2023 will be a very important year in Luciano Leães' career. Besides following the series of shows to release his album "LIVE AT PIANISTICO" throughout Brazil, it will also be a moment of consolidation of his international career with the new tour to New Orleans - which will take place in April of this year.  In this opportunity he will premiere his new single "FESSta Brasilis" at the iconic Maple Leaf - traditional show house where names like Bonnie Rait, Jon Cleary, George Porter Jr, Nicholas Payton, James Booker, among others, have played. "FESSta Brasilis" will open the works of the new album of the pianist from Rio Grande do Sul, which is expected to be released later this year.

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In December 2022 Leães toured United States for the 8th time, at the invitation of local producers to participate in a show at Tipitina's in honor of Professor Longhair alongside musicians who have played with Fess. Among them were diamonds of local music such as John Fohl (Dr.John), Stanton Moore (Galactic), Eddie Christmas (Jon Cleary), Lionel Batiste Jr. (Dirty Dozen Brass Band) and Reggie Scanlan (James Booker, Professor Longhair). Luciano Leães was also interviewed on WWOZ radio, one of the world's leading music radio stations, where he agave a musical performance on the local piano playing original tunes like "Odila y Maneco" and more.

 

   Still in 2022, on August 11, the pianist - named "The Brazilian Professor" by the traditional British Blues Matters Magazine - made the release of his latest work "LIVE AT PIANISTICO" to a packed theater CHC-Cultural Center Theater in Porto Alegre. In the new album Leães does not stray from the blues, but takes a step further, as he expands his views on R&B, jazz and instrumental music with elements of Brazilian and Latin American music. Besides Leães' piano, the trio is formed by Edu Meirelles (bass) and Ronie Martinez (drums). 

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"Extraordinary artists do not appear overnight. I believe people

will remember Luciano Leães for a long time. Musically, the Brazilian musician

is at the crossroads where past, present and future meet"

 

- RUSS RAGSDALE,

Nashville producer who worked with

Leon Russell,Michael Jackson, Muddy Waters entre outros.

 

 The CD/booklet contains the performance of his trio during the pandemic in one of the main instrumental music festivals in Brazil, the international Pianístico Festival. In this same edition names like Jeff Gardner (USA), Amilton Godoy (Zimbo Trio), Michael Pipoquinha, and Cristóvão Bastos (Black Rio) performed on the same stage. With each new addition, the event held in southern Brazil brings together the cream of local and South American musicians, in addition to bringing artists from various parts of the world. In this important exchange, genres are mixed - classical, jazz, blues, Brazilian popular music, etc. Initially, Luciano Leães did not intend to release a live album of this performance, but the work materialized thanks to the encouragement of producer Russ Ragsdale (Nashville, TEN) and Tom Worrell, resident pianist in New Orleans. The North Americans were thrilled with what they heard, convincing the Brazilian musician to release the concert as a live album.

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In April the brazilian musician pianist had already made the official release of "Live at Pianistico" in New Orleans at the same Maple Leaf where he will return in 2023. In July he was the soloist of the jazz special of the Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra (OSPA) and in September the highlight of the main festival in Brazil that honors the music and culture of New Orleans - the Bourbon Street Fest in (SP) - along with medallions such as Corey Henry, Leroy Jones, Donald Harrison, and Dwayne Dopsie.

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