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Pedro Melo Alves
Pedro Melo Alves is one of the most prominent drummers and composers in the recent avant-garde music scene in Portugal. Explorer of the expanded possibilities of percussion, improviser, ambitious composer for small and large formations, his work is known for the exploratory attitude and for boldy intersectioning different aesthetic circuits from jazz and erudite, to electronic, experimental and rock music.
Having been awarded with multiple awards and nominations (Bernardo Sassetti Composition Award, Premio Internazionale Giorgio Gaslini, El Intruso Best Revelation Group), he's been increasingly present in the international music scene, presenting his projects in events such as Jazzahead (Germany), 12 Points Festival (Dublin), Europe Jazz Conference (Portugal), Saalfelden Jazz Festival (Austria), Ljubljana Jazz Festival (Slovenia), Suoni Per Il Popolo (Canada), Südtirol Jazz Festival (Italy) or Jazz em Agosto (Portugal).
Born in 1991, in Porto, Portugal, Pedro has studied Jazz Drums (ESMAE, Porto, 2011), Jazz and Classical Piano (ESTAL, Lisbon, 2014) and Music Composition (ESML, Lisbon, 2015).
With commissions from institutions such as Guimarães Jazz, Culturgest, RTP or Fundação Serralves, Pedro has become one of the most prolific and requested musicians of his generation and has shared stage and studio with musicians such as Mark Dresser, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, Joe Morris, Marshall Allen, Eve Risser, Luke Stewart, Theo Ceccaldi, John O'Gallagher, Hery Paz or Jacqueline Kerrod.
Today he plays and composes for his Omniae Large Ensemble, The Rite of Trio, In Igma, his percussion duets with João Pais Filipe or Pedro Carneiro, and is a part of many projects, such as Luís Vicente Trio, Alma Tree with Ra Kalam Bob Moses and Vasco Trilla, Catacombe, Surma, Memória de Peixe, Tim Tim por Tim Tum, Rodrigo Brandão or Dead Club.
In parallel, Pedro also composes for Theatre, Dance, Cinema and erudite music commissions and programs music series on his venues Ermo do Caos (Porto) and Água Ardente (Lisbon).
Awards
★ NOMINATION FOR BEST JAZZ ALBUM 2022 ★
PLAY – PRÉMIOS DA MÚSICA PORTUGUESA
★ PREMIO INTERNAZIONALE GIORGIO GASLINI 2019 ★
★ BERNARDO SASSETTI COMPOSITION AWARD 2016 ★
★ BEST NEWCOMER GROUP OF 2021 ★
EL INTRUSO – 14th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CRITICS POLL 2021
★ NATIONAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR 2017 ★
JAZZ.PT
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Luis Vicente: Come Down Here
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Portuguese trumpeter Luis Vicente hits pay dirt with Come Down Here. Although he explores a range of styles from poised but unfettered outings such as Chamber 4 (FMR, 2015) and For Sale (Clean Feed, 2015), to fire music collaborations with the likes of tenor saxophonist John Dikeman on House In The Valley (Clean Feed, 2023), the free bop here perhaps plays to his strengths best of all. Simple themes offer abundant inspiration, allowing him free rein for a melodicism that ...
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Continue Reading“…MIRACULOUS DRUMMING. LIGHT AS A FEATHER, FAST AS A HUMMING BIRD , DEEP TONES, COLORS AND INFINITE CREATIVITY . BRAVISSIMO!”
– RA KALAM BOB MOSES (USA) 2022
“…AN INSTRUMENTALIST AND COMPOSER WITH SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL AT HEARTH (…) PEDRO MELO ALVES IS A FIERCE APPROACH TO MUSIC“
– TOR HAMMERØ, Nettavisen (NOR) 2022
