Constantly challenging and redrawing boundaries, cellist Catherine Bent has never fit easily into any category. Classically trained on cello and piano, conservatory trained in jazz, and professionally experienced in countless genres, Catherine built a career on the margins while patiently uncovering her unique artistic voice. 

In graduate school Catherine started playing choro, the infectious Brazilian hybrid of European dance music and African rhythms. Following the initial interest, she dove deep into the tradition and went on to spend many months in Rio de Janeiro—building her repertoire in jam sessions and alongside masters—and took the choro scene by storm with her virtuosity on the cello and fluency in the style.

Of infinite interest to Catherine is the relationship of phrase—music carried on the breath—and groove—music felt in the body—which she explores in her musical projects and international collaborations. In Macayú Trio, Quebra Tudo, Trio Caxangá and the duo Elis & Catherine, she and her colleagues mix elements of jazz and Latin music with dynamic ensemble interplay and tight arrangements. When the music calls for it, the playing is highly refined; at other times exploratory and free.

In her newest—and first solo—album release, she presents ten original compositions, each paying tribute to a distinct Brazilian musical tradition. While choro is at the heart of the album, you will hear samba, forró, frevo, maracatú and xote, all enriched by the unique sonority of Catherine's cello and through the prism of her imagination.