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Catarina New

About Me

My Jazz Story

Jazz was introduced to me by my father who was an amateur musician, but very passionate about the music. He would take me to any Jazz concert that was nearby. Growing up in a town of 3000 people, 10 hours north of Stockholm in Sweden, this was a treat for me. They didn't come around that often. At 10 I was good enough on the guitar to play Jazz with my father's Jazzband. At 18 I started my College Music education entering as a pianist but graduating as a saxophonist. For many years I was mainly teaching, never thought myself as a professional Jazz musician. In my early 30th. it took a turn, while studying at New School of Jazz in New York . Many years, concerts, tours, practice hours and gigs later I'm now residing in Portland, Oregon and just received Oregon Jazz scene "Jack Rosenberg memorial Award" Musician of the month. My best playing would be in the style of Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, but I have also developed a strong style for Blues and Funk. For the last years I've been singing a whole lot in my band, and by my audience and followers been requested to sing more. With 100 original songs, I have added lyrics to many of my songs and that's been successful. I love Brazilian music and tends to write in that style. The melodies and chord changes seems to come easy to me. My favorite recordings would be by Horace Silver, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Ivan Lins, Patato, Michael Brecker, Al Jarreau, Alfredo Rodriguez, Martin Taylor and many, many more. Music has to have great melodies, harmonies that progress, exciting rhythms and arrangements that takes you somewhere. Greatest's books about music are "Moving to higher ground" by Wynton Marsalis and "Musicophilia" by Oliver Sacks. These books should be in the Middle and High School curriculums. How can anyone live without Jazz or go untouched by it's spell?