Jovino Santos Neto is a Brazilian musical ambassador who enjoys sharing his music with others as much as he enjoys playing it. The native of Rio has been a Seattle resident since 1993, but his roots run deep and he often returns to his native country to soak up more native culture and folklore.
He then reworks it into his own original compositions which are the basis of his live performances, often with the Quinteto which played this month's Art of Jazz concert at The Seattle Art Museum. Highlights from the concert are featured in this week's episode.
Although Jovino Santos Neto has played in settings ranging from solo piano concerts to symphony orchestras, this Quinteto is his most familiar context... five fellow Seattle musicians who have built a great rapport over the past twenty years of playing together. Ben Thomas is on vibes, Chuck Deardorf on bass, Mark Ivester on drums and Jeff Busch on percussion join Jovino Santos Neto at the piano and occasionally on flute, melodica and small percussion.
The Art of Jazz series of free monthly concerts are presented on the second Thursday of each month from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Seattle Art Museum. The concerts are coordinated by John Gilbreath, Executive Director of Earshot Jazz with promotional support from KPLU. The next concert is on April 10 and will feature the duo of vocalist Kendra Shank and guitarist John Stowell who begin a West Coast CD release tour with this concert . The CD is "New York Conversations" and will be officially released on this date.
