Hugo Carvalhais – db, compositions
Mário Costa – dr
Gabriel Pinto – keyb
Fernando Rodrigues – keyb
Fábio Almeida – sax
Liudas Mockūnas – sax
With this project, Hugo Carvalhais, one of the most talented and distinctive jazz creators of his generation in Portugal, concludes his cycle of albums exploring various aspects of life and physical reality.
He began this journey in 2010 with the album "Nebulosa," which transports listeners into cosmic spaces. The artist recorded it together with New York avant-garde luminary, saxophonist Tim Berne. The Portuguese magazine "Jazz.pt" recognized the release as one of the most significant Portuguese jazz albums of the last few decades.
In 2012, H. Carvalhais's second album, "Particula," was released, recorded with French violinist Dominique Pifarély and saxophonist Émile Parisien. It received praise from European critics for its unique blend of electroacoustic music and jazz. The Portuguese artist's 2015 album "Gran Valis," inspired by the science fiction book trilogy by Philip K. Dick and exploring the divide between macro- and microworlds, won the prestigious "CHOC" award from the French magazine "JazzMagazine." In 2022, with the album "Ascetica," the artist dove into the mysterious depths of human consciousness.
All albums were released by the Portuguese record label "Clean Feed," which became a catalyst for the breakthrough of Lisbon's free jazz and improvisational music. It widely established H. Carvalhais's status as a master of modern music.
Now, the artist presents the finale of the multi-part cycle, "Sacra." On the "Vilnius Jazz" stage, with a hand-picked ensemble of top-tier musicians, he will review the most important stops, landscapes, and compositions of his 16-year creative journey, opening up new horizons of improvisation.
The creative path of Portuguese double bassist, composer, and producer Hugo Carvalhais is unique – from art studies at the University of Porto to the composition of mystical, philosophical music. He approaches creation as a conceptual artist, exploring existential themes with almost mathematical precision in his work and consistently filling his own unique creative universe. H. Carvalhais boldly combines the sound of the acoustic double bass, subtle electronics, synthesizer soundscapes, and modern jazz improvisations in his music.
This self-taught double bassist honed his musical skills in masterclasses with legendary jazz masters Ron Carter, Eddie Gomez, and Miroslav Vitous.
H. Carvalhais has close creative ties with the Lithuanian jazz scene. He has collaborated for many years with saxophonist Liudas Mockūnas and participated in his "Improdimensija" projects. In addition to his own original works, H. Carvalhais plays in the "Costa Oeste" quartet led by renowned British saxophonist Andy Sheppard.
Portuguese drummer Mário Costa is a regular stage partner of H. Carvalhais, having appeared on his albums and also playing in the quartet of the Briton A. Sheppard.
Even M. Costa's first original album, "Oxy Patina" (2018), recorded with guitarist Marc Ducret and pianist B. Delbecq, testified to his exceptional talents: the Portuguese magazine "Jazz.pt" chose the release as the best album of the year, and M. Costa as the Portuguese jazz musician of the year.
The drummer collaborates with many music celebrities, including Émile Parisien, Michel Portal, Joachim Kuhn, and prominent Portuguese composers. Throughout his career, M. Costa has appeared in numerous international groups and projects of various compositions, performing on elite stages in Europe, North and South America, and Australia.
Portuguese pianist and keyboardist Gabriel Pinto is another stable member of H. Carvalhais's groups, creating and recording music with him since his first projects. Together with M. Costa, he forms the rhythmic and harmonic foundation of H. Carvalhais's groups. G. Pinto is a co-author of three tracks on the "Ascetica" album.
Portuguese keyboardist, composer, producer, and educator Fernando Rodrigues has been actively involved in H. Carvalhais's projects since the fourth album, "Ascetica," and performs with the double bassist's collective at prestigious European jazz events. He teaches jazz piano, improvisation techniques, and theory at the Coimbra Conservatory (Conservatório de Música de Coimbra) and has published a textbook on jazz music theory.
Portuguese saxophonist, composer, and producer Fábio Almeida is an expressive voice of the country's new jazz generation. He studied classical saxophone and graphic design and performs not only with jazz but also with soul, funk, and pop groups and soloists.
Multi-instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, and educator Liudas Mockūnas is one of the most prominent creators of improvisational music in Europe and one of the most influential personalities in Lithuanian jazz. The artist has been awarded prizes at international jazz competitions, as well as awards for musical creation and merits to Lithuanian jazz.
L. Mockūnas constantly migrates across European jazz scenes with musicians from Scandinavia, the Baltic countries, Poland, Portugal, and other regions, and has toured with various collectives in the USA, China, Japan, and Israel. He has been partnered with H. Carvalhais for over 15 years.
The Lithuanian collaborates with Marc Ducret, Barry Guy, Mats Gustafsson, William Hooker, Mikko Innanen, Jaak Sooäär, all the luminaries of Lithuanian improvisational music, and many other stage coryphaei. Academic music composers write pieces for him, and he performs as a soloist with symphony and chamber orchestras.
In 2016, L. Mockūnas, together with composer Vykintas Baltakas, created a master's study program in contemporary academic and improvisational music at the LMTA, which brought a qualitatively new generation of improvisers and jazz creators to the country's jazz scene and inspired the rise of improvisational music in Lithuania.
Together with like-minded individuals, the musician founded the creative platform "Improdimensija," dedicated to improvisation, experimentation, and education, as well as the independent record label "NoBusiness Records," whose contributions to Lithuanian jazz were recognized with a "Vilnius Jazz" prize.
Dainius Pulauskas Group (LT)
Dainius Pulauskas – keyb, compositions
Valerijus Ramoška – tp, flhn
Liutauras Janušaitis – ts, keyb
Tomas Botyrius – as, ss
Domas Aleksa – bg
Domantas Razmus – dr
Arkadij Gotesman – perc
Dainius Pulauskas's group is celebrating its 30th anniversary of creative activity this year. Thirty springs have passed since its debut at the Birštonas Jazz Festival in March 1996. This is the title of the group's latest, 12th album – "Thirty springs" – which the musicians will present at the "Vilnius Jazz" festival for the anniversary.
D. Pulauskas created eight dynamic, contrasting compositions for this album, testifying to the author's loyalty to the fusion style and colorful combinations of electronic and acoustic timbres, the unique sound of which has been loved not only by the jazz community in Lithuania but also in other parts of the world.
30 years ago, D. Pulauskas's fusion group debuted as a jazz quintet and soon grew into a sextet, which became one of the most well-known Lithuanian jazz collectives in the world. In 2001, it won the "Golden Disc" from the Lithuanian Musicians' Union, awarded to the best musicians of the country of the year. In 2004, the sextet was presented with the "LT Identity" award by the Lithuanian Institute for popularizing Lithuanian jazz in the world.
Since 2004, all of D. Pulauskas's jazz collectives, performing exclusively his music, began to be called "Dainius Pulauskas Group" (DPG). They have made Lithuania even more famous in the world: they have traveled to over 170 festivals on four continents. DPG was the first from Lithuania to step onto stages in Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Korea, and performed at the most important festivals in India. The group has been applauded by audiences at prestigious jazz festivals in Ottawa, London, Tokyo, and Washington.
The influential jazz portal "Allaboutjazz.com" recognized group leader D. Pulauskas as one of the most interesting fusion composers in European jazz, and his sextet as an important phenomenon on the progressive European fusion jazz scene.
Today, the group unites selected Lithuanian musicians of various generations – the youth who have joined have infused its music with fresh energy.
Keyboardist, composer, and bandleader Dainius Pulauskas is one of the most prominent and productive jazz masters in the country. This artist's creative palette ranges from solo to symphonic jazz and big band compositions. He creates music for large and chamber ensembles, theater and films, song festivals, and arranges for television projects.
In addition to DPG, the keyboardist performs with his acoustic quintet and trio and is a member of the "Baltic Jazz Trio." The Estonian National Opera and Ballet Theatre has staged a contemporary ballet, "Jazz Ballet Club," based on original compositions by D. Pulauskas. The musician represented Lithuania in a multinational collective of authors creating the anthem for the Europe Jazz Network (EJN). His music was featured in a live broadcast of the "Euroradio" Jazz Orchestra concert for European countries.
The maestro's work is captured in more than 20 original albums, two original DVDs, and numerous jazz compilations. The artist also collaborates with folk and academic music performers and has held solo performances at international jazz pianist festivals in Liepāja and Prague, and at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic.
Since 2022, D. Pulauskas has been organizing the annual international jazz festival "Vievio džiazo klavišai" in his hometown of Vievis, where he serves as artistic director.
D. Pulauskas has been awarded the "Bravo" prize for the best Lithuanian jazz musician of the year, the Grand Prix of the international "Yesterday" competition in Pärnu (Estonia), awards from the Birštonas Jazz Festival, "Vilnius Jazz," and "Kaunas Jazz" for merits to Lithuanian jazz, and the Lithuanian Government Prize for Culture and Art.
Valerijus Ramoška is a permanent member of D. Pulauskas's fusion and acoustic quintet, having visited over 30 countries with this creator's collectives. He also participates in projects by trombonist and composer Jievaras Jasinskis, performs as a soloist with the country's big bands, and plays in chamber ensembles of various compositions and television projects. V. Ramoška's instrument also sounds on the contemporary academic music scene.
The trumpeter's merits to Lithuanian jazz were recognized with the Grand Prix of the Birštonas Jazz Festival.
Composer, arranger, electronic music producer, and multi-instrumentalist Liutauras Janušaitis was the first Lithuanian musician to graduate from the Berklee College of Music in Boston (USA). He collaborates with many Lithuanian and foreign jazz and pop stars, as well as academic music collectives, and as a participant in various musical projects, he constantly performs in European countries, the USA, Canada, South Korea, and Japan.
The artist creates and arranges not only jazz, rock, or pop, but also chamber music, and also produces electronic and experimental music projects. He has released three solo albums and has recorded over ten albums as a guest performer in Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Spain, and the United States.
Saxophonist Tomas Botyrius has been working in the Kaunas Big Band for about 20 years and is currently its chief conductor. He collaborates with many Lithuanian jazz masters, pop and academic music performers, is a member of Jievaras Jasinskis's "Vilnius JJAZZ Ensemble," and prepares original jazz programs.
Domas Aleksa is one of the most prominent bass guitar masters in Lithuania, a composer, producer, initiator of international projects, and founder and teacher of the "Bass School" in Vilnius.
The bassist has been playing in DPG since 2012, with which he has appeared at numerous prestigious international jazz festivals. His instrument also sounds in concerts and recordings of pop and electronic music collectives. Domas has recorded more than 40 albums of various musical styles, including four solo albums.
Domantas Razmus is one of the most creative jazz and improvisational music drummers, percussionists, and composers in Lithuania. He is actively involved in jazz, improvisational, and contemporary academic music scenes, is a member of numerous groups, and a partner of Lithuanian jazz and improvisational music grandees.
He has recorded more than ten music albums with various performers and has released two of his own solo albums.
Arkadijus Gotesmanas is one of the most interesting Lithuanian percussionists, a composer, poet, director, educator, producer, the soul of the "Vilnius Klezmer" orchestra, and artistic director of the Utena Percussion and Jazz Festival.
He creates and records music for theater, performs it in plays, writes scripts for musical performances and installations, is an enthusiast of live accompaniment for silent films, and organizes projects with dancers, writers, actors, and visual artists, as well as original performances. In 2025, he released the album "Music for an Imaginary Ballet."
The element of this sound alchemist is free jazz and improvisational music. His work contains a lot of poetry, magic, and unusual combinations of instruments.
Arkadijus has improvised with many world-class musical coryphaei of various directions. He also plays the latest academic music and has presented world premieres by famous Lithuanian composers.
A. Gotesmanas's merits to Lithuanian jazz were recognized with awards from the Birštonas Jazz and "Vilnius Jazz" festivals.
