Romero Lubambo & Rafael Piccolotto Chamber Orchestra - Live at Dizzy's

2021 CD release.

The music that Romero Lubambo creates is bursting with emotion and technically brilliant. He has become an expert at squeezing meaningful nuance and feeling from his guitar, a true exemplar of his native Brazil’s saudade. On his new recording, Live at Dizzy’s, Lubambo experiences a first as he teams up with arranger Rafael Piccolotto to present his music with the more expansive color and texture palette of a chamber jazz orchestra.

The Rio de Janeiro born Lubambo has carved a place for himself in the pantheon of jazz guitarists. His expertise with the Brazilian flavors of samba and bossa nova have made him the go to performer for the genres and as an accompanist for vocalists, including Astrud Gilberto, Dianne Reeves, and Luciana Souza. These collaborations have allowed Lubambo to play in a wide variety of settings, from duos to soloing with symphony orchestras.

One of Lubambo’s longtime dreams was to perform his music with strings and a large ensemble. Growing up hearing the expansive recordings of his hero Wes Montgomery had put the sound of a solo guitarist leading a large ensemble in Lubambo’s head. But Lubambo wanted to try to apply the musical language of Brazilian music in a similar context.

The guitarist became aware of countryman, composer/arranger Rafael Piccolotto De Lima a few years ago. Originally from Campinas, Brazil, Piccolotto has been based in New York City since finishing his studies at the University of Miami. His talents as a classical and jazz composer and arranger led to a number of impressive affiliations, including the Metropol Orkest and the Los Angeles Symphonic Jazz Orchestra, along with a Latin Grammy nomination.