ED MOTTA

Ed Motta is what you might call an “old soul”. The singer was only born in 1971, but could just as well have started his career in that same decade. Motta is a walking encyclopaedia of music and perhaps the world’s biggest Steely Dan fan. Just like that style-defining 1970s jazz-pop band, the Brazilian musician fuses soft rock, smooth soul and funk with a sure feeling for technically flawless recording quality. And then there is that soft-as-butter soul voice that can even melt the hearts of those who know the Seventies sound only from playlists. The “Colossus of Rio” thrilled the audience at his last ELBJAZZ appearance in 2015. And proved that he is also an outstanding instrumentalist on the Fender Rhodes Piano – and even a reasonable beatboxer!