A meeting between two of the greatest representatives of Portuguese jazz across borders    

 

João Barradas is one of the most renowned and recognized accordionists in Europe, and his fascinating musicality is capable of embracing the most different musical languages. He has won some of the most prestigious international competitions, including the World Accordion Trophy, which he won twice, the Coupe Mondale de Acordeão, the Castelfidardo International Competition and the Okud Istra International Competition. In the field of jazz, he has collaborated with international musicians such as Greg Osby, Gil Goldstein, Fabrizio Cassol, Mark Colenburg, Philip Harper, Bobby Sanabria, Tommy Campbell, Carlos Bica and Pedro Carneiro, among many others.

 

Double bass player and composer Carlos Bica is one of the most prolific and innovative Portuguese sound artists and has been a consistent presence on the European Jazz scene. Known for his lyrical tone on the double bass, Bica has the rare ability to write melodies that essentially are songs without words, haunting and unforgettable. Among the several musical projects he leads his trio AZUL with Frank Möbus and Jim Black become his showcase as a bass player and composer. Alongside the ongoing work with AZUL, other projects were born and recorded, such as: Diz, Single, Matéria-Prima, I Am The Escaped One, Playing with Beethoven and the most recent 11:11 which received enormous praise from international critics. 11:11 was nominated by the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik for Best Jazz Album and was awarded Best Portuguese Jazz Album 2024.