Home » Jazz Musicians » Ricardo Pinheiro

Ricardo Pinheiro

Ricardo Pinheiro completed a Degree in Music at Berklee College of Music, Boston; Degree in Psychology Sciences at the Universidade de Lisboa; and a PhD in Musicology (Ethnomusicology) at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. He studied with Mick Goodrick, George Garzone, Ed Tomassi, Ken Pullig, Wayne Krantz, Ken Cervenka, Chris Washburne and Salwa Castelo-Branco. He played/recorded with Peter Erskine, David Liebman, Chris Cheek, Tim Hagans, Theo Bleckmann, Mônica Salmaso, Andrew Rathbun, Aubrey Johnson, Mário Laginha, Eric Ineke, Perico Sambeat, Stephan Astbury, João Paulo Esteves da Silva, Remix Ensemble, Matt Renzi, Jon Irabagon, John Gunther, Mike Del Ferro, André Charlier, Benoît Sourisse, among many others. He teaches at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, and is the Director of its Masters in Music Program. He played and participated in conferences and meetings in Austria, Greece, Spain, France, The Netherlands, Germany, U.S.A., Denmark, Italy, South Africa, Croatia, among other countries, and published articles in journals such as Acta Musicologica of the International Musicological Society, the Jazz Research Journal, or the International Review for The Aesthetics and Sociology of Music. Scholarships and Awards: Berklee College of Music (2000-2002); Fundação Luso-Americana Para o Desenvolvimento; Centro Nacional de Cultura; Rutgers University - Institute of Jazz Studies - Morroe Berger - Benny Carter Jazz Research Fund; Fundação Para a Ciência e Tecnologia; Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa (2020) - Excellence Award in Research; Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa (2021) - Excellence Award in Artistic Activities. Records as a leader and co-leader: "Open Letter" Fresh Sound New Talent, 2010; "Song Form" TOAP, 2013; "Cinema & Dintorny" Fresh Sound Records, 2015. "Triology" Sintoma Records, 2014; "Is Seeing Believing?" Challenge/Daybreak Records, 2016; "Radio Orchestra" Sintoma Records, 2016; "Triplicity" Challenge/Daybreak Records, 2018; "New West Quartet - East and West" Fresh Sound New Talent, 2019; "LAB" AsUR Music, 2020; "Caruma" Inner Circle Music/AsUR, 2020. "Turn Out The Stars: The Music of Bill Evans", Challenge Records, 2021. "Dança do Pólen", Inner Circle Music/AsUR, 2021. Books: Pinheiro, Ricardo. 2013. Perpetuating the Music: Entrevistas e Reflexões Sobre Jam Sessions. Porto: Papiro Editora (ISBN: 978-989-636-697-1); Pinheiro, Ricardo. 2012. Jazz Fora de Horas: Jam Sessions em Nova Iorque. Lisboa: Universidade Lusíada Editora (ISBN: 978-989-640-133-7).

Awards

Awards: Berklee College of Music (2000-2002); Fundacao Luso-Americana Para o Desenvolvimento (2001-2002); Centro Nacional de Cultura (2001-2002); Fundacao Luso-Americana Para o Desenvolvimento (2004); Rutgers University - Institute of Jazz Studies - Morroe Berger - Benny Carter Jazz Research Fund; Fundacao Para a Ciência e Tecnologia (2004-2008).

Ricardo Pinheiro: Dança do Pólen

Read "Dança do Pólen" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
April 28, 2022

The pandemic has dictated solo recordings for many artists, but for Ricardo Pinheiro, solo doesn't mean unaccompanied. He utilizes multi--tracking to great effect on Dança Do Pólen. The Portuguese guitarist's previous release Caruma (Inner Circle Music, 2020) was a trio session which he shared with two vocalists. Here he is solo, but never alone. Pinheiro delivers ten economical tracks in this 35 minute release. Opening with the most gentle notes of “Ad Perpetuam," he adds a second track, ...

Album Review

Ricardo Pinheiro: Turn Out The Stars—The Music Of Bill Evans

Read "Turn Out The Stars—The Music Of Bill Evans" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
May 31, 2021

Much has been written about pianist Bill Evans and the influence he had on the development of new piano voices following his emergence in the 1950s. Evans infused his style with eloquent lyricism, coupled with harmonic transpositions and modal improvisations, all of which lead to an easily recognizable sound. It should be no surprise that his compositions carried these same hallmarks. Portuguese guitarist Ricardo Pinheiro brought his accomplished playing to some of Evans' compositions in his release Turn Out The ...

Album Review

Ricardo Pinheiro: Caruma

Read "Caruma" reviewed by Victor L. Schermer

by Victor L. Schermer
April 23, 2021

Ricardo Pinheiro is a guitarist from Lisbon, Portugal who has made his mark on jazz in Europe and the U.S. His sensitive, imaginative, and intimate way of playing is evident on albums such as Pinheiro, Ineke. & Cavalli: Triplicity (Daybreak/Challenge, 2018) and Pinheiro/ Ineke/ Cavalli: Turn Out The Stars (Challenge, 2021) , the former being a musical re-interpretation of bebop standards and the latter a guitar rendition of the music of pianist Bill Evans. There is a certain boldness and ...

Album Review

Ricardo Pinheiro with Theo Bleckmann and Mônica Salmaso: Caruma

Read "Caruma" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
January 30, 2021

Ricardo Pinheiro is a Portuguese guitarist, composer and educator. He has a dozen previous recordings to his credit and leader or co-leader status on the majority of those projects. His music has covered ambient, electronic, bop, jazz standards, and jazz/poetry hybrids. Pinheiro, a Berklee alumnus, has recorded and played with Dave Liebman, Peter Erskine, Chris Cheek, Jon Irabagon and Tim Hagans, among others. Caruma is a new direction for Pinheiro. Pinheiro is joined by two vocalists, Theo Bleckmann ...

Recording

Ricardo Pinheiro's New Record out in June

Source: All About Jazz
April 16, 2009

"He has a distinctive sound and I thought then that he had a lot going for him (...) The trio’s set on Triplicity is a superbly collective effort (...) Each member is highly original both in their individual improvisation and their collaborative interplay but no one seeks to overshadow another. Their album is an intriguing mix of novel and imaginative interpretations..." — Brian Payne (JazzJournal.co.uk) “‘Triplicity' is one of the most exceptional guitar productions that have appeared in jazz in recent years.” — Cyriel Pluimakers (Jazzenzo.nl) " (...) I would venture to say that I’ve yet to hear another guitar-bass-drums trio that sounds so refreshingly different. What I came away with was a unique listening experience centered around a textured mood; a string and percussion sonority. As the principal melodic voice on the CD, guitarist Pinheiro brings off this role with a measured grace. In a setting made for overplaying, he never does. While explorative, his playing is restrained and selective" — Steve Cerra (www.jazzprofiles.blogspot.com) “With thrilling solos by saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff and guitarist Ricardo Pinheiro, as well as feature work throughout the concert by flugelhornist Tim Hagans, Rathbun and The Atwood Suites were easily the crown jewel of the festival’s final five nights” — Michael West (Downbeat Magazine) "Pinheiro’s groove is contagious. His ability to stretch bars or leave turnarounds be seems in-built" — François Van de Linde (Flophouse Magazine) "Pinheiro provides beautiful variations of the melody on the high guitar strings, displaying a sonority that is like vintage wine from the Portuguese midlands" "Pinheiro’s playing also evokes the exciting synthesis between hard bop, cool, and Brazilian music that emerged in the 1960s under the influence of Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd" — Victor L. Schermer (www.allaboutjazz.com) "A conversation between Liebman’s sensual soprano and Pinheiro’s spicy acoustic guitar is the centre of the warm-blooded piece of folk jazz, Coração Vagabundo. On the other tunes, Pinheiro plays electric guitar, employing a prickly, Jim Hall-ish sound, and daring to turn into eccentric pathways during his concise stories" — François Van de Linde (Flophouse Magazine)

Show less