The Jazz Gallery: José Luiz Martins

The Jazz Gallery
1158 Broadway, 5th Fl.
New York, NY 10001

Sets at 7:30pm and 9:30pm

José Luiz Martins – piano, synths, compositions/arrangements
Alex Hamburger – flute, voice
John Lee – guitar
Dana Hawkins – drums
Alex Browne – bass
with special guest
Nakama. – voice

Brazilian pianist and composer José Luiz Martins, releases his fourth album Odyssey Mixtape on Origin Records this spring. Odyssey Mixtape is a deeply emotional and visceral album, driven by Martins’ passion to create music and tell his story despite adversity.
The interplay between darkness and light, depression and hope, is a recurring theme in both the compositions and the overall mood of the album as it explores Martins journey of healing from Focal Dystonia, a neurological condition that deeply affected his ability to play and a condition that has prematurely ended the careers of countless musicians.
Believing in the deep connection between music, community, and society, Odyssey Mixtape was crafted through the sounds of his collaborators. There are many musical ideas and influences in this album, from Brazilian music to jazz to rock to hip hop, that fused together in different combinations and textures, create an unique and profound experience for the listener. The compositions and arrangements are a nod to music Martins loves, studied and grew up on as his journey brought him back to old passions such as graffiti, skate culture, rock music, synthesizers and other artistic expressions that had once been part of his teenage years growing up in São Paulo.