário Laginha is one of the best representatives of national jazz.

  Júlio Resende

One of the new musicians of national jazz, Júlio Resende has made unorthodox forays into fado and pop to express his talent. He has been playing the piano since he was 4 years old and chose jazz for the freedom of language it gave him, having gone to study at the Université de St. Denis and participated in workshops at several schools, one of them the Bill Evans Academy. This young musician reveals a great resourcefulness in interpretation and in the intelligence with which he crosses different styles, being a talent to be recognized in the new generation of Portuguese pianists.

What other Portuguese jazz pianists would you recommend? And do you think there is a true national jazz, with its own colors and timbres? While you think about the answer, visit the Salão Musical see our offer in pianos, for jazz, classical music or any other genre you prefer to play.