Sunday, March 17 at 7PM

A native of Brazil, singer-songwriter and pianist Abelita Mateus is in the vanguard of 21stcentury Brazilian music. Soulful, sexy and hypnotic, the next wave of Brazil’s contribution to great music is poised to launch in the artistic hands of Abelita Mateus.

Living in the NYC area since 2012, Abelita Mateus has taken a remarkable path.  She released her debut album Vivenda in 2017 with co-producer Romero Lubambo who also contributed as featured guitarist. Remarkably, Vivenda reached the 24th position on the Jazz Week Charts.

Mateus is currently the pianist for the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience, directed by Dizzy Gillespie alumni John Lee. She has performed with such notables as Paquito D’Rivera, John Lee, The Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Antonio Hart, Eric Alexander, Larry Coryell, Claudio Roditi, Raul de Souza, Hermeto Pascoal, Dave Stryker, Romero Lubambo, and Portinho. Mateus plays at international venues such as the Blue Note New York, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Yoshi’s Jazz Club in San Francisco, Ronnie Scott’s in London, and Bird’s Basement in Melbourne, Australia. In December 2017, Mateus was invited to perform alongside Helen Sung, Marcia Ball and Joanne Brackeen for NPR’s A Jazz Piano Christmas at the Kennedy Center.

“Abelita Mateus has so many of the qualities that are important for any successful musician. Her piano artistry is remarkable, and she is a talented composer and vocalist. Abelita’s intelligence and heart are also expressed through her music. She is part of the next generation of great Brazilian musicians.  With all this talent, Abelita is someone to really keep your eyes on! ~ Romero Lubambo

“Abelita Mateus has, in abundance, those indispensables of the musicians’ craft: sensitivity, creativity, and a prodigious technique. Most of all, she sparkles with refreshment – and for a Jazz musician to sound refreshing in 2017 is no ordinary thing!” ~John Lee

Get your groove on at the Jazz & Blues in the Loft concert series. Hear world-class artists from the region in the cabaret-style setting of the SOPAC Loft. Cash bar available.

Jazz in the Loft is curated and hosted by Lee Boswell-May.