Felipe Salles Quartet
Featuring Bertram Lehmann, Keala Kaumeheiwa, and Nando Michelin
Photo by Steve Schneider
Tenor saxophonist Dr. Felipe Salles, a native of São Paulo, Brazil, has been an Associate Professor of Jazz and African-American Music Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst since 2010. He is a 2018 Guggenheim Foundation Composition Fellow.
Salles is an accomplished composer and arranger. He has been honored with many grants and commissions. Along with his Guggenheim Fellowship, he has been a 2015 NALAC Fund for the Arts Grant winner, a 2009-2010 winner of the French American Jazz Exchange Grant, and a 2005-2006 winner of the Chamber Music America New Works: Creation and Presentation Grant Program, grants sponsored by The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
But don’t be lulled into thinking writing is his only forte. He has been an accomplished, active musician in the US since 1995, and has worked and recorded with prominent jazz artists including Randy Brecker, David Liebman, Lionel Loueke, Jerry Bergonzi, Chico Pinheiro, Jovino Santos Neto, Oscar Stagnaro, Duduka Da Fonseca, Maucha Adnet, Tony Lujan, Luciana Souza, and Bob Moses. He has toured extensively in Europe, North and South America, India, and Australia, both as a sideman and leader.
His recordings are excellent and garner top praise from Downbeat and Jazztimes. Check these three out:
2018 will mark the release of his first large jazz ensemble recording, The Lullaby Project and Other Works for Large Jazz Ensemble, which was composed for and recorded by his own Interconnections Ensemble.
Salles is an accomplished composer and arranger. He has been honored with many grants and commissions. Along with his Guggenheim Fellowship, he has been a 2015 NALAC Fund for the Arts Grant winner, a 2009-2010 winner of the French American Jazz Exchange Grant, and a 2005-2006 winner of the Chamber Music America New Works: Creation and Presentation Grant Program, grants sponsored by The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
But don’t be lulled into thinking writing is his only forte. He has been an accomplished, active musician in the US since 1995, and has worked and recorded with prominent jazz artists including Randy Brecker, David Liebman, Lionel Loueke, Jerry Bergonzi, Chico Pinheiro, Jovino Santos Neto, Oscar Stagnaro, Duduka Da Fonseca, Maucha Adnet, Tony Lujan, Luciana Souza, and Bob Moses. He has toured extensively in Europe, North and South America, India, and Australia, both as a sideman and leader.
His recordings are excellent and garner top praise from Downbeat and Jazztimes. Check these three out:
- Departure (Tapestry, 2012) - 4 Stars and Best albums of the year list in 2013 in Downbeat
- Ugandan Suite (Tapestry, 2014) - DownBeat’s best albums of the year list in 2014
- Varanda (Tapestry, 2017) - 4.5 stars review on the July 2017 issue of DownBeat
2018 will mark the release of his first large jazz ensemble recording, The Lullaby Project and Other Works for Large Jazz Ensemble, which was composed for and recorded by his own Interconnections Ensemble.
Bertram Lehmann – Percussionist and Drummer
Based in Boston for almost three decades, Bertram Lehmann's supple and fluid style of drumming has made him a sought-after player within a multitude of musical contexts in the region and beyond, performing Jazz, Latin, and World music.
In addition to his appearances and/or recordings with acclaimed artists such as Paquito D'Rivera, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Anat Cohen, Antonio Sanchez, Romero Lubambo, Danilo Perez, Claudio Roditi, Oscar Castro-Neves, Eddie Gomez, Kenny Werner, NDR Bigband, and Dave Samuels' Caribbean Jazz Project, he has toured internationally in Russia, India, Bermuda, South Korea, Ecuador, Ghana, Mexico, Turkey, Spain, Israel, Virgin Gorda, and Germany.
Keala Kaumeheiwa - Bass
Bassist Keala Kaumeheiwa has performed with Jimmy Heath, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, T.S. Monk, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and James Moody as part of the first graduating class of the Thelonious Monk Institute. Currently, he is teaching Jazz Combo Ensembles at MIT, and freelancing around Boston, frequently performing at Sculler's Jazz Club, Wally's Jazz Cafe, and the Regattabar.
Nando Michelin - Piano
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Nando came to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music where he currently teaches. His discography includes over 14 CDs as a band leader, mostly original compositions, and several more as a sideman. His CDs include names of the caliber of Esperanza Spalding, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Antonio Serrano, Jeff Ballard, Claudio Ragazzi, and Richie Barshay.
Nando is featured on these recordings: "Mind Motions", "South American Suite","Timeline", “Departure”, “The Ugandan Suite” and “Lullaby Project” by Felipe Salles, “Son of Tigris” by Layth Sidiq, and “Illegal Grooves” by Nacho Gozalez.
As a sideman, he performed with John Pattitucci, Eddie Gomez, Jerry Bergonzi, Randy Brecker, Jeff Ballard, Anat Cohen, George Garzone, Antonio Sanchez, Chico Pinheiro, David Liebman, plus MPB icons Jair Rodrigues, Celso Adolfo, Jamelao, Lo Borges, Geraldo Azevedo, and Flavio Venturini.
Based in Boston for almost three decades, Bertram Lehmann's supple and fluid style of drumming has made him a sought-after player within a multitude of musical contexts in the region and beyond, performing Jazz, Latin, and World music.
In addition to his appearances and/or recordings with acclaimed artists such as Paquito D'Rivera, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Anat Cohen, Antonio Sanchez, Romero Lubambo, Danilo Perez, Claudio Roditi, Oscar Castro-Neves, Eddie Gomez, Kenny Werner, NDR Bigband, and Dave Samuels' Caribbean Jazz Project, he has toured internationally in Russia, India, Bermuda, South Korea, Ecuador, Ghana, Mexico, Turkey, Spain, Israel, Virgin Gorda, and Germany.
Keala Kaumeheiwa - Bass
Bassist Keala Kaumeheiwa has performed with Jimmy Heath, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, T.S. Monk, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and James Moody as part of the first graduating class of the Thelonious Monk Institute. Currently, he is teaching Jazz Combo Ensembles at MIT, and freelancing around Boston, frequently performing at Sculler's Jazz Club, Wally's Jazz Cafe, and the Regattabar.
Nando Michelin - Piano
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Nando came to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music where he currently teaches. His discography includes over 14 CDs as a band leader, mostly original compositions, and several more as a sideman. His CDs include names of the caliber of Esperanza Spalding, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Antonio Serrano, Jeff Ballard, Claudio Ragazzi, and Richie Barshay.
Nando is featured on these recordings: "Mind Motions", "South American Suite","Timeline", “Departure”, “The Ugandan Suite” and “Lullaby Project” by Felipe Salles, “Son of Tigris” by Layth Sidiq, and “Illegal Grooves” by Nacho Gozalez.
As a sideman, he performed with John Pattitucci, Eddie Gomez, Jerry Bergonzi, Randy Brecker, Jeff Ballard, Anat Cohen, George Garzone, Antonio Sanchez, Chico Pinheiro, David Liebman, plus MPB icons Jair Rodrigues, Celso Adolfo, Jamelao, Lo Borges, Geraldo Azevedo, and Flavio Venturini.
