Nelson Cascais

Studied at the Hot Club Jazz School with Carlos Barreto, Bernardo Moreira, and Pedro Moreira, while keeping his classical studies at the National Conservatory.

In 1994, as a graduate of the Hot Club School, he represented Portugal at the annual IASJ meeting, in New York, where he studied with Reggie Workman and Dave Liebman, and performing with other students at the JVC Jazz Festival and at Visiones. He attended workshops with Bruce Barth, Phil Markowitz, Ron Jackson, Frank Mobus, and Barrie Harris.

In 1995 he started teaching at the Hot Club Jazz School in Lisbon.

Since then he has been playing in and out of Portugal with musicians such as: Rick Margitza, Jerome Richardson, Al Singer, Rich Perry, Perico Sambeat, Bernardo Sassetti, The Carlo Morena Trio, Victor de Diego, The Isaac Turienzo Trio, Stefano D'Anna, Llibert Fortuny, Ivan Padduart, Carlos Martins, among others.

He has played jazz festivals in the Portuguese cities of Matosinhos, Loulé, Marinha Grande, and Gulbenkian, in 1998 with Nuno Ferreira.

In 1999 played with the John Ellis Quartet with Aaron Goldberg and Troy Davis. During 2005 he played with Bart Deffort, Andrzej Olejniczac and the Dave O´Higgins Quartet.

Performed at the Serralves Jazz Festival in 1998 and 2002.

Played at the Guimarães International Jazz Festival with the festival´s orchestra conducted by Maria Schneider in 2001.

In 1999 he began to work with his own band and two years later recorded his debut CD as a leader, Ciclope for Tone of a Pitch.

In 2005 he recorded his second CD Nine Stories with his new quintet.

Discography