Fabiano Do Nascimento

The Brazilian guitarist Fabiano do Nascimento weaves samba and choro traditions together with American jazz and pop influences throughout his work. Following an early period as a session musician in Los Angeles, he assembled the Latin jazz ensemble Triorganico and delivered their acclaimed 2009 album Convivência. He sustained these investigations across the next ten years, initiating a solo path with the 2015 recording Dança dos Tempos. His 2021 effort Ykytu presented the calmest and most polished version of his approach yet. During 2023 he put out four records: Rio Bonito, a collaboration with Itibere Zwarg issued by Rings; the orchestral Lendas on Now-Again; Das Nuvens via Leaving Records; and Mundo on Far Out. Room, a joint project with saxophonist Sam Gendel, surfaced on Real World Records in January 2024, after which the largely solo Olhos D'água appeared in August and Harmonicos, recorded with Japanese guitarist Shin Sasakubo, followed in December.

Having trained on classical piano and theory in childhood, the Rio de Janeiro native took up the guitar at age twelve and committed himself to it entirely. Under the guidance of masters including Dalmo Motta and his late uncle Lucio Nascimento, he departed Brazil for Los Angeles, where he became a sought-after session player in the early 2000s alongside figures ranging from Arthur Verocai to Mia Doi Todd and Aloe Blacc. He later founded the exploratory Latin jazz trio Triorganico alongside woodwind player Pablo Calogero and percussionist Tiki Pasillas; their 2009 Now-Again debut Convivência earned widespread praise. In 2013 he joined saxophonist Sam Gendel for Sul, a collection of traditional South American folk pieces.

His solo debut arrived two years afterward with the dynamic Dança dos Tempos, mixing originals, covers, and traditional material while featuring contributions from legendary percussionist Airto Moreira. The 2017 follow-up Tempos dos Mestres broadened the approach established on that record. Prelúdio, released in 2020 as his third album, marked the first solo outing consisting solely of original compositions and was tracked with Triorganico bandmate Pasillas on drums. Ykytu, issued the next year, adopted a leaner format built around solo guitar with only light overdubs.

The guitarist maintained a demanding schedule in 2023. Lendas, his fifth release for Now-Again, came out in January with participation from Brazilian legend Arthur Verocai and arranger Vittor Santos; Das Nuvens appeared on Leaving Records in July; and the expansive Mundo Solo arrived from Far Out in November. On June 21 of that year Nascimento and Leaving Records assembled an ensemble of leading contemporary fusion musicians from the local scene for a single seated performance at a historic Northeast Los Angeles venue. Joining him were Gendel on saxophone, Gabe Noel on bass, and Tamir Barzilay on drums and percussion, presenting a program of original pieces alongside selections from admired composers.

Three further albums surfaced in 2024: the January collaboration Room with saxophonist Sam Gendel on Real World Records, the mostly solo Olhos D'água in August, and December's Harmonicos, a duo recording with Japanese guitarist Shin Sasakubo. The 2023 Los Angeles concert reached audiences as Solstice Concert in February 2025.