Catalog of Dreams by Alex Hamburger & José Luiz Martins

Alex Hamburger & José Luiz Martins

Catalog of Dreams

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Challenge Records
UPC: 0608917363920
Catnr: CR 73639
Release date: 14 August 2026
Preorder

1 CD	€ 19.95	Preorder

Label
Challenge Records

UPC
0608917363920

Catalogue number
CR 73639

Release date
14 August 2026

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

About the album

For the past six years, flutist Alex Hamburger and pianist José Luiz Martins have been the heartbeat of each others’ musical worlds. Now, with their debut record as a duo, the husband and wife create a shared world, offering listeners a highly personal, textural immersion into the sonic catalog of their journey.

The two musical prodigies were originally on divergent paths when they first met in 2018 during coincidental time abroad in Basel, Switzerland. Hamburger, originally from the Washington, D.C. metro area, was living previously in New York City, while Martins was studying for a masters in Basel after leaving his hometown of São Paulo, Brazil. Their first shared notes snapped their lives together, ushering in an instant connection and understanding, both about the music that influenced them and the music they wished to put in the world.

Together, the partners found a deeply rooted shared commitment to using space, listening, and empathetic reaction to dive into the unknown and return with beauty and compassion. Now living together in Hyattsville, Md., Hamburger and Martins recorded Catalog of Dreams in 2025 as a response to the diverse range of musical traditions that shaped them, both as individuals and as a pair. Six of the album’s eight songs are unique reinterpretations of traditional and modern classics from composers such as Herb Ellis, Wayne Shorter, and Thundercat. The duo then flexes the intimate dynamics and texture of piano, voice, flute, and electronic keyboards to reinterpret the compositions into vehicles for new dreams and possibilities.

Of course, the most noticeable influence on the album is that of Brazilian music, which native Paulistano Martins brought to the record (and the relationship) from the very beginning. Three tunes make this connection explicit: Gilberto Gil’s classic “Ladeira da Preguica” (made famous by Elis Regina), Airto Moreira’s eternally groovy “Tombo in 7/4,” and the modern Brazilian heavyweight Luisa Lacerda’s “Poente,” a familial celebration that features lyrics by her father André Lacerda.

However, Catalog of Dreams is steeped in Brasiliana beyond these three tunes, with traces of groove, melody, and harmonic complexity saturating the duo’s playing and arrangements throughout. The record’s two original compositions, both composed by Hamburger with production assistance from Martins, achieve this with a tender nuance. By taking these Brazilian influences back into her own roots of great lyrical musical traditions (the Great American Songbook, Black American Music, and folk), Hamburger finds a way to explore themes of loss, trauma, injustice and the human experience with nuance and care.

Although both Hamburger and Martins are prolific on their own, each with their own critically acclaimed body of work as bandleaders, this is their first full length album with just the two of them. With this debut of eight songs in just under thirty minutes, the partners draw us into their journey, into their catalog, and into their dreams.

Artist(s)

Alex Hamburger

For the last decade, flutist, vocalist and composer Alex Hamburger has been creating her own musical direction. Raised in Silver Spring Maryland within the DC music scene by a family of accomplished artists, her passion for music ignited at a young age. After some time in New York and studying in prestigious institutions in New York and Switzerland, Alex returned to DC with a renewed sense of purpose. Alex's highly anticipated sophomore album, What If? (Unit Records, June 29th, 2023), delves into perception, transition, and the boundaries of human experience. The album fuses electric and acoustic sounds for an immersive narrative that continues to stir up glowing testimonials from publications such as All About Jazz, Jazzthing, Vents Magazine and Bandcamp. Her debut...

Alex's highly anticipated sophomore album, What If? (Unit Records, June 29th, 2023), delves into perception, transition, and the boundaries of human experience. The album fuses electric and acoustic sounds for an immersive narrative that continues to stir up glowing testimonials from publications such as All About Jazz, Jazzthing, Vents Magazine and Bandcamp.

Her debut album, And She Spoke (November 2021), explores the diverse concept of the female voice through original compositions based on poetry by female poets and personalized arrangements of compositions by female composers.

Alex was also a member of the esteemed Focusyear band at JazzCampus in Basel Switzerland in 2018/19 where she had the privilege of studying and performing for a year with the prestigious international ensemble that released the album Open Paths on Neuklang records. Alex has also been awarded grants from organizations such as South Arts Jazz Roads, Chamber Music America and Pathways to Jazz to help fund her recording and touring endeavors.

Alex's journeys abroad have ignited the flame for her to continue captivating audiences worldwide with her internationally acclaimed performances as she continues to tour around the world, having so far toured around Europe, South America and the US with her project. As well as playing and touring with her own projects, she remains an important member of many other touring and recording ensembles such as Origem, Lucas Ashby’s Brain Trust, Abe Mamet’s Sextet and Biomorphic Forms and pop groups like Bright Eyes. She is an integral member of José Luiz Martins’ quartet, producing their 2025 album “Oddessy Mixtape” which garnered reviews from publications like Downbeat, Modern Drummer and was named one of CapitalBop’s top 5 albums of the year. The group also was named the winners of the DCJazzPrixx, a prestigious competition held by the DCJazz Festival.

While captivating audiences worldwide, Alex remains deeply connected to the DC music community. She was a member of the 2022 Strathmore Artist in Residence class and a multiple time Wammie awards nominee. Alex actively contributes to her hometown's musical landscape as the producer and founder of the successful My Body, My Festival; a fundraiser for the DC Abortion Fund as well as serving as Managing Director of CapitalBop, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting, preserving and presenting Jazz in DC.

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José Luiz Martins (piano)

Hailing from the vibrant city of São Paulo, Brazil, José Luiz Martins is a pianist-composer-bandleader and producer based in the Washington, DC area. He is highly celebrated for his innovative approach and deeply expressive music. Drawing inspiration from the rich musical heritage of his homeland, Jose (pron. ‘Joe-zay’) seamlessly incorporates Brazilian rhythms with flavors of jazz, classical, rock, and contemporary music, creating a thoroughly unique and captivating sound. José Luiz Martins has performed at prestigious venues and festivals across Brazil, Europe, and the Americas, sharing the stage with renowned musicians and ensembles. His recordings as a solo artist, bandleader, and collaborator have received much critical acclaim, earning him awards and recognition from both national and international music communities and cohorts. A gifted...

José Luiz Martins has performed at prestigious venues and festivals across Brazil, Europe, and the Americas, sharing the stage with renowned musicians and ensembles. His recordings as a solo artist, bandleader, and collaborator have received much critical acclaim, earning him awards and recognition from both national and international music communities and cohorts.

A gifted performer and arranger, José Luiz Martins has a reputation for his distinctive harmonic sensibility and masterful improvisation skills. Jose Luiz's compositions often explore commonalities and distinct characteristics between and shared by music styles, cultural roots, and the interplay of tradition and innovation. These explorations have truly resonated with audiences across the globe. Martins's fourth album, Odyssey Mixtape was released on Origin Records in April, 2025.
Odyssey Mixtape garnered media acclaim from such prestigious publications as DownBeat Magazine, Modern Drummer, Paris Move, and Contemporary Fusion among others. In 2025 the José Luiz Martins quartet won the prestigious DCJazzPrix band competition at the DC JazzFest.

Deeply committed to his craft, José Luiz Martins continues to push the boundaries of contemporary music while honoring the rich traditions of his Brazilian culture. Whether performing onstage or creating in the studio, José Luiz Martin’s artistry and passion leave an indelible mark on his audiences.

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