Natalie Cressman & Ian Faquini

Describing the musical partnership of Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini as a duo is accurate, but their collaboration contains multitudes. She’s a trombonist, vocalist and songwriter from San Francisco. He’s a composer, guitarist, and singer from Brasilia. Together they’ve honed a singularly expansive creative communion encompassing their love of the Brazilian songbook, jazz, Impressionism and sophisticated pop songcraft.

Their original material features lyrics in Portuguese, French and English set to music drawing from a vast stylistic spectrum. With sumptuous two-part vocal harmonies hugging Brazilian-accented Portuguese accompanied by trombone and acoustic guitar, Cressman and Faquini’s richly orchestrated sound seems to emanate from a much larger ensemble.

Their third album, Guinga (released on GroundUP Music on April 12, 2024) is a tribute to the legendary Brazilian composer, guitarist and vocalist, who has mentored Faquini for more than a decade. Guinga himself performs on five tracks (joining the duo on three songs and Cressman alone on two). Focusing on his lesser known tunes, the project also includes three newer songs featuring Guinga’s lyrics set to music by Faquini. The album is dedicated to Cressman’s dear friend and horn section mate in the Trey Anastasio Band, saxophonist James Casey, who died on the first day of the Guinga recording, “and inevitably all the feelings of grief and loss poured into session,” Cressman says.

The duo’s first two albums together have fueled the rapidly growing recognition of their gorgeous sound, including a finalist nomination for “Duo of The Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2023. Both 2019’s Setting Rays of Summer and 2022’s Auburn Whisper received critical praise and topped many “best of” lists in their respective years. Together Cressman and Faquini have played their music across the US in venues ranging from intimate house concerts to performing arts halls and jazz festival stages such as the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass. They’ve also toured internationally in Brazil, Japan, Portugal, Spain, and Italy.

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