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André Fernandes

André Fernandes was born in Lisbon in 1976. He finished his studies at the HotCLub of Portugal Jazz School where he nowadays teaches Guitar, Analysis, and Ensemble. Also teaches at the Madeira Conservatory. In 1996 was awarded a scholarship from Berklee College of Music that he attended for two years, until he moved to New York City. During his time in the USA he studied with Hal Crook , John Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi, Mick Goodrick, Kenny Werner, among others. He was awarded the Stephen Holland Award for Outstanding Musicianship.

Amongst his collaborations are musicians like Lee Konitz, Mário Laginha, Chris Cheek, Cyro Baptista, Ohad Talmor, Bill McHenry, Jochen Rueckert, Perico Sambeat, Julian Arguelles, David Binney, AviShai Cohen, Eli Degibri, Pedro Moreira, Alexi Tuomarila, Bernardo Moreira, Jorge Reis, Carlos Barretto, Akiko Pavolka, Jarmo Savolainen, Furio diCastri, Phil Markowitz and João Paulo Esteves da Silva.

He has played the major concert halls and Jazz Festivals in Portugal like Belem Cultural Center, Teatro S. Luiz, Coimbra, Funchal, Guimarães, Matosinhos, Porto 2001, Jazz Fest Quinta Splendida, Serralves, Loulé, Marinha Grande, Valado dos Frades and the Kainuu JazzFest, Finland,, Spain, Greece, among others.

In 2002 he co-founded the Tone of a Pitch label and studios, and released his first CD as a leader, "O Osso" (Toap001), which was voted one of the 5 best portuguese jazz albums in 2002 by AllJazz Magazine critics poll. He also recorded with the Bernardo Moreira Sextet for Universal, and toured Finland with pianist Jarmo Savolainen.

He began working with his new band sPiLL, merging Jazz and Electronica, and performed at the Belem Cultural Center Hall in Lisbon, and the Paredes de Coura Rock Fest. That same year he recorded “Pueblos” with the Jorge Reis 4tet, as well as his Quintet's second album “Howler”, that was awarded the maximum 5 stars by Diario de Noticias. He then toured Spain as part of the Nelson Cascais Quintet, alongside tenor Jesus Santandreu, and pianist Abe Rabade.

2004 begins with sPiLL's CD recording in Lisbon, Boston and NY, and the invitation to become a part of pianist Mario Laginha's Quintet. 2005 brings him back to Festa do Jazz at S.Luis in Lisbon, to perform with Pedro Moreira's project with string quartet and Andreia Pinto Correia's Jazz Orchestra, as well as having his comissioned piece for jazz septet performed at the Festival. He also played on "Nine Stories", a critically acclaimed cd by Nelson Cascais.

Spill's CD “Amplitude” is released. He formed Eurobots, a trio with Jesse Chandler and João Lencastre, to which David Binney or João Moreira have been added on different occasions. By the end of 2005, he played on Mário Franco's "This Life", featuring David Binney. Records and tours with the OJM Orquestra with Lee Konitz, directed by Ohad Talmor.Currently plays with the Lee Konitz New Nonet and has recentlly toured Spain and Portugal with Perico Sambeat.

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Album Review

Samo Salamon & Friends: Almost Alone Vol 1

Read "Almost Alone Vol 1" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


To keep the train on the track during the Covid lockdowns, artists must think outside the box. Such is the case with this first volume of duets performed by renowned Slovenian guitarist Samo Salamon and European guitarists via the Internet by using web-based meeting programs and file-sharing processes. And besides performing on acoustic and electric guitars, Salamon incorporates a Moog synth on several tracks, largely used for textural backdrops. He also uses the body of his acoustic as a percussion ...

1
Album Review

Samo Salamon: Almost Alone Vol 1

Read "Almost Alone Vol 1" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Slovenian guitarist Samo Salamon is as prolific as he is innovative. His restless explorations have resulted in a large, versatile discography that ranges from the orchestral to the free flowing with a variety of ensembles. His 2020 release Almost Alone Vol. 1 is a set of eleven duets each with a different international guitarist. It is the first in a planned three-record series. Every track features a different set of motifs yet the eloquent lyricism of the dialogues ...

4
Album Review

André Fernandes: Dream Keeper

Read "Dream Keeper" reviewed by Roger Farbey


Born in jny: Lisbon in 1976, guitarist André Fernandes is becoming a significant international player in jazz. He studied at the Lisbon Hot Club School and later at Berklee College of Music for two years in the late nineteen nineties. He has contributed to the projects of many internationally renowned jazz musicians including Julian Arguelles, Avishai Cohen, Lee Konitz, Joshua Redman, Tomasz Stanko and Maria Schneider. Already well-established in his native Portugal, in 2002 he co-founded the punningly titled record ...

5
Album Review

André Fernandes: Wonder Wheel

Read "Wonder Wheel" reviewed by Chris Mosey


André Fernandes, guitarist with the Orquestra Jazz De Matosinhos, one of Portugal's most dynamic big bands, is an accomplished musician and was obviously hoping for great things with this one. He commissioned Maria Bouza Pinto, an artist who is the epitome of “ le cool Lisboa“ to design the cover. And he recruited Ines Sousa from the up-and-coming rock band Julie And The Carjackers to handle vocals. So far, so good, but at this point Fernandes forgot ...

534
Album Review

Mario Franco: This Life

Read "This Life" reviewed by Phil DiPietro


Sometimes a disc comes from out of left field that's so good, it makes you drop not only everything you're listening to, but a few other things you shouldn't. Wherever these records come from, you want to go there--and they just take you. Such is the case with this release from Mário Franco, a forty-something bassist/leader from Portugal. It's uncanny that last year, another unheard-of bassist's date from the Portuguese Tone of a Pitch imprint accomplished the ...

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Primary Instrument

Guitar

Location

Lisbon

Willing to teach

Advanced only

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Almost Alone Vol 1

Samo Records
2020

buy

Dream Keeper

Edition Records
2016

buy

Wonder Wheel

Tone of a Pitch Music
2014

buy

Cubo

Tone of a Pitch Music
2007

buy

This Life

Tone of a Pitch Music
2006

buy

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