São Paulo Underground

São Paulo Underground began in earnest when cornetist/composer Rob Mazurek found kindred spirits Guilherme Granado (keyboards, electronics) and Mauricio Takara (drums, percussion, cavaquinho, electronics) after moving to Brazil in 2000.

São Paulo Underground released its first album, “Sauna: Um, Dois, Tres”, in 2006 (much international acclaim, and began performing live in the U.S., Europe and South America) and its second “The Principle of Intrusive Relationships” in 2008 (which was listed among the Top 50 Records of 2008 by The Wire). On their third album released in 2011, “Três Cabeças Loucuras” (Portuguese for “three crazy heads”), São Paulo Underground embodies a fascinating musical mixture of Sun Ra-esque cosmic noise and rhythms and phrasing from samba, maracatu, rock and free jazz traditions.

On “Três CabeÇas Loucuras”, Mazurek’s hard-driving hailstorm of cornet lines collides with the polyrhythmic percussion and electronic textures of his Brazilian compatriots, a new paradigm is created, where Brazilian grooves, ambient atmospheres, and post-bop harmonic leaps come together for a vital,vibrant feel.

On 2013 they released their fourth album, “Beija Flors Velho e Sujo”. When Mazurek’s hard-driving hailstorm of cornet lines collides with the polyrhythmic percussion and electronic textures of his Brazilian compatriots, a new paradigm is created, where Brazilian grooves, ambient atmospheres, and post-bop harmonic leaps come together for a vital, vibrant feel.