Latin Grammy nominees Jorge Glem and Sam Reider have built an oasis halfway between Brooklyn and Cumaná—a one-of-a-kind place that blends not just two cultures, but two artistic languages that had never truly merged before.

Glem, a Grammy-nominated Venezuelan cuatrista and founding member of the acclaimed ensemble C4 Trío, joins forces with Sam Reider, an American accordionist, pianist, composer, and leader of the band The Human Hands. Together, they created an album that uniquely embodies this extraordinary musical and cultural fusion.

Their debut duo album, Brooklyn-Cumaná, was released in November 2022 and received a Latin Grammy nomination in 2023 for Best Instrumental Album.

The project’s repertoire includes Venezuelan merengue, joropos, and other traditional Venezuelan rhythms, woven together with original compositions influenced by American jazz and roots music.

Brooklyn-Cumaná is a compelling experiment—one that captivates the heart while inviting the body to move. It’s not just a musical collaboration; it’s a vibrant conversation between traditions, places, and creative spirits.

Meet the Musicians…

Jorge Glem is a Latin Grammy Award-winning and Grammy nominated cuatro player, mandolinist and musical producer, Jorge Glem is without a doubt one of Venezuela’s musical treasures. Raised in Cumaná, Venezuela, Glem, who currently resides in the U.S., has set out with a clear and driven purpose of presenting the Venezuelan cuatro as a universal instrument.

His amazing talent and driven purpose recently allowed him to perform a solo concerto for cuatro with acclaimed conductor, Gustavo Dudamel and the prestigious LA Philharmonic, to an exceptional standing ovation. He also recently joined celebrated multiple Grammy-winning, composer and pianist, Jon Batiste, as part of his ensemble in his sold out “American Symphony concert at the one and only Carnegie Hall in New York City. To boot, Glem has also shared the stage with renown worldwide figures such as Paquito D’Rivera, Jordan Rudess, Rubén Blades, Carlos Vives, Calle 13, Natalia Lafoucarde, Gaby Moreno, Guaco, Desorden Público, Ensamble Gurrufío, Gualberto Ibarreto, Sofia Rei, Etienne Charles and many other important music personalities, accomplishing the fuse of this traditional instrument in genres such as jazz, salsa, bluegrass, rock, and pop.

In 2017 Glem, in that continuous effort to introduce the cuatro to the world, initiated a movement called #4CuatroMusic through social media that reached more than 1k posts in only 3 weeks. It is evident that the cuatro is more than an instrument to this musical prodigy. It is without a doubt a part of him and through playing it, he is able to attain a global voice.

Jorge Glem is also a founding member of the acclaimed ensemble C4 Trio, who won a Latin Grammy for their album ” Tiempo al Tiempo,” with renown salsa artist Luis Enrique. Along with this second Latin Grammy win, this dynamic ensemble has been nominated four previous times for this award and has been nominated on two occasions to the prestigious Grammy presented by The Recording Academy.

Jorge Glem has also been the winner of prestigious awards such as “El Silbón de Oro,” “Siembra Del Cuatro,” and three Pepsi music awards for his album “En El Cerrito.” With three productions of his own, Glem is also currently participating in collaborations with folk accordionist Sam Reider, with whom he recently just released the much awaited and well received album, “Brooklyn-Cumaná.” Additionally, he has a unique duo project with Cuban-Venezuelan pianist, composer, and arranger, Cesar Orozco with whom in 2019 he released the award-winning album “Stringwise.”

Glem has participated in over 200 productions and continues touring across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe and looks forward to many more collaborations incorporating the iconic Venezuelan cuatro.

 SAM REIDER is a Latin GRAMMY-nominated pianist, accordionist, composer, and educator from San Francisco, California. His original music explores the confluence of various streams of American music, from jazz and folk to pop and chamber music. He has appeared as a bandleader and soloist at major festivals and venues around the world and his performances and original compositions have been featured on NPR, PBS and the BBC. Reider has performed, recorded and collaborated with a range of artists including Jon Batiste, Jorge Glem, Sierra Hull, Laurie Lewis, and Paquito d’Rivera. From his genre-bending acoustic ensemble The Human Hands to his duo collaboration with Grammy-nominated Venezuelan artist Jorge Glem, Reider’s unique compositional voice and melodicism runs throughout his eclectic projects. His 2022 solo piano record of original music Petrichor received four stars and made the Best of 2022 in Downbeat Magazine. Reider and Glem’s album Brooklyn-Cumaná was featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk and was nominated for Best Instrumental Album in the 2023 Latin GRAMMY Awards. Reider’s latest release The Golem and Other Tales (2024), features his groundbreaking ensemble the Human Hands performing a large scale instrumental tone poem based on the legend of a clay man brought to life. In addition to his work as a performer, Reider is a prolific composer and has worked with a variety of ensembles and soloists including the San Francisco Girl’s Chorus, Trinity Alps Chamber Music Festival, Del Sol Quartet, and Grammy-nominated violinist Tessa Lark.