Gatos do Sul

Pianist and composer Brian Marsella’s Gatos do Sul (southern cats) got its start with a commission by John Zorn, and pays homage to master percussionist Cyro Baptista, his ensemble Beat the Donkey, and the rhythms of northeastern Brazil. Inspired by Brazilian composers like Hermeto Pascoal, Egberto Gismonti and Heitor Villa-Lobos, this piano-led octet channels Brazilian idioms such as samba, maractu, baio and choro through a kaleidoscopic lens of modern jazz. After premiering at National Sawdust in 2017 (Brooklyn, NY), Gatos do Sul was released on John Zorn’s label Tzadik in 2020, and was chosen by Downbeat as a Best Album of 2020.