Gaia Wilmer Website

"Gaia Petrelli Wilmer is a highly original, visionary composer/instrumentalist. Her music is unique, soulful, plaintive, mysterious, organic, and flat out beautiful. She also makes use of drums and percussion in a very unusual, creative way, which I appreciate. Many young musicians I hear are impressive, few really move me and touch my heart like Gaia's music does. Bravo." - Ra-Kalam Bob Moses

Originally a native of South of Brazil, Gaia Wilmer has been carving herself a niche both in the New York and Boston jazz communities and in Brazil. As a leader, active both in Brazil and the USA, Gaia’s groups include the Gaia Wilmer Octet (performing her original music as well as some arrangements of Brazilian music), the Rama Trio (a saxophone, classical guitar, upright bass trio moving freely between the classical and the popular repertoire of Latin American music), the Gaia Wilmer Large Ensemble (performing originals as well as arrangements and re-compositions of standards and folk materials, with whom Gaia is releasing her first large ensemble album in January 2023 with Sunnyside Records), and the Gaia Wilmer Sextet (releasing its album in this coming Fall with YB Music).

Her own bands aside, Gaia has been involved in many crossover projects throughout the years. Some of her most notable collaborations have included performances and recordings with the likes of drummer and composer Ra-Kalam Bob Moses (with whom Gaia is releasing a record in late 2022) and Brazilian cellist Jaques Morelenbaum (with whom Gaia is recording a homage to Brazilian singer and songwriter Caetano Veloso in the fall of 2022 to be released in 2023). She has been commissioned to write music for big bands, small ensembles as well as for visual artists. In addition to her playing and composing activities Wilmer also serves as producer and music director for several musicians and music projects. Gaia Wilmer has a bachelor degree in International Relations and graduated in jazz composition at Berklee College of Music and with a Master degree from the New England Conservatory.

Jaques Morelenbaum is a Brazilian instrumentalist, arranger, conductor, composer and music producer.

Morelenbaum was born in Rio de Janeiro, the son of conductor Henrique Morelenbaum and piano teacher Sarah Morelenbaum. His siblings are Lucia Morelenbaum, clarinetist in the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, and Eduardo Morelenbaum, conductor, arranger and instrumentalist. He is married to singer Paula Morelenbaum.

He started his musical career as part of the group A Barca do Sol, and participated in the Nova Banda that performed live with Antonio Carlos Jobim and in recordings that led to a Grammy win for the CD Antonio Brasileiro.[1] As a cellist, he studied music in Brazil and later attended the New England Conservatory of Music. In 1995, with Paula Morelenbaum, Paulo Jobim and Daniel Jobim he created the Quarteto Jobim Morelenbaum. The group has toured Europe several times, including an appearance at the Expo'98 held in Lisbon. They have also toured the United States and Brazil, and have recorded a CD. - Wikipedia

Gaia Wilmer and Jaques Morelenbaum pay homage to Caetano Veloso’s life and music. Besides the deep love and appreciation they both have for this artist, the idea was to honor him as a composer, beyond his amazing work as a poet and singer - the reason for an instrumental version of it.