The Manoel Theatre is presenting a recital by Paris-based Maltese jazz musician and composer Sandro Zerafa on Tuesday.

In this new album we are captured by the beauty of his compositions

Besides being winner of several awards, guitarist-composer Sandro Zerafa has also issued two highly-acclaimed CDs, the latter of which, Urban Poetics, was released last May.

It will form the basis of the recital at the Manoel where it will be premiered. He will be accompanied by Laurent Coq (piano), Yoni Zelnik (bass) and Karl Jannuska (drums).

After completing his studies at the University of Malta and the Conservatoire de Lyon, Mr Zerafa moved to Paris in 2000 and gradually established himself as a very busy jazz musician on the Parisian scene and elsewhere.

His activity has also included stints as sideman in 10 other CD recordings and has toured extensively in France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, South Korea and Brazil.

He has won several awards at the La Defense National Jazz Contest and has collaborated with musicians as diverse as Manu Katche, Chico Buarque, Youn Sun Nah, Nico Gori and Francesco Bearzatti.

Mr Zerafa is also founder member of the jazz collective/recording label Paris Jazz Underground.

It is on this label that he released Urban Poetics, a project made possible with the generous help of The Malta Arts Fund and The Janatha Stubbs Foundation.

Urban Poetics has been very well received by foreign critics, among whom Luca Civelli in Musica Jazz, Italy, who last month said of the works that they not only satisfy guitar fans but also those who appreciate and like composition.

Earlier last June, writing in Les Dernières Nouvelles de Jazz, Jean Marc Gelin said that “…in this new album we are captured by the beauty of his [Sandro’s] compositions where fine writing skills confront the elegance of his playing”.

Martin Guerpin, writing in Jazzman/Jazzmag, France, July 2011, awarded the CD four stars and said of Mr Zerafa that “…he is an original guitarist.

First because he does not fall under the spell of Kurt Rosenwinkel’s strong influence and second because he possesses his own universe, where imagination reigns supreme alongside sophistication.”

• Tickets for the recital may be obtained by phone on 2124 6389, e-mail: bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt or online: www.teatrumanoel.com.mt