Gilson Schachnik

SamPa is a project created by pianist/composer Gilson Schachnik. It features guitarist Mike Mele, bassist Keala Kaumeheiwa and drummer Steve Langone. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Gilson Schachnik started music instruction when he was eleven and studied with Hilton "Gogo" Valente and Antonio Bezzan. His professional career began when he was 22 years old, playing at nightclubs in Sao Paulo. He has toured throughout Brazil with artists Patricia Marx and Rosa Maria.

Gilson composed jingles for BASF cassette tapes ,Playboy magazine and the soundtrack of the children's television program Ratimbum, which aired on the State of Sao Paulo TV Network and was awarded Best TV show by the New York Film Festival. In 1990, Gilson won a scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he graduated with a diploma in jazz composition.

Gilson has played or recorded with some of the most important names of the jazz and Brazilian music scenes, such as Claudio Roditti, Bill Pierce, Romero Lubambo, Yoron Israel, Jerry Bergonzi, Luciana Souza, Mick Goodrick, John Lockwood, Paulo Braga, Peri Ribeiro, Antonio Sanchez, Miguel Zenon, and Cafe. In addition, Gilson has studied with Danilo Perez, Charlie Banacos, and Bob Durso.

Gilson's debut CD, Raw ,appeared in 1998, and received rave reviews. Bob Young, of the Boston Herald and Jazziz Magazine, wrote, "Gilson Schachnik creates the kind of all-encompassing jazz mix that fans of the music's new world order now demand: entertaining, uncliched and flavored with tastes from around the globe." Raw was nominated for the 1999 Boston Music Awards. Gilson's next CD ,Lampiao, released in 2004 by the british label Candid, features an all-star Latin Jazz ensemble: drummer Antonio Sanchez, saxophonist Miguel Zenon, bassist Fernando Huergo,among others. Gilson is Associate Professor in the Ear Training Dept. at Berklee College of Music.

Bassist Keala Kaumeheiwa was born in Oswego, New York and was raised in Marquette, Michigan. After studying violin, he began playing acoustic bass when he was 17. In 1989 he received a Bachelor's of Music Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied both jazz and classical music with renowned bassist Richard Davis. From Wisconsin, Keala moved to New York City, where he performed with the New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. In 1995 he was offered the bass position at the Thelonious Monk Institute at New England Conservatory. There, Keala studied jazz bass and improvisation with Miles Davis' legendary bassist Ron Carter. While at the Monk Institute, Keala has performed with Jimmy Heath, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, T.S. Monk, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and James Moody as well as making a trip to India and the Playboy Jazz Festival. In 1997, Keala finished at New England Conservatory with the first graduating class of the Monk Institute. Currently, he is teaching Jazz Combo Ensembles at MIT, and freelancing around Boston, frequently performing at Sculler's Jazz Club, Ryle's, Wally's Jazz Cafe and the Regattabar. Keala keeps busy as one the most in-demand bassists on the Boston jazz scene. Steve Langone grew up in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts.As a teenager he won multiple High School musicianship awards and started playing professional jazz gigs before graduating. He went on to get a BA on scholarship from the Berkelee College of Music, where he had the opportunity to work and study with musicians from all over the world. He also studied privately with local giants Alan Dawson, Bob Gulotti and Fred Buda. While at Berkelee he landed a steady gig at a Brazilian club that lasted for 7 years, solidifying his grasp of many of that country’s musical idioms. In the meantime, he founded the Jinga Trio (now quintet) with bassist Fernando Huergo and a rotating cast of inspiring pianists (Helio Alves, Alon Yavnai and Luis Perdomo), providing an outlet for his compositional energy. In 2001 he recorded his first album as a leader; the well received Finders Keepers, featuring Jerry Bergonzi. He is now at the top of the call list for New England jazz gigs and recording sessions and has performed at clubs and festivals in the United States, South America and Europe.He has worked with many of the area’s and the world’s top performers, including Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Donny McCaslin, Bruce Gertz, Antonio Sanchez, Victor Mendoza, Luciana Sousa, Mili Bermejo, Dan Greenspan, Bruce Bartlett, Steve Hunt, Oscar Stagnaro, Rebecca Paris, Mark Murphy, Garrison Fewell, Tiger Okoshi, John Lockwood, Bobby Santos, Miguel Zenon, Baron Browne, Claudio Ragazzi, Joe Delaney, Dan Moretti and many others.