Marcelo Maccagnan

Marcelo Maccagnan delivers a truly unique take on Soundgarden’s classic hit with “Black Hole Sun”. The instrumental variety here means they infuse that classic grunge track with an unexpected and outright delightful amount of experimentation. Lots of the interplay feels quite spirited for they truly listen to each other. Quite psychedelic the song gains a bit of an ambient hue thanks in large part to the wonderful keyboard work that adorns it. In many ways their keyboard usage makes sure that the song evolves out of that initial heaviness of the work, giving it a bit of hope.

The introduction to the track is but a hushed whisper. Holding back quite a bit works in their favor for they make sure that the atmosphere is essential. Upon the first blast of the louder sound it feels absolutely mesmerizing. Swirling about in its own distinct fashion a lot of it has an ethereal glow to it, one that constantly shifts shapes. Without needing to say a single word the narrative of the song feels so vibrant. Volume is an absolute must, for, like the original, this is a track that needs to be absolutely blasted. From the rhythm section to the melodies that sweep on through, all of it has a passionate quality to it. By the very end it all sweeps up in an elegant classical way.

“Black Hole Sun” shows off Marcelo Maccagnan’s devotion to the original while expanding upon that song’s inherently trippy scope. - Skope

Marcelo Maccagnan has established himself as a bandleader and sideman on the New York scene.

Growing up playing a whole range of styles – rock, electronic music, Brazilian, pop – he took the opportunity of studying at Berklee in Boston to immerse himself fully in the jazz genre. The result is a truly authentic fusion of sounds which, whilst modern and electric, never loses sight of the improvisation.

Marcelo’s latest album, ‘Night Tales’, fuses contemporary jazz with the music of his Brazilian homeland and rock and electronic music of his youth. He brings together some of New York’s rising stars for a record whose influences run the full spectrum from Milton Nascimento to Third Rail and Donny McCaslin.

On an album that comes closer to “Progressive Jazz’ than many that have gone before, the guests include Lithuanian vocalist Simona Smirnova, Korean pianist Sukyung Kim, French drummer Maxime Cholley and Malaysian guitarist Andrew Cheng.

Opening track Creatures of Habit features the sole vocal on the album and Simona Smirnova delivers an eminently powerful performance on this brooding, tension infused piece of music. Full of delicious anticipation and elegant musicianship, it showcases the skill that these young musicians possess. As the vocal ebbs and flows, the sympathetic drums and bass weave their tale in perfect symmetry with Simona. Occasional flashes of Andrew Cheng’s guitar and super smooth flurries of Marcelo’s bass intersperse this darkly stylish song like short, sharp electric shocks. As the whole track erupts into something much more energetic and primal, the vocals take on an almost manic edge and the music threatens to explode into chaos, it’s a masterful and marvellous piece of music.

Glass is a wholly laid back and relaxed instrumental that brings a much more ambient feel to proceedings, the subtle bass and drums weave an undemanding line that the guitar follows with occasional iridescent flashes before the track bursts into life with a wonderful edgy and funky vibe. There’s a feel of improvisation among the soaring grooves and punchy guitar that lead the track to a satisfying close. Gungi (Japanese for ‘flock’ or ‘herd’, apparently) showcases a group connection and musical synergy that only hours of performing together can create and, to my ears, leans more on the jazz element than the progressive. Think late night, dark room in an intimate venue, packed to the rafters, the whole audience swaying and pulsing along to the elegant beat, Marcelo’s bass solo is particularly inventive and engrossing. As a nod to his early years as a rock musician, the sole non-original composition on the album is a cover of Black Hole Sun from legendary American grunge band Soundgarden. As a big fan of the band I was intrigued to hear what this take on the classic would sound like and, suffice to say, I wasn’t disappointed. The intense and impassioned guitar playing from Andrew Cheng just blew my mind and the way the rest of the instruments just play subdued in the background, allowing the guitar to shine, is genius. A superb tribute to the band and the late Chris Cornell that showcases how creative the modern musician can be when presenting songs in a whole new fashion.

Vital Spark is another prog infused jazz track that takes a theme and runs with it, creating a wistful, contemplative piece of music where the instruments delicately tread the path before them and the pin-sharp bass gets the lead once again. The polished drums and repetitive guitar add a bit of direction as this masterfully constructed song plays on your senses. Album closer Breaking Out is another stylish piece of music, full of gravitas and with a dignified air. It invokes a more serious, questing atmosphere and, again, takes me that late night jazz club somewhere in the dark recesses of New York where I’m left to while the night away in the company of like minded people.

‘Night Tales’ is a superb melting pot of musical styles, all brought together into something rather special by a consummate group of musicians and a bandleader that is at the height of his game. It’s one of the best jazz/prog fusion albums I’ve heard in rather a long time and, when I finish this review, I’m off to listen to it again!

Released 29th July, 2022. - Prog Radar

Americana Highways is hosting this song by Marcelo Maccagnan, Brazilian bassist: “Creatures of Habit,” from his forthcoming album due to be released this summer, All Cats are Grey at Night. All Cats are Grey at Night was produced by Marcelo Maccagnan; mixed by Jun Yang Ng; and mastered by Stephen Pettyjohn

“Creatures of Habit” is Maxime Cholley (France) on drums; Andrew Cheng (Malaysia) on electric and acoustic guitar; Marcelo Maccagnan (Brazil) on bass; and Simona Smirnova (Lithuania) on vocals.

If you’re looking for a song with lots of foreboding and ambient vocal pops, this song is for you. Sometimes psychedelic/jazz/dream pop music hits a spot where it’s almost purely tapping into your unconscious dream state, and Maccagnan’s songs are right on this target. Enjoy the music as you listen to the true, but perhaps a bit uncomfortable, realizations about daily life: “nothing is really as it seems… start all over and repeat again.”

This is my first song to ever have a singer and lyrics. I first wrote the song completely instrumental. I was going to get my coffee after waking up and started thinking about how we have habits that we live with everyday. Made me feel in a way stuck in my life and hopeless for a second. But it gave me inspiration for the song.


I really liked the instrumental version, but I wanted to do something different and write some lyrics so people could connect better with the idea. So that’s what the lyrics are about. Repetition and habits.


Took me so very long to write the lyrics. I never done something like that before, so it was a fun experience for me.


I also like to highlight the initial guitar riff/phrase, that is played throughout the song. I really enjoy progressive, repetitive music, some thought it was the perfect opportunity to connect the title of the song (about habits/ repetition ) with a single phrase that dictates the pace of the whole song.

The song is sung by Simona Smirnova. - Americana Highways

Brazilian bassist Marcelo Maccagnan has established himself as an exciting bandleader and in-demand sideman on the New York scene. Having grown up playing a vast range of styles – rock, electronic music, Brazilian, pop – he first moved to Boston to study jazz at Berklee College of Music where he got the chance to perform with big names such as Kenny Werner and Tigran Hamsyan.

Three years and two albums later, he has refined a truly authentic fusion of sounds such as jazz, Brazilian music, and progressive rock, which, whilst modern and electric, never loses sight of the improvisation and communication central to jazz. His second album “Boundless” features Andrew Cheng on Guitar and Kelvin Andreas on Drums, exploring a mix of styles from Pat Metheny and Donny McCaslin to Radiohead and Mahavishnu Orchestra.

For Fans Of: Allan Holdworth, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea & Pat Metheny.

Our Thoughts: Monster musicianship and pitch-perfect vocals make “Creature of Habit” a fantastic song blending Jazz and Prog Rock. Maccagnan is not only a strong composer,

but he’s also a virtuoso bassist. This is serious music created by real professionals. - Bridge Music Magazine