ABOUT PEDRO

“Pedro Martins is a “multidimensional” multi-instrumentalist/guitarist and vocalist.” – The Observer

The Brazilian guitar player Pedro Martins is one of the most promising musicians of the new generation. In his latest musical endeavor – the album VOX – the Brasília-born artist dreams up a jazz fusion sound infused with deep Brazilian background elements and rock/pop sensibilities. Released on Heartcore Records, the thirteen jazz-flavored Brazilian rock songs on VOX result from a two year long recording and production process between Martins and influential American guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. Pedro Martins is joined by an all-star cast of supporting musicians: Brad Mehldau, Chris Potter, Kyle Crane, Frederico Heliodoro, Antonio Loureiro, and Oscar Azevedo.

Pedro Martins’ father, Oscar Azevedo, started teaching him to play at the age of three. During his childhood, he studied classical piano with Dib Francis at Escola de Música de Brasília (EMB) and then joined the band Fator RH with his cousins and Felipe Viegas. In 2011, Pedro Martins released his first solo album Dreaming High. His debut album was entirely written and arranged by the young artist himself.

2015 marked an important year for Pedro Martins, winning the 1st Guitar Prize of the Montreux Jazz Competition. The young guitar player made a strong impression on jury formed by Kurt Rosenwinkel and John McLaughlin. Kurt and Pedro met there and over the next few years developed a musical friendship that eventually resulted in Kurt’s album, CAIPI that Pedro largely contributed to, and Pedro‘s album, VOX, with Kurt Rosenwinkel producing. 2015 saw also the release of the debut album of Martins’ duo with one of Brazil’s finest guitar player Daniel Santiago entitled Simbiose.

In 2017, Martins was appointed as curator of the 50th SWR NEWJazz Meeting in Germany – the first South American artist to hold this position since it was established in 1966. Spider’s Egg was the sextet that he put together and featured performances by singer Genevieve Artadi, saxophonist David Binney, saxophonist Sebastian Gille and two shooting-stars of the Brazilian jazz scene bassist Frederico Heliodoro and percussionist Antonio Loureiro.

Since 2017, Pedro Martins has toured as a featured member of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Caipi Band. In 2017, Heartcore Records – the independent label created by Kurt Rosenwinkel – released their first album. Accompanying Rosenwinkel are international artists of undeniable quality such as saxophonist Mark Turner and rock/blues guitarist Eric Clapton. The album has received universal praise from critics and audiences alike. Already in September 2019, Caipi and the duo of Pedro Martins & Daniel Santiago recieved an invitation to perform at the Clapton’s prestigious Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas (USA), marking the first Brazilian appearance at the event.

In addition to these projects, Martins has worked with a number of great jazz musicians including recordings and concerts with Michael Pipoquinha, Jacob Collier, Knower, Genevieve Artadi (Expensive Magnets), Scott Kinsey, Thundercat, Al Jarreau, Toninho Horta and Hamilton de Holanda.


PEDRO MARTINS – ‘STRING QUARTET IN F MAJOR’ (MAURICE RAVEL)