Manoel Cruz

About Manoel Cruz

Bassist, composer, arranger and producer.

The development of an authorial work was natural to Manoel Cruz.
The experience gained as sideman of several artists of the most varied styles of Brazilian music is translated into his instrumental compositions with a regional accent: from baião to samba, from maracatu to forró, combining technique with improvisation freedom provided by comtemporary Jazz. Such fusion resulted in the following CDs: Alcatéia (2002) and Under My Soul (2012) also on DVD recorded live at Humbouldt Theater - SP.

Manoel Cruz presented himself in Concert Houses and Festivals all over the country.
In 2013 he was invited to perform at the closing of the XIV Santo Domingo Jazz Festival in the Dominican Republic, being the first Brazilian Artist to participate in the festival in its 14 years of existence.
Sandy Gabriel, the greatest Dominican saxophonist today, was also there.
In September 2013 Manoel Cruz was invited to record the Sesc Instrumental Brasil and the Sesc TV Soundcheck Program. In 2015 he participated with his Trio and the trumpeter Gabriel Rosati (ltália) in the 4th Festival of Blues & Jazz of Extrema - MG and in the Jazz and Blues Festival of lguape -SP.

Nowadays he is releasing his new album "Brazilian News" to be launched worldwide in May 2019 on all digital platforms.

The “Brazilian News” show with an acoustic repertoire in quintet format, where the emphasis is on the compositions and the group interpretation of the songs, mixes styles with melodies and also re-reads classics like Lamento Sertanejo in a beautiful jazz ballad that is part of the new album, and includes compositions of other two Albums: Alcatéia (2002) and Under My Soul (2012).

Manoel Cruz leads the musicians and at the same time leaves them free to create as the contemporary music allows. The repertoire is full of swing and explores the Brazilian rhythms such as Sambajazz, Baiáo, Maracatu, Latin Rhythms, Jazz Ballad and Jazz Fusion which deeply involves the audience.