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Mauricio de Souza

Born in Brasília, Brazil, Maurício de Souza is a professional jazz drummer who easily performs in both traditional jazz and Brazilian jazz styles. De Souza was a pupil of world renowned jazz drummer Joe Morello.

Coming from a musical family, de Souza began playing drums at age eleven. His early interest in complex music led him to explore numerous styles ranging from progressive rock, to classical music, to jazz.

Since 2004, de Souza has directed/performed with his own groups: Maurício de Souza Group (Straight Ahead Jazz) and Bossa Brasil® (Brazilian Jazz). As a band leader, he has released four albums to date: ˝Here. There…˝, ˝Different Directions˝, ˝Trajeórias˝, and ˝Five Roads˝ (new album). Lately, de Souza has been focusing more on his Brazilian Jazz project and writing his own compositions for that group.

Some of the amazing artists de Souza has had the pleasure of performing/recording with include Mike Stern (guitar), Marc Copland (piano), Greg Gisbert (trumpet), John Lee (electric bass), Gary Mazzaroppi (acoustic bass), Dmitry Baevsky (alto sax), and Adrian Cunningham (tenor sax).

Highlight performances as a band leader include appearances at Blue Note NY, NJPAC, Festival International de Jazz de Quebec, Westfield Downtown Jazz Festival, DiMenna Center, Kitano Hotel, Saint Peter’s Chruch, Gates Pub (Brazil), among many other prestigious venues/festivals.

De Souza and his music are/have been featured in Jazz Times Magazine, Hot House Jazz Magazine, NYC Jazz Record, WBGO, Music Choice, Pandora, Sirius XM, Jazz Week, and numerous radio stations in the US, Brazil, Canada, and Poland.

Gear

DW and Pearl drums and hardware; Sabian, Zildjian, and Paiste Cymbals; Pro-Mark and Regal Tip sticks.


Tags

14
Album Review

Mauricio de Souza: Five Roads

Read "Five Roads" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


If your idea of a great drummer's album is an album full of sonic bombast, do not pick up Five Roads by drummer Maurício de Souza and his ensemble Bossa Brasil. If you love showy drum fills, histrionic drum solos, or volume masquerading as intensity, you'll find none here. Instead, the drummer leads Bossa Brasil down these Five Roads from behind, strongly and surely, and thoughtfully too. Born in Brasilia, the national capital located in the Federal District ...

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Mauricio de Souza

Read "Take Five With Mauricio de Souza" reviewed by Mauricio de Souza


Meet Mauricio de Souza: Born in Brasília, Brazil, Maurício de Souza is a jazz drummer who easily performs in traditional jazz and Brazilian jazz styles. De Souza was a pupil of world renowned jazz drummer Joe Morello. Coming from a musical family, de Souza began playing drums at age eleven. His early interest in complex music led him to explore numerous styles ranging from progressive rock, to classical music, to jazz. Since 2004, de ...

10
Album Review

Mauricio de Souza: Trajetórias

Read "Trajetórias" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


The quiet masterpiece Trajetórias captures drummer, composer, arranger and bandleader Maurício de Souza leading his jazz ensemble Bossa Brazil in a beautiful live performance through Brazilian pop and jazz classics from the pens of such legends as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Hermeto Pascoal, Milton Nascimento and Pat Metheny. Producer de Souza envelops each live performance in the clear sound of a classic 1970s Creed Taylor CTI Records production: crisp but not cold, detailed but not cluttered, cool but not ...

9
Jazz Near Me

Mauricio de Souza Strikes the Right Note

Read "Mauricio de Souza Strikes the Right Note" reviewed by Gloria Krolak


Moonstruck Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge owners Luke Magliaro and Howard Raczkiewicz hired a trio not long ago for a Friday night gig at their popular bistro in Asbury Park, and they got a quartet. Drummer Mauricio de Souza and bassist Gary Mazzaroppi teamed up with pianist-trumpeter Alan Chaubert. Close your eyes and you hear a quartet. That's because Chaubert plays both instruments at the same time. The technique may require a split personality, but the result is Chaubert's ...

9
Extended Analysis

Mauricio de Souza: Different Directions

Read "Mauricio de Souza: Different Directions" reviewed by Alain Londes


Brazilian music and jazz intermingle with other touches to produce Mauricio de Souza's Different Directions. There are a lot of different exposés, particularly of Brazilian rhythmic styles interpreted by a wonderful collection of artists contributing their artistic talents. Bossa Brazil lends itself more towards Brazilian music while the Mauricio de Souza group will have more traditional jazz leanings. As a whole, it feels like a natural organic whole. The project includes a combination of classics as well as original compositions. ...

180
Album Review

Mauricio De Souza: Here. There...

Read "Here. There..." reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins


Drummer Mauricio De Souza has roots in both Brazilian music and jazz. It follows that he would issue Here. There ..., a recording that presents both. De Souza was born in Brasilia, Brazil. Among his inspirations are Buddy Rich, Airto Moreira and Dave Weckl. His two ensembles--Bossa Brazil and Mauricio De Souza Group--are employed here, with well-known guitarist Mike Stern as a guest on two tracks. “Chovendo na Roseira" is a charming waltz, composed by Antonio ...

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1

Contest

Enter the "Mauricio de Souza - Different Directions" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Enter the "Mauricio de Souza - Different Directions" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Source: All About Jazz

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the “Mauricio de Souza - Different Directions“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on January 10th. Click here to enter the contest (Becoming a fan of Mauricio de Souza at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.) Good luck! About Different Directions In Different Directions, I used the same approach as in my previous album, Here. There.... I recorded ten tracks of Jazz and ...

1

Recording

Two Free MP3s by Mauricio de Souza and Bossa Brazil at All About Jazz

Two Free MP3s by Mauricio de Souza and Bossa Brazil at All About Jazz

Source: Michael Ricci

Download two free tracks courtesy of percussionist Mauricio de Souza and his band Bossa Brazil; including “La Vamos Nos" from his latest album Different Directions. La Vamos Nos (6:45) Mauricio de Souza From: Different Directions (Pulsa Music) Firm Roots (6:21) Mauricio de Souza From: Here. There... (Pulsa Music) About Mauricio de Souza Born in Brasília, Brazil, Maurício de Souza is a jazz drummer who easily performs in both ...

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Performance / Tour

Composers Collaborative (Mon) Morrison Motel (Tue) Mauricio de Souza and Bossa Brasil (Wed) Gnu Vox (Thu) Tony Malaby (Fri) & More This Week at Cornelia Street Cafe

Composers Collaborative (Mon) Morrison Motel (Tue) Mauricio de Souza and Bossa Brasil (Wed) Gnu Vox (Thu) Tony Malaby (Fri) & More This Week at Cornelia Street Cafe

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

CORNELIA STREET CAFE 29 Cornelia Street, NYC, New York212-989-9319 between West 4th and Bleecker Sts, Greenwich Village 1 Subway to Sheridan Square; A, C, E, B, D, V, F to West 4th St. This Week At Cornelia Street Cafe Mon Apr 09 8:30PM COMPOSERS COLLABORATIVE: SERIAL UNDERGROUND (Matt Sulivan, oboe;Charlotte Vierveyzer, oboe;Margaret Lancaster, flutes) * Cyber-flotess Margaret Lancaster * Matt Sullivan and Charlotte Vierveyzer play dueling ...

"...Maurício’s Bossa Brasil project is a masterpiece of subtlety.” - Raul da Gama, Hot House Jazz Magazine.

"A gifted and chameleonic drummer, Brazilian native Mauricio de Souza has, for more than a decade, proven to be a sought-after percussion force in the states since relocating to New Jersey in 2004. An excellent sideman and collaborator, Mauricio shines as a bandleader as he heads up a unique set of solo projects." - Seton Hawkins, Hot House Jazz Magazine

"The alto-vibes frontline along with the fresh treatments of the repertoire gives Bossa Brasil its own individual group sound. While much of the music is mellow and melodic, it has its heated moments with plenty of subtle surprises heard along the way." - Scott Yanow, Jazz Journalist/Historian/Author. On "Trajetórias".

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Primary Instrument

Drums

Location

Newark

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

11 years of private studies with Joe Morello. Bachelor's degree in Performance (jazz and classical). Teaching Certification (K-12). Available for private lessons. Please contact me for availability and rates: 973-651- 7281, [email protected].

Clinic/Workshop Information

A basic clinic would include: explanation and discussion of basic drum techniques; basic rock, jazz, and Brazilian jazz rhythms; how to apply these techniques in a musical way in a group setting. More involved clinics are certainly possible

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Early Summer Evening

Self Produced
2023

buy

Five Roads

Self Produced
2018

buy

Trajetórias

Pitoca Music
2016

buy

Here. There...

Pulsa Music
2010

buy

Mr. October

From: Early Summer Evening
By Mauricio de Souza

Firm Roots

From: Here. There...
By Mauricio de Souza

Videos

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