Biography
André Fernandes was born in Lisbon, Portugal.
He studied at the Lisbon Hot Club School and later at Berklee College of Music from ´96 to ´98 where he was awarded the ´Stephen Holland Award for Outstanding Musicianship´.
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He is now an extremely active guitar player collaborating with musicians like Lee Konitz, Mário Laginha, Chris Cheek, Maria Joao, Cyro Baptista, Ohad Talmor, John Hollenbeck and Theo Bleckman, Dan Weiss, Pete Rende, Bill McHenry, Jochen Rueckert, Perico Sambeat, Julian Arguelles, David Binney, AviShai Cohen, Eli Degibri, Pedro Moreira, Alexi Tuomarila, Bernardo Moreira, Jorge Reis, Carlos Barreto, Akiko Pavolka, Jarmo Savolainen, Phil Markowitz and João Paulo Esteves da Silva, amongst many others.
He regularly plays the major concert halls and Jazz Festivals in Europe and toured extensively as a member of the Lee Konitz New Nonet, Maria Joao´s group and other bands.
In 2002 he co-founded the Tone of a Pitch label and studios, for whom he has 4 albums released as a leader. All of them very well received by the press, his latest work "Cubo" was voted best jazz album of 2007 by Portugal´s critics poll, and the same year Fernandes was elected musician of the year by the prestigious publication "Público".
Records with numerous musicians including the OJM Orquestra with Lee Konitz, directed by Ohad Talmor, having played with them at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in NY celebrating Lee Konitz´s 80th birthday in 2007.
Was a member of the Lee Konitz New Nonet for 2 years, and currently plays in numerous bands led by people like singer Maria Joao, as well as his own projects. His new Quartet includes pianist Mário Laginha, bassist Nelson Cascais and drummer Alex Frazão.
Discography:
André Fernandes “O Osso” . TOAP001. 2002
Jorge Reis “Pueblos” . TOAP004 . 2003
André Fernandes “Howler” . TOAP005 . 2003
Bernardo Moreira “Ao Paredes Confesso” . Universal . 2003
1UIK Project "Strategies and Survival" . Enchufada . 2004
Marta Hugon "Tender Trap" . Som Livre . 2005
Camarão "The Remixes" . Loop Recordings . 2005
Spill “Amplitude” . TOAP Amplitude . 2005
Nelson Cascais “Nine Stories” . TOAP007 . 2005
Mário Franco + David Binney "This Life." . TOAP014 . 2006
TOAP Colectivo "Vol.1" . TOAP016 . 2006
André Fernandes "Timbuktu" . TOAP017.2006
OJM featuring Lee Konitz, dir. by Ohad Talmor . Omnitone . 2007
André Fernandes "Cubo" . TOAP020. 2007
Marta Hugon "Story Teller" . Iplay. 2008
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Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.