California Brazil Camp

I had a fantastic week in late August/early September teaching and playing at the California Brazil Camp in Cazadero, CA. If you are interested in seriously studying Brazilian music, check out their web site
My friend Eric Crawford has taken beautiful photographs of this year's Camp, which you can see here.

Latin Grammy nomination

Well, I am very happy indeed..my latest CD, Roda Carioca, has been nominated to the 2006 Latin Grammys as Best Latin Jazz Record. For me this is a big honor and I am very grateful to all who have supported my music. If you have not yet heard the new CD, you can listen to samples of all the tracks (and also purchase the CD) at this link.
Obrigado!
JSN

Recording in Salvador

In Salvador, I spent 4 days in the Planeta Água recording studio, owned and operated by the singer and pianist Guilherme Arantes. I was working on a new CD by singer Heather Davis. we had a great group of baiano musicians, including the great guitarist Luiz Brasil, drummer Cesinha, bassist Fernando Nunes and other great folks.

Here is a picture of Guilherme Arantes, Heather davis and me in front of Guilherme's very nice Steinway grand piano. You can access his studio's website here.


Drummer Cesinha, Guilherme Arantes, Heather Davis, me and bassist Fernando Nunes.


Luiz Brasil, Heather and myself.

back to the blog...

I really have to apologize to all those who have returned to this blog and have not found any new posts since July...I had an amazing summer, and most of it was so busy that I did not keep up my promise to blog as I should have.
Anyway, in August I went to Brasil. I spent some days in Canavieiras, south of Bahia State, a beautiful city with amazing beaches and a historical past, going back to the old days of cacao exports. here are some pictures:


This is a view of the Pardo River from the Canavieiras harbor. You can see a statue of Iemanjá, the Queen of the Oceans, and also the boat "Fortaleza", where we went for a very nice ride all the way to the mouth of the river.


Fishing boats in Canavieiras and the most beautiful clouds I have ever seen...


This is a sample of the architectural style of most old houses in Canavieiras. Many of them have statues decorating their facades. These are remnants of the days of glory of the cacao trade...


Old growth mangrove trees, a very rich environment for crabs, fish, shrimp and sea birds


The main church in Canavieiras

More to come...

Gafieira big band at California Brazil Camp in August

You might have read an earlier post from me announcing the Gafieira Big Band I am leading this year at California Brazil Camp's second session, from August 28 to September 3 in Cazadero, California, in the heart of the redwood forest. Well, I am working on the arrangements right now, and would like to invite all interested musicians to sign up and participate.

In case you are wondering what this is, "gafieira" refers to a Brazilian ballroom samba dance style. The material is being compiled from the great Brazilian classic samba tunes, including compositions by Ary Barroso, Guinga, Toninho Horta and many more. The instrumentation is a traditional big band line-up: 2 alto saxes, 2 tenors, 1 baritone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones plus rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass, drums, percussion). In addition, all other instruments (flute, clarinet, violin,etc.) are welcome, as well as vocalists. Requirements are: a basic sight reading ability and some familiarity with Brazilian grooves. The parts should not be very challenging technically, but there will be lots of syncopation...
We will rehearse all week and finish up with a concert/dance where we will play the material.

I will be posting all charts up on the Internet as PDF files, as well as MP3 files of demos of the arrangements by the beginning of August, so those who would like can print them out and start practicing.

California Brazil Camp is a great experience to all those who are interested in Brazilian music and dance. It's a weeklong immersion in the musical culture of Brazil with a stellar faculty who are experts in their areas.

For registration and all kinds of information, please visit CBC's website at www.calbrazilcamp.com , call415-824-2894 or email cbc@mameluco.com

I hope you can enjoy this opportunity to play great music in a beautiful natural setting. Please feel free to forward this message to anyone who might be interested.


I hope to see you at Camp!

Jazz Camp West 2006

I just returned from a beautiful week teaching at Jazz Camp West, a gathering of about 320 musicians held each summer in La Honda, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. This year was a special one, with lots of music and great musicians. I wrote a few new tunes during one of my classes, which focuses on spontaneous composition. The other classs I taught featured the music of my musical mentor Hermeto Pascoal, who just turned 70 years young last week.
The image above represents the peace and beauty of the place. We had coyotes howling in the morning and a strong musical bond among all participants.

Batuki di Bangu

This video of the JSN Quinteto was shot in New York City in 2005 when we performed at the Chamber Music America Conference. We are playing "Batuki di Bangu" from the "Canto do Rio" CD. I uplodaded it to YouTube.com...enjoy!

Hermeto Pascoal e Grupo - Peixinho

This is a rare film with Hermeto and Grupo playing the tune "Peixinho" circa 1985. The band is: Hermeto on electric grand piano, myself on flute, Carlos Malta on alto saxophone, Itiberê Zwarg on bass, marcio Bahia on drums and Pernambuco on percussion. Hermeto's piano solo is a classic!

Hermeto Pascoal - Susto

I found this video of the Hermeto Pascoal Group performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1979. WE are playing the frevo "Susto", from the "Zabumbê-Bum-á" record. The images are fuzzy, but the music is happening! The band is: Hermeto on soprano sax,Nivaldo Ornellas and Cacau on tenor saxes, myself on Rhodes, Itiberê Zwarg on bass, Pernambuco and Zabelê on percussion and the great Nenê on drums...check it out!

How Musical Is Man?

"It seems to be that what is ultimately of most importance in music can't be learned like other cultural skills: it is there in the body, waiting to be brought out and developed, like the basic principles of language formation"

This quote is by John Blacking, and it is found at the end of this great book I just finished: The Singing Neanderthals, by Steven Mithen (Harvard University Press). This is a book I recommend to anyone interested in the evolutionary origins of music. Very cool!

Gafieira Big Band at California Brazil Camp this August

As you probably know, I have been teaching at the California Brazil Summer Camp located at Cazadero in Northern California for a number of years. This is a great opportunity for all those who are interested in the many aspects of Brazilian music, as it offers a week-long immersion program, combining percussion, guitar, piano and ensemble classes as well as dance and Portuguese instruction. The daily jam sessions have become legendary as well.

For this year's second session (August 28 - September 3), we are working on a new concept: Gafieira Cazadero, A Brazilian Gafieira big band. Gafieira is the name given to the style of ballroom samba dance music as played by legendary Brazilian orchestras, including Severino Araújo's Orquestra Tabajara, Pixinguinha's Orchestra, Banda Mantiqueira and many others. The focus is on assembling a line-up of musicians who will work with me during the week, culminating with an all-Camp dance on the last day of the session. I am preparing arrangements of some of the greatest samba and baião classics of all time, combining traditional material with contemporary compositions. The focus is on great grooves, expanded solos and ensemble textures.

The intrumentation will be as follows:
5 saxophones (2 altos, 2 tenors, 1 baritone - doubling on flute, soprano, clarinet, and bass clarinet welcome)
4 trombones (tuba welcome)
4 trumpets (flugelhorn doubling welcome) Rhythm section ( bass, drums, piano, guitar, percussion)


We hope to also have other instruments, guest vocalists and soloists participating. This promises to be a great way for advanced and beginning musicians to become more proficient in phrasing, articulations and soloing options within Brazilian music styles. Basic sight reading skills are required. I intend to post the parts as PDF files online before the beginning of Camp, so players can start practicing the music ahead of time.

If you are interested in participating, please visit the Camp's web site at http://www.calbrazilcamp.com . You will be able to sign up for the Gafieira Cazadero there.

I hope to see you at Camp this year, and I am looking forward to a great musical experience.

Obrigado,

Jovino

Recent news

I was in Southern California last week. My daughter Maíra graduated from Claremont McKenna College, so that was a nice event. While in the area, I played a couple of gigs. I did a CD release concert at the Vic for Jazz in Santa Monica (www.thevicforjazz.com) with Mike Shapiro on drums and Leo Nobre on bass. Both play in Sergio Mendes' band, and it was a pleasure to perform with them. I also played with flutist Rebecca Kleinmann, who is releasing a new CD, "Raio de Sol". We played at La Ve Lee in Studio City and also at Soho in Santa Barbara.

I am reading some very interesting books about music perception. One of them is "Hearing in Time" by Justin London (Oxford University Press). The author goes deep into the nature of rhythm, meters, musical tempo and much more...

end of semester

I teach at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, and this is our final week. Lots of activities with the students, and the good feeling that we'll be done soon...Springtime is beautiful in this city, the flowers are beginning to come out.
Last weekend I went to perform at Stanford University. It was an event for the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoutics (CCRMA). I played some of my tunes and some free improvisations with Andrew Schloss (on the radio drum, an elctronic drum machine) and his wife Irene Mitri on violin. A different crowd...

Next week I am heading to Los Angeles for my daughter's graduation and a gig at the Vic for Jazz in Santa Monica.

Bye,
JSN

back to my Blog

First of all, my apologies to those who have come to visit my blog and have found it terribly outdated...the life of a musician is a busy one, and I always left this part for later - sorry!
I promise to become a more assidous blogger from now on...
Where do I begin? Well, how about the release of my new CD, "Roda Carioca" on Adventure Music? It has been out for a month now, and the feedback has been excellent. People are writing to tell me how much they are enjoying the music, which makes me very proud. It was a labor of love, all recorded in my home town of Rio de Janeiro with soem of my favorite musicians. Now I am going out to support the CD, playing many gigs around the country.
Last week I was in New York City, Oregon (Ashland and Portland) and in the Bay Area ( Larkspur, Felton and Yoshi's in Oakland). I played with different musicians, but the feeling was great as they all interpreted the music in their own personal and brilliant manner.
Now I am back in Seattle, teaching at Cornish College as the semester heads towards the end. Lots of talented students doing their recitals.
I will be commenting on more musical issues as we go...as always, your comments/suggestions are welcome!
Bye,
Jovino

Harold Pinter's Nobel prize acceptance speech

Harold Pinter has just been given a Nobel Prize in Literature for his work. His acceptance speech can be read at http://nobelprize.org/literature/laureates/2005/pinter-lecture-e.html

I encourage you to take a few minutes to read this courageous statement by one of today's brightest minds...

New CD!

I just finished recording a new CD in Rio,to be released in January on Adventure Music. This new work features the best of Brazilian musicians, including Marcio Bahia (drums), Rogério Botter Maio (bass), Fabio Pascoal (percussion), Hermeto Pascoal(melodica), Joyce(voice), Hamilton de Holanda(mandolin), Marcos Amorim (guitar) and Gabriel Grossi (harmonica). Lots of new material...I will keep you posted as to the news...keep checking!

Help for New Orleans

Like most of you, I am shocked and saddened by the events happening in one of my favorite American cities, New Orleans. For several years I have performed there, and I have many musician friends who are now struggling to get by after this disaster. If you would like to help some N'Awlins musicians, here is a link to the Jazz Foundation of America's site where you can help the New Orleans Musicians Clinic who is locating and sheltering musicians:
http://www.jazzfoundation.org/new_orleans.php

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences also has a fund to help musicians in need. To donate, please visit www.grammy.com and click on "MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund"

I hope you will reach out and help...


Obrigado,

Jovino

California Brazil Camp

This year's CBC in Cazadero, California was great -as usual...I spent a whole week in the company of such great Brazilian musicians such as Guinga, Hamilton de Holanda, Arnaldinho do Cavaco and many talented students. The classes and the after hours jams were a blast...Of course, I ended up writing a ton of new music. If you are interested in attending next year, check out the CBC's web site at www.mameluco.com

The Answer Is Still Peace

The text below by Dr. Deepak Chopra is from his website, www.chopra.com . His words resonate with wisdom and show the balanced point of view that is so sorely lacking in today's coverage of the sad events in London. Please read on:

The Answer Is Still Peace
The terrorist attack in London today has once again created deep anguish in our collective soul...
Around the world people yearn to find peace and give solace to the suffering and bereaved. Once again the clash of polarized enemies clamors for attention. Al-Qaeda takes pride in this heinous and sordid crime, while Western nations seek to bring the terrorists to justice. Yet it would be naive to take the simple way out and call this an example of pure evil and depravity.
In a very real way we are all part of the London tragedy. Everyone is caught in the tangled web of social injustice, economic disparities, ecological disaster, war, and terrorism. Unless we accept this fact, we will continue with our madness of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Mahatma Gandhi declared that if we continue on this path the whole world would go blind. Will we ever see through our blindness and create a global community of connected humanity? To promote peace today means promoting a critical mass of consciousness where violence is never an option.
London, like the attacks in Madrid and Bali, Indonesia before it, should make us want to live for peace above all. I understand how it's possible to respond to terrorism with deep anger; I cannot understand responding to it with anger that goes on and on forever. There are causes behind every terrorist act and therefore hope that these causes can be changed, even as we continue to pursue justice. We still ignore the source of global instability: religious fundamentalism which has its roots in extreme poverty, where 50% of the world lives on $2 per day, 20% of it on less than $1 per day, a world where 8 million people die each year because they are too poor to survive.
Terrorism also festers because of a lack of education, toxic nationalism, ignorance about the outside the world, and deep economic disparities. Twenty thousand children died yesterday of hunger-related causes around the world, twenty thousand will die today, and twenty thousand tomorrow. That is not part of the evening news. Why not?
Nature abhors a deep imbalance. The human species has become the most dangerous predator on our planet. Nature might be saying to herself, "Human beings were an interesting experiment that didn't work, so let's move on." Or, perhaps, our self-awareness has reached a turning point, as Inside ourselves we've always carried the seeds of creativity. The next creative leap isn't a mystery. Millions of people are ready to join in harmonious interaction with Nature--and with our own complex inner nature--to create a world of peace, harmony, laughter and love. Let us strengthen our intention to create that critical mass of peace consciousness. Every tear can be a drop of nourishment for the new world that wants to be born and is making itself known little by little, every day. Each one of us can help create this critical mass by becoming the embodiment of peace conciousness their peace practices:
Being Peace
Thinking Peace
Feeling Peace
Speaking Peace
Acting Peace
Creating Peace
Sharing Peace
Celebrating Peace.

Hawaiian music

I went to Honolulu this weekend as a guest of the Hawaiian Academy of Recording Arts to attend the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, which honor the top musicians in all the different genres from Hawaii. It was a great chance for me to get to know amazing singers and musicians. I was very impressed by the musicianship and hospitality with which I was received. Check out the HARAS web site here . Aloha!