NILSON MATTA has long been considered one of Brazil's best bass players. Nilson studied bass at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, with Sandrino Santoro, one of Brazil's premier classical bassists. While in Brazil, he played with the most popular artists of MBP (Brazilian Popular Music), including: João Gilberto, Hermeto Pascoal, Chico Buarque, Johnny Alf, João Bosco, Dori Caymmi, Luis Bonfa, Nana Caymmi, Roberto Carlos, and many others.

Since Matta moved to the U.S. he has become the first call of many of America's greatest artists. He has performed and recorded with Joe Henderson, Herbie Mann, Don Pullen, Oscar Castro-Neves, Kenny Barron, Astrid Gilberto, Claudio Roditi, Paquito D'Rivera, Mark Murphy, and Lee Konitz to name a few. He co-founded an extraordinary quintet, the African Brazilian-Connection, with pianist Don Pullen. At this time Down Beat magazine called Nilson Matta "a powerhouse bass player." Matta is one of the leaders of Trio DA Paz; the trio has four CDs released. The Trio won the Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award 2002 with the CD Partido Alto. As a co-leader Nilson released a CD Encontros with harmonica player Hendrik Meurkens.

Since 1997, Matta has been a faculty member at The Bass Collective in New York City.