Cliff Korman

Origin

Nova Iorque, NY

Also known as

Clifford Hill Korman

Years Active

1995–2024

Genres

jazz, jazz fusion, música popular brasileira, bossa nova, samba jazz

Instruments

piano

Biography

Cliff Korman is a jazz and Brazilian music pianist, composer, arranger, producer, educator, and researcher born in New York, USA, but with a strong connection to Brazil, where he has lived for several years and teaches at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). His musical career is marked by the fusion of jazz elements with Brazilian rhythms, creating a unique sound that has earned him international recognition. Korman studied with jazz masters such as Roland Hanna, Barry Harris, Ron Carter, Kenny Barron, and David Liebman in New York.

Throughout his career, Cliff Korman has collaborated with several renowned Brazilian artists, including Paulo Moura, Toninho Horta, Milton Nascimento, Leny Andrade, Astrud Gilberto, Nelson Faria, Henrique Cazes, Carlos Malta, Hermeto Pascoal, Airto Moreira, and Ivan Lins. His original recordings explore the richness of Brazilian music, with albums such as "Migrations", "Mood Ingênuo: Pixinguinha Meets Duke Ellington" (in partnership with Paulo Moura), "Gafieira Dance Brasil", and "Trains of Thought". He has also worked as a producer and musical director on recordings by other artists.

In addition to his work as a musician, Cliff Korman is a dedicated researcher of Brazilian popular music, focusing on its history, practice, and pedagogy. He coordinates the Improvisa research group and a project to digitize the collection of musician Paulo Moura. His passion for Brazilian musical culture is evident in his work, which has established him as an important interpreter and ambassador of Brazilian music on the international scene.

Discography

• Gafieria Jazz (Ao Vivo) (2006)
• Trains of Thought (2014)
• Brasilified (2022)
• Urban Tracks (2024)
• Bossas and Ballads (2024)
• Migrations (2025)
• Saudade do Paulo (2026)