The music of Brazilian guitarist Fabiano do Nascimento is steeped in the traditions of samba and choro as well as American jazz and pop. After a stint as a Los Angeles session player, he formed the Latin jazz group Triorganico and released the 2009 highlight Convivência. Over the following decade, he continued his explorations, launching a solo career with 2015's Dança dos Tempos. Fabiano's 2021 release, Ykytu, featured the most tranquil and refined distillation of his sound to date.

After studying classical piano and theory at a young age, the Rio de Janeiro native discovered the guitar as a 12-year-old and devoted himself fully to the instrument. Studying under masters like Dalmo Motta and his late uncle, Lucio Nascimento, he eventually left Brazil and settled in Los Angeles, where in the early 2000s he became an in-demand session player working with a variety of artists from Arthur Verocai to Mia Doi Todd and Aloe Blacc. Several years later, Fabiano formed the adventurous Latin jazz trio Triorganico with woodwind player Pablo Calogero and percussionist Tiki Pasillas. Triorganico's 2009 debut for the Now-Again label, Convivência, won them critical acclaim. In 2013, he collaborated with saxophonist Sam Gendel on Sul, an album of traditional South American folk music.

Two years later, Fabiano made his solo debut with the thrilling Dança dos Tempos, a set of originals, covers, and traditional songs that featured contributions from legendary percussionist Airto Moreira. His follow-up LP, Tempos dos Mestres, arrived in 2017, expanding on the style of its predecessor. Released in 2020, his third album, Prelúdio, was Fabiano's first solo release to consist entirely of original material and was recorded with his Triorganico bandmate Pasillas on drums. Appearing just one year later, Ykytu took a more stripped-down approach, featuring just solo guitar with minimal overdubs. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi