sei miguel is a jazz music director with innovative (and often strange) solutions. He deals with the full spectrum of sound, including frequent use of electronics. While playing trumpet with awareness of the whole Jazz history, he has nevertheless created his own musical system, allowing him to take open pieces to a remarkable state of precision.
sei miguel is a jazz music director with innovative (and often strange) solutions. He deals with the full spectrum of sound, including frequent use of electronics. While playing trumpet with awareness of the whole Jazz history, he has nevertheless created his own musical system, allowing him to take open pieces to a remarkable state of precision.
"from Sei Miguel one can only, now, expect a thing: the surprise... his music challenges, like never before, catalogations and prejudice." Rui Eduardo Paes in Erratum Musical.
"Not an improviser of unrepeatable moments, but a builder of unstable worlds."
Fernando Magalhães, Público.
"Portuguese New Music's best kept secret"
Dan Warburton, The Wire.
Biography
Director, arranger and trumpeter, Sei Miguel considers himself a simple jazzman, which, he says, isn't always easy. Born in 1961, Paris, lived in Brazil and France until settling down in Portugal during the 1980's. Since 1986 he has been directing formations of variable geometry. Having performed in Portugal, Germany, Italy, UK and Brazil, among his many regular collaborators are not only guitarists Rafael Toral and Manuel Mota, but also extraordinaire trombone player Fala Mariam and discreet virtuoso percussionist César Burago. Miguel has also written music for theater and ballet.
selected events:
2006 - Sei Miguel Edge Quartet featuring Joe Morris at ZDB, Lisbon.
- Jazz Now - Cosmic Reality Stream at LEFT, Lisbon.
2005 - Sei Miguel Quartet with Joe Morris performs in London.
2004 - Trio performance with David Toop and Rafael Toral at Serralves Museum.
- Quartet (third Garden) at Guimarães Jazz Festival.
2003 - Primo Giardino, premiere at Mappe Festival in Catania, Sicily (I).
2002 - Singularity too (quartet) for Joe Morris at ZDB.
2002 - Third (and last) state of First Open Blue Blood at Diferença Art Gallery.
2001
- Ra Clock - homage to Herman Poole "Sonny" Blount - is performed at Seixal Multimedia Festival.
2000 - First state (sextet) of First Open Blue Blood live at Tivoli.
- Workshop Favorite Places in Time culminates in three nights at Teatro do Bairro Alto/Cornucópia.
1999 - Asterion - ritual for brass and udu drum at FNAC, Lisbon.
1998 - São Paulo, S.P. Blues and Peaceful Warning, "a modern jazz suite for musicians and monitors".
1997 - Welcome at Risco Rooms, by Sei Miguel Tentet.
1995 - Invited soloist by composer Lívio Tragtenberg in ballet-theater Othello: Das ist
die Nacht produced by Theaterhaus Stuttgart.
1994 - Showtime at Bienal Off, curated by João Paulo Feliciano.
- How Could You? at Ritz Club (octet)
1993 - Another tentet presents Showtime at Palco Oriental
1991 - In memory of Albert Ayler 36-70 who never lived - the pure ghost for brass,
guitars and talking drum (acoustic and electric versions: Galeria Monumental and Johnny Guitar)
1990 - Music score for Paul Selig Terminal Bar (dir. Carlos Fernando).
- Blitz Magazine cover
1989 - Nominated for "Setes de Ouro" awards.
1988 - Music score for Tenessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer (dir. Carlos Fernando)
1987 - Septet (Breaker) sold out Ritz Club.
1986 - Splits Moeda Noise, keeps playing with the Sei Miguel Quartet.
1985 - Starts working with theater director Carlos Fernando, Teatro da Graça.
1984 - First directing job / Moeda Noise, intense live activity.
1983 - Still a sideman in various experimental groups, end of an aprenticeship /
Adúnia.