Latin Jazz Conversations: Samuel Quinto....

The further an artist moves forward in their chosen musical direction, the more they define their artistic identity. It’s a process that evolves over the course of years, as the musician moves through a series of milestones. These milestones are the moments that we remember historically, but it’s really the events that lead to the milestones that build the artist’s identity.

All the hard practice and long performances that the musician experiences, as well as the different people and places that they encounter, push them towards each milestone. The culmination of these experiences lead the musician to new heights and helps them shape their overarching ideas about music.

As pianist Samuel Quinto has progressed in his pursuit of Latin Jazz, he has become an artist with a strong musical vision. Raised in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, Quinto embraced music, driven by the inspiration of his community. The church exposed Quinto to gospel music and started him playing the piano while the language of the streets spoke to him about traditional Brazilian music.

He gave school a chance, but music soon trumped engineering and the piano became a full time job. While performing at a local hotel, some guests introduced Quinto to the music of Michel Camilo. Latin Jazz became Quinto’s prime passion, but he soon realized that Bahia held little promise to advance this artistic interest. The pianist looked towards Europe, and after a preliminary trip and some research, he ended up in Portugal.

The country didn’t have an active Latin Jazz scene, but it did have a wealth of strong musicians who recognized Quinto’s strengths. He soon had a regular trio who found their way into the studio to record Quinto’s first release as a leader, Latin Jazz Thrill. The recording opened possibilities for performances across Europe, spreading Quinto’s reputation.

By 2009, the membership in Quinto’s trio had rotated, bringing drummer Manuel Santiesteban and bassist Marcos Borges into the mix. The three musicians recorded Quinto’s second release, Salsa ‘n Jazz, a strong album that focused upon the pianist’s original compositions. With this strong and defined statement completed, Quinto presented a solid view of his artistry.

The course of Quinto’s career represented a true progression, rising from the initial inspirations of gospel music and Brazilian traditions into a fully formed Latin Jazz artist. The compositions presented on Salsa ‘n Jazz reveal a creative mind with the technical abilities to express his ideas with precision and flair. In Part One of our interview with Quinto, we looked at the early influence of his church and Brazilian music, his move into a professional career, and his discovery of Michel Camilo.

Part Two of our interview focused upon Quinto’s move to Portugal, the Latin Jazz scene in that part of Europe, and the formation of his trio. We complete our conversation with Quinto today, talking about his current release Salsa ‘n Jazz, the member of his trio, and his future plans.

Complete on  >>  http://www.chipboaz.com/blog/2010/12/16/latin-jazz-conversations-samuel-quinto-part-3/