The Marcelo Bucater Quartet to Release Debut Album
Aug. 30, 2023
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Acclaimed drummer and songwriter Marcelo Bucater is completing work on “After the Storm,” a new album from his jazz band, the Marcelo Bucater Quartet, set to be released this fall.
“I am thrilled to be able to give our fans an exciting debut album that encapsulates what our music is all about,” Bucater said. “The title of the album and the song of the same name represents well the moment that we all had to go through during the pandemic and being able to not only survive but thrive and keep going.”
The band, which is known for its jazzy riffs and colorful Brazilian rhythms, is made up of Bucater on drums, Ben Thomas on guitar, Osmar Okuma on bass and Jesse Audelo on saxophone. The band was founded by the veteran drummer who has performed with such artists as Carrie Underwood, Adam Levy, Arthur Verocai, Scott Henderson, of Chick Corea’s band; Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets, and Adrian Younge of Jazz is Dead, as well as many other artists.
The new instrumental album, which will feature nine songs, is an extension of the band’s popular stage show which has been playing before packed audiences for the past year.
“There is one song in the new album that I wrote to my grandmother which is very special,” he said. “It’s called ‘Alba,’ which is her name, and it is a very special one. She is 96 years young and it's a homage to her. The quartet had a very important role in the arrangement, allowing the composition to have elements that represent well the spirit of my grandma, sweet, gentle, but at the same time very resilient and strong. It starts with guitar and bass only, giving the idea that is a ballad, but it develops after the drums and saxophone join to a very spiritual solo.”
Another song from the album that is one of Bucater’s favorites is "Porto Seguro,” a song that was inspired by Mark Guiliana, a drummer and composer whose unique playing style has attracted much attention from fans.
“It's a song that I wrote a few years ago and is still one of my favorites,” Bucater said. “It has a very singable line with a strong but mysterious vibe due to the suspended chords used to support the melody. The drums and bass, the latter played by Osmar Okuma, are playing a double time rhythm underneath the melody, which was beautifully played by saxophonist Jesse Audelo. ‘Porto Seguro,’ which can be translated as Safe Haven, is dedicated it to my wife, who has always been there for me, supporting and encouraging me through every single step of the process.”
A track that is also particularly meaningful to the Bucater is “After the Storm,” the album’s title track which represents the idea behind the album. “It starts in a very chaotic and dense way, resolving the melody on an unexpected major chord, that brings an idea of hope to all of us after tough times,” he said. “It features soulful and powerful solos, but its overall effect is to show the tranquility after the storm and the feeling that something beautiful is yet to come.”
But as the band prepares for the record’s release, Bucater expects fans to appreciate the energetic sound and the variety of unique melodies he composed during the pandemic.
“I think fans will have a good idea of who I am as a musician and as a composer, capturing the energy and soul that the quartet already has when performing together, sounding like a unit,” he said. “Having had the chance to play the songs during our shows, I could experience and witness the audience having all kinds of reactions to these songs. That is one of the beauties of music, the same song or composition can bring many different reactions depending on what that person might be going through at that moment.”
Meanwhile, fresh from its recent appearance at the Summer Jazz Festival in Pasadena, the band is set to begin touring in September, with shows in his native Brazil and then the U.S.
For more information, please visit www.marcelobucater.com or follow Bucater on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
