Born: August 28, 1975 Primary Instrument: Drums
Brazilian born, New York City-based drummer/composer Mauricio Zottarelli has been on the forefront of the Jazz, Latin and Brazilian music scenes for years. Coming from a musical family, Mauricio was born in Santos, SP, Brazil, but grew up in Rio Claro, SP in a highly musical environment.
His first few years as a professional musician consisted of many performances throughout his native country as well as studio and session work with different artists and bands. At the same time, he pursued a degree in Computer Science, and concluded his studies in 1997. Mauricio moved to the U.S. in 1999 after winning a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music, in Boston, MA. He majored in Film Scoring, Performance and Arranging, and graduated from the prestigious college in 2002.
In the following years, Mauricio studied Indian music with the amazing guitarist Prasanna, and studied piano/composition with renowned jazz instructor Charlie Banacos. He moved to New York City in 2006.
Mauricio is a critically acclaimed and award-winning drummer and artist. He is credited in more than 70 albums so far in his career, and has worked with dozens of the most important and notable artists of today, crossing over many musical styles.
Some of them are: Hiromi, Dig Trio, Eliane Elias, Marc Johnson, Prasanna, Esperanza Spalding, Keiko Matsui, Richard Bona, Cláudio Roditi, Joe Locke, Geoffrey Keezer, Mike Pope, Ivan Lins, Carmen Souza, Chuck Loeb, Rosa Passos, Dom Salvador, Jovino Santos Neto, Nilson Matta, Toninho Horta, Filó Machado, Cidinho Teixeira group, Gustavo Assis Brasil, Marc Rossi Group, Hendrik Meurkens, Oriente Lopez, and many others.
Also very active as a bandleader and composer/arranger, Mauricio co-leads the jazz-fusion project Dig Trio, which released its first CD in 2003 and received great reviews from critics and audiences alike. In 2009, Mauricio released his first solo album, entitled 7 Lives, which includes several of his own compositions, and features an amazing lineup of some of the best names in jazz and Brazilian music, performing a unique mix of Brazilian jazz, fusion, and jazz.
His new CD – a collaboration with pianist Gilson Schachnik called MOZIK - was released in October 2011. The album has been praised by many significant jazz/music publications such as Downbeat magazine and All About Jazz.
MOZIK was considered the #1 new talent of 2011 by the prestigious Jazz Station Blog written by writer/journalist/producer Arnaldo deSouteiro. MOZIK was also included among the 15 best records of 2011, and Mauricio was listed as one of the top 10 drummers of the year.
Following an ever-growing interest in music education, Mauricio teaches regularly in the NYC area, and has done workshops/clinics in Brazil and the USA. He has also taught at the world-famous Brazil Camp in California, and he is a columnist for Modern Drummer Magazine in Brazil.
Mauricio proudly uses and endorses:
LP Percussion, Vic Firth drumsticks, Mono cases , Soultone cymbals , Lexicon Pro Audio, FSA Cajons.
“(…)the stupendous drummer Mauricio Zottarelli…” Grupo Noticias on-line (The News Group on-line) Spain Latino América Exterior (on-line) Spain
“(…) Featuring Zottarelli’s many different rhythmic and compositional skills, this album is high-quality Brazilian jazz”. (H.Sugita - Swing Journal JAPAN)
“Outstanding” Much more than drums, cymbals, and drumsticks. 4 stars.” L. Nobile - Newspaper “O Estado de São Paulo”, Brazil - review of the CD “7 Lives”
”(….) An excellent example of how a record from a great musician should be done; on which the creativity, good taste, and musicality are all highly valued. And for whoever wants it, there is the technical aspect too, always applied for the benefit of the music.” V. Rocha, Modern Drummer Magazine, BRAZIL, October 2009 - review of Mauricio's CD 7 Lives
“Zottarelli delivers a splendidly developed, variegated drum solo.” Scott Albin - www.jazz.com - from CD review of Marc Rossi Group’s Hidden Mandala
”(...)the listener is struck by the vibrancy, joy and energetic enthusiasm generated by this group. Centering it all is Zottarelli's melodic and rhythmic drumming which is propulsive, without being excessive, and which drives the song, while also enhancing it.” www.jazzchicago.net - review of '7 Lives' by Brad Walseth
“Mauricio Zottarelli is a hot new talent to watch out for!” John Stevenson - www.ejazznews.com
“(…)Mauricio Zottarelli, one of the new promising brazilian drummers…” www.lasprovincias.es - Valencia, Spain www.valencianoticias.com - ValenciaNews (Spain)
“ Zottarelli, who wrote seven out of the eleven songs, is not only a gifted composer but also a great producer. A drummer whose playing is incredibly musical and at the same time propulsive, whose kicks and breaks are always directly related to the purpose of the song. If you have seen Zottarelli live, you will understand what I mean by that, and the joy of playing that this drummer emanates.” Silvano Gerosa, Jazz n' More magazine, SWITZERLAND, September 2009 - review of 7 Lives
The drummer Zottarelli, in particular, was perfectly in synch with Elias throughout the night, and ripped off several tasty solo interludes.” Chris Gibson, from www. Broadwayworld.com (St. Louis) review of Eliane Elias’ Concert in St. Louis, MO - Jan23rd, 2010
“ The dynamic Brazilian drummer Mauricio Zottarelli(…)” M. Jackson, Downbeat Magazine 2009
“Mr. Zottarelli embarked on a extended solo improvisation, in which he impressively incorporated an eclectic variety of genres into a 40 second sound explosion that provoked an uproarious response from the mesmerized listeners.” Aline Reynolds- www.thehamptons.com
”Zottarelli’s drumming is not just running through different rhythms, rather they serve the song. He accompanies the songs with great feeling. A convincing debut album from a drummer you certainly should know.” www.jazzdrummerworld.com, September 2009 - review of 7 Lives
”Mauricio Zottarelli is a machine! Keep your eyes on him.” DRUM PRO Magazine
“Nilson Matta and his partners, pianist Klaus Mueller and drummer Mauricio Zottarelli were exemplary.” Zan Stewart, www.NJ.com - on the group’s appearance at the OSPAC Jazz Festival 2008
“Particularly impressive is Zottarelli’s solo turn atop Assis- Brasil’s beautiful complementary chords.” Walter Kolosky, www.jazz.com - on Gustavo Assis-Brasil live DVD/CD
”Mauricio is one of today’s most distinctly musical drummers.” metalhaven.livejournal.com
“Zottarelli's drumming is very sensitive and at the same time very dynamic. Plus his solos show incredible speed and technique. (…) I am deeply satisfied with the music and the musicians in this album. The tunes are great and the playing is wonderful. I give it 5 stars.” Jazz n’ Drummer Blog, JAPAN, 2009, blog.goo.ne.jp review of 7 Lives
“Drummer Mauricio Zottarelli makes the most out of his economical four-piece kit.” Glenn Astarita, www.ejazznews.com - on Gustavo Assis- Brasil live DVD/CD
”Zottarelli shows us that he can adapt efficiently to any musical style with amazing ability.” Metronome Magazine - Boston, MA
"7 Lives"- 2009
see complete "side-man" Discography on MZ's website....
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