Driven by his passion for the pandeiro, Scott Feiner went to Brazil in 2001 where he submerged himself in Rio de Janeiro’s music scene, gaining playing experience in the traditional settings typically found in Rio. But Feiner wanted more. An ex-guitarist from New York, he wanted to create something different by mixing the unique timbre of the pandeiro with the music he'd played for years as a guitarist on the New York jazz scene. The Brazilian pandeiro isn’t associated with jazz, but Feiner decided to embrace that challenge.
In 2005 Feiner recorded the innovative CD Pandeiro Jazz (Delira Música, 2006) with some of New York City’s top jazz musicians: guitarist Freddie Bryant (Ben Riley, Tom Harrell), saxophonist Joel Frahm (Brad Mehldau, Brian Blade), and bassist Joe Martin (Kurt Rosenwinkel, Chris Potter). Aside from original compositions the group put their own stamp on classics by John Coltrane, Horace Silver, Wayne Shorter, and Stevie Wonder. This recording is possibly the first jazz recording ever made with the pandeiro as the exclusive percussion instrument, in place of a drumset. A critic for All About Jazz-New York had this to say about the CD:
“Just when you thought that there was very little someone could introduce to the world of jazz, here comes this New York-born musician with a pandeiro in his hand to prove otherwise ... Pandeiro Jazz is an innovation which deserves a wider audience.”
In Brazil, the CD was given a four-star review by the newspaper O Globo, and listed as one of the Best CDs of 2006 by the website Music News.
In July 2008 Feiner’s second CD of Pandeiro Jazz, Dois Mundos, was released by the Biscoito Fino label. It features Feiner’s Rio de Janeiro based band, comprised of some of Brazil’s top instrumentalists: trumpeter Jessé Sadoc (Guinga, Lenine); saxophonist Marcelo Martins (Ivan Lins, Djavan); pianist David Feldman (Leila Pinheiro, Paulo Moura); and bassist Alberto Continentino (Caetano Veloso, João Donato). This group has a wonderful rapport together, interpreting five original compositions by Feiner in addition to giving fresh perspective to Brazilian classics by Luiz Gonzaga and Tom Jobim as well as American standards by Cole Porter and Thelonious Monk. The format ranges from intimate pandeiro/piano duos to trio, quartet and quintet settings. The respected Brazilian journalist Tárik de Souza wrote this about Dois Mundos for the newspaper Jornal do Brasil:
“A bright light illuminating the path between Brazilian Music and jazz.”
Festivals
Pori Jazz Festival (Finland) with Mark Turner, saxophone
Goyaz Festival (Goiânia, Brazil)
Savassi Jazz Festival (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
Festival Todos os Ritmos (Rio das Ostras, Brazil)
Festival In Jazz (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Clubs & venues
Fasching Jazz Club (Stockholm, Sweden)
Jazz Standard (New York City)
Smoke (New York City)
Smalls (New York City)
Ryles (Boston)
Mistura Fina (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Centro Cultural Carioca (Rio de Janeiro)
SESC Paulista (São Paulo)
Sala Baden Powell (Rio de Janeiro)
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