Projects

Contemporary America

Project Celebrates an Encounter between nine musicians from seven South American Countries. Brazilian pianist Benjamim Taubkin idealized and performed in this project that united 9 musicians on stage, four of them Brazilian, and six from other Latin-American countries: singer Lucia Pullido (Colômbia), saxophonist and flutist Alvaro Montenegro (Bolívia), guitarist Aquiles Baez (Venezuela), percussionist Luis Solar (Peru), percussionist Santiago Vazquez (Argentina), bassist Christian Galvez (Chile), fiddler Siba (Pernambuco, Brazil) and percussionist Ari Colares (Brazil). Each artist presents a rhythm from his or her country, and is accompanied by the other musicians.

Benjamim Taubkin and the Abaçaí Music Nucleus

Benjamim Taubkin and the Abaçaí Music Nucleus present compositions, adaptations, and arrangements inspired by regional music from all over Brazil. Between 2003 and 2004, the ensemble played several concerts in São Paulo and recorded the CD “Cantos do Nosso Chão- Songs from Our Ground,” which was released on the label, Núcleo Contemporâneo, in Brasil, and Connecting Cultures, in Europe.
They were in Paris in 2005 where they received critical acclaim for their performance in the National Theater of France.

Benjamim Taubkin piano solo

O concerto solo do pianista Benjamim Taubkin é baseado em seu mais recente trabalho, realizado a convite do selo norte-americano Adventure Music. O álbum foi gravado ao vivo em novembro de 2007, em Nova Iorque, na Fazioli Salon, espaço de uma das mais importes marcas de piano da atualidade. No clima intimista da casa de piano que vem se consagrando no cidade como ponto de encontro de jazzistas, Benjamim apresentou composições próprias e leituras de compositores consagrados, mantendo o frescor do improviso. O disco será lançado em 2008 nos Estados Unidos e no Brasil.

Modern Tradition

Moderna Tradição – an encounter of great musicians performing the choro – instrumental music created in Brazil at the end of the XIX century and still very much alive and growing today. Performed by a quintet having the slightly unusual instrumentation of mandolin, soprano-sax, guitar, piano and percussion. The performances are full of life and display impeccable musicianship, colorful arrangements, and many beautiful themes.
The CD was released in Brasil by Núcleo Contemporâneo and in United States by Adventure Music. In 2008 it will be release in Europe by Connecting Cultures.

Orquestra Popular de Câmara

Orquestra Popular de Câmara contains in its instrumentation a mixture of the traditional and popular, including cello, piano, acordion, mandolin, indigenous flutes and saxophones. The group was created in 1997 and since then has been presenting concerts all over Brazil, and in Europe in countries such as Germany, France, Belgium and Spain.
The Orquestra has already presented itself with artists such as Hermeto Paschoal, Luiz Melodia, Zelia Duncan, Orquestra Jazz Sinfonica.

TRIO + 1

The trio – piano, bass, and drums – was one of the most traditional popular musical formations of the 20th century. This far-reaching formation presents certain challenges: while its language became more sophisticated and evolved, it also became diluted and banalized. The challenge, therefore, is to experiment and create a Brazilian sound from this succinct, yet amply used formation. Renowned musicians Benjamim Taubkin (piano), Sérgio Reze (drums) and Zeca Assumpção (stand-up bass) are up to this challenge. To complete the task, they search for elements from the classical tradition, from the diversity of Brazil’s culture, and from what arises from within their own dialog.