Bridges

Orquestra Jazz de Leiria (OJL), a project by musician César Cardoso, emerged in February 2011 with the aim of creating a high-quality ensemble that would bring together musicians from the region, dedicated to the practice of this musical style.

The repertoire is very varied and includes classics by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Thad Jones, Charles Mingus, Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and contemporary composers such as Mário Laginha, Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider, Claus Nymark, César Cardoso, Pedro Moreira, Tomás Pimentel, Bernardo Sassetti, Pedro Nobre, Bob Mintzer, Michael Abene, among others.

The collaborations with guests have been very well received by the general public. In 2021, the Orquestra Jazz de Leiria released its first album, which celebrated 10 years of existence. The album “Dez” (double album) features 14 different guest artists and was released by Sony Music.

“Bridges” is the latest album from the Orquestra Jazz de Leiria, featuring national and, for the first time, international artists as guests. Paulo de Carvalho, Tatanka, Samuel Úria, Kiko Pereira, Kurt Elling, Maria Schneider, and Jon Faddis make up a stellar cast with whom the orchestra has had the privilege of working over the last 5 years. Of particular note is the inclusion of 2 tracks recorded live at the José Lúcio da Silva Theatre.

The album also includes 2 original compositions, one by César Cardoso and the other by Pedro Nobre.

Musicians:

César Cardoso (artistic direction, conductor)

José António Lopes, João Capinha, Vítor Lopes, João Cunha, Bruno Homem (saxophones, flutes and clarinets)

Diogo Pedro, André Rocha, Cláudio Pinheiro, João Ferreira (trumpets/flugelhorns)

Ruben da Luz, Nuno Carreira, Rui Correia (trombone), Daniel Marques (tuba)

Eduardo Cardinho (vibraphone)

Adelino Oliveira (guitar)

Pedro Nobre (piano)

Diogo Dias  (souble bass)

João Maneta (drums)

Guests:

Paulo de Carvalho, Tatanka, Samuel Úria, Kiko Pereira, Kurt Elling, Jon Faddis and Maria Schneider