Session Musician - Piano/keys

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'm a rock musician. In the attitude, presence on stage, approach to the songs, and it was the rock music that made my career and me "known" in Portugal.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Without thinking in it more than 2 seconds or with any hesitation, Paul McCartney. He is the biggest reference to me, till today and even from The Beatles. I don't think his career is perfect, but in the end of it, he's The One!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I love to record organs/pads down under the piano arrangements, on a very low volume, just to give it a "body" without the listener even notice it. It's there but it doesn't appear to be at the first listening.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Usually I work in/with songs, without a specific and claustrophobic type.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I think my biggest "power" and quality are the melodies I bring to a song. They are my greatest quality and my best and greatest asset. Joining this to an harmonic work very influenced by my years of jazz studies and playing.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I think I can bring a new and unexpected look to the music I'm going to work.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: There's no coincidence that some of my favourite bands used the same and, for me, the best musical producer of the last 25 years, Jon Brion. I love is work! His arrangements are perfect and with the highest musical and melodical quality possible. I love Fiona Apple, The Eels, Aimee Mann, Elliot Smith, Rufus Wainwright, Brad Mehldau, and they all worked at some point with Jon. And I love is original music also! And now for something tottally different, I know, I also love Nine Inch Nails, Blur, Paul McCartney of course.. His solo album "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" (2005) Is absolutely beautiful and perfect! Also love Claude Bolling (his "Suite For Flute And Jazz Piano Trio", that I started listening and playing some "andamentos" very young boy, tottally determined my life, not only musically), Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, Supertramp (I know, I know, sometimes questionable.. :)). But my great passion, without choosing one specific, are "songs". Love them, everything about them. A perfect song can change a person's life. And that is an incredible power. <3

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Well, I have many experience as studio musician (started recording professionally in 1994), both as musician of the project and all album or as "special" guest, by musicians that know and like my work, specially the one with my main band, Ornatos Violeta, of course. I think that my main characteristic is that I'm always very melodious, I like to use a different approach to the songs than my collegues usually do, I think. For example I don't use very much standard organ sounds unless the song really ask for it, I prefer unique sounds as pads (really love to use my Roland EG101 and my Akai 01v for that!). Usually record a lot of Piano arrangements, It's my prefered sound, really, and I use more medium/low octaves; love to double chords with low notes. Also love to use Wurlitzer sounds and I'm lucky, I have many good ones, I think. I also like very much, and do it a lot, to find the most special and that stand out melodic frases, both in the chorus as in the instrumental parts; I don't like "jazz solos" in songs, honestly.. :) , I prefer an orchestral aproach to the songs, every note I play in each song part is thought and planned, there's no improvisation anywhere, I always feel and analyse everything and like to think that I'm choosing the best notes for each specific part. Well, it's a work in progress, I think.. :)