Pianista completo, educador e pesquisador de jazz, música brasileira, e improvisação, tem participado e desenvolvido numerosos projetos envolvendo músicos brasileiros e norte-americanos. Entre os brasileiros, constam Toninho Horta, Leny Andrade, Carlos Malta, Wagner Tiso, Gilson Peranzzetta, Cristovão Bastos, e Paulo Moura. Possui doutorado da Manhattan School of Music e mestrado do City College of New York. Na UNIRIO ministra Estudos em Música Popular e Improvisação e coordena o grupo de pesquisa Improvisa e o projeto “Elaboração e conhecimento do Acervo Paulo Moura”. Entre suas gravações, destacam-se “Mood Ingênuo, o sonho de Pixinguinha e Duke Ellington” (1999) e “Gafieira Dance Brasil” (2001), “Migrations” (2003) e “Trains of Thought” (2014). Como produtor e diretor musical realizou as gravações “Entre Amigos”, com Rosa Passos e Ron Carter, “The Feeling’s Back” com Chuck Mangione, “Blue Bossa” de Ana Caram, e “I Thought About You” com a cantora Christy Baron. Com os grandes amigos Augusto Mattoso (baixo) e Márcio Bahia (bateria), Cliff apresenta o repertório da sua gravação de “Brasilified” a ser lançado ainda neste ano.
Pianist, educator and researcher on jazz, Brazilian music and improvisation, he participated and developed numerous projects involving Brazilian and North American musicians. Among the Brazilians they are Toninho Horta, Leny Andrade, Carlos Malta, Wagner Tiso, Gilson Peranzzetta, Cristovão Bastos and Paulo Moura. He has a bachelor degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Masters degree from the City College of New York. At UNIRIO, he teaches Popular Music Studies and Improvisation and coordinates the Research Group Improvisa, besides the project “Development and acknowledgement of Paulo Moura Collection”. His recordings include “Mood Ingênuo, o sonho de Pixinguinha e Duke Ellington” (1999), “Gafieira Dance Brasil” (2001), “Migrations” (2003) and “Trains of Thought” (2014). As a producer and musical director, he made the recordings “Entre Amigos” with Rosa Passos and Ron Carter, “The Feeling's Back” with Chuck Mangione, “Blue Bossa” by Ana Caram, and “I Thought About You” with singer Christy Baron. Along his great friends Augusto Mattoso (bass) and Márcio Bahia (drums), Cliff presents the repertoire of his recording of “Brasilified” which will be released later this year.
Fotógrafo: Aloizio Jordão