Coisa Fina

Coisa Fina is the result of a collaboration between French saxophonist Samy Thiébault and the Brazilian big band of the same name, led by Daniel Nogueira. Born in São Paulo, this ensemble has established itself as one of the leading groups in contemporary Brazilian jazz. Its artistic approach pays tribute to composer Moacir Santos and his Coisas Finas, pieces that laid the foundations for a style of jazz that is popular, demanding and open to the world.

Invited by producer Sébastien Vidal at the end of 2019, Samy joined the Big Band for a series of concerts at the SESC in São Paulo. He brought his writing and musical direction to the project, opening up a dialogue between European jazz, Afro-Brazilian rhythms and the collective spirit of improvisation. This encounter gave rise to two concerts recorded in February 2020, capturing the power of live performance and the cohesion of an orchestra in full creative flow.

Continuing this collaboration and as part of the France-Brazil cultural season, Samy Thiébault and the Big Band were in artistic residence at the beginning of 2025. This stage allowed them to develop new arrangements, merge European and Brazilian influences and prepare a series of concerts based on this repertoire. The residency was a part of a dynamic of international exchange and confirmed the ambition of the project: to create collective, lively music without borders.

That same year, on 17 October 2025, the album Sampa Fever was finally released on the Gaya Music label, capturing the magic of these performances and the richness of Coisa Fina’s repertoire. Through Coisa Fina, Samy Thiébault confirms his ability to evolve in all areas of jazz and to bring musicians together around the same artistic standards.