Alma do Nordeste Project

Years ago, I found a book that had belonged to my grandfather (the original Jovino Santos). It was an autographed copy of "Alma do Nordeste" (Soul of the Northeast) by C. Nery Camello. Writtem in the 1930s, it was an account of the writer's journeys through the Northeastern part of Brazil. While travelling by train, car and donkey, Camello documented all the various aspects of "nordestino" popular culture - poetry, culinary, folklore and language through the states of Alagoas, Sergipe, Pernambuco, Paraíba and many more.
I am a Carioca, born and raised in Rio de janeiro,but since I spent so much time as a kid with my grandparents, both Nordestinos, I delevoped a strong affinity for the character and the soul of that region. Later on, as I joined Hermeto Pascoal's group, I had the privilege of learning in depth all the subtleties of the music from the Northeast - baião, xote, coco, frevo, xaxado, maracatu, cabocolinho, the list goes on and on...in my opinion, one of the richest sources of musical material in the world.
Still, my knowledge of the area remained limited to other people's accounts. In late 2005 I applied for a grant from Petrobrás, the Brazilian state oil company for a project called "Alma do Nordeste". To my surprise, in mid 2006 we got the grant! The project involves a research journey through the Nordeste, the composition of music as well as its recording and commercial release.
So the first phase has just happened, as my wife Luzia and I spent 3 weeks in May in Brazil, driving from Maceió (Alagoas) inland to Arapiraca, Garanhuns, Caruaru (Pernambuco), Campina Grande, João Pessoa (Paraíba) and Recife (Pernambuco). I brought along a digital recorder, with which I documented much music, interviews with musicians, historians, and many other people.. We also shot hundreds of pictures, which can be seen right here.
As I already suspected, I found a strong resonance, personal and musical, with the Nordeste. Now, as I am back in Seattle, I am busy composing music that I will record in August in Rio, and this will be my next CD - well, unless the solo piano recording gets released first - read the next post for that!

Alma do Nordeste

Esse é o nome do projeto de composição musical que estou desenvolvendo, graças ao apoio da Petrobrás, através da Lei de Incentivo à Cultura do Ministério da Cultura. Acabamos de retornar de uma viagem de 11 dias pelo Nordeste do Brasil, na qual percorremos 1300 Km. entre Maceió e Recife, com paradas em Arapiraca (AL), Garanhuns e Caruaru (PE), Campina Grande e João Pessoa (PB) e finalmente Recife (PE. Foi uma viagem maravilhosa - conhecemos muitas pessoas ligadas à música, arte e cultura, fizemos muitas fotos e gravei depoimentos e sons em vários locais.
Para ver um diário fotográfico da nossa jornada, basta clicar aqui. Os álbuns estão classificados por estados e cidades visitados.
Em agosto volto ao Rio para gravar um novo CD com a música que estou compondo agora, tudo isso com o apoio da Petrobrás. Vai ser um disco arretado!

Missão de Pesquisas Folclóricas

Today the New york Times printed an article about the release of a box set of 6 CDs recorded in 1938 in the North and Northeastern regions of Brazil. It is a great window into a universe of rhtyhms, verses, a great confluence of musical and cultural strains from Africa, Europe, Arabia and the native Brazilians, all combined in excellent recordings...I want that box set!

Em português: O SESC - SP tem no seu site um excelente resumo do novo lançamento de 6 CDs apresentando as gravações originais da Missão de Pesquisas Folclóricas, organizada pelo grande Mário de Andrade. Veja o site aqui e ouça várias gravações completas. Minha favorita é a que mostra os aboios dos vaqueiros na Paraíba. As fotos também são excelentes...

IAJE Conference

I spent last weekend in New York City at the IAJE COnference. It is one of the most exciting places to be in the musical world...about 8000 musicians, teachers, students, people of all backgrounds, ages and styles hanging out and listening to music performances, panels and clinics. My clinic on Ginga or Brazilian swing was well attended, we had over 300 people in the room, and the feedback was very good. About 150 folks have downloaded the Ginga paper from my site...if you are interested, please check the previous post for the link to the PDF.
Now I am back to teaching at Cornish College in Seattle...I am leading 3 ensembles plus a rhythm class.

Ginga

I was at the IAJE Conference in New York City this week. I gave a clinic on ginga, a Brazilian way to swing. I posted a 9-page PDF of the clinic material on my site. To read it, please click here
I had a great time, heard great music and connected with many new and old friends...

Interview - Entrevista

Hey - Oi:
One of my New Year's resolutions is to combine the English and Portuguese blogs in one place - here!
Decidi começar o ano de 2007 combinando meus blogs em inglês e português em um só, aqui mesmo...

I posted on my site a lengthy interview I gave to the Japanese magazine Euro Rock Press earlier this year. They asked some quite interesting questions...to read the interview, click here.

Em abril de 2006 dei uma entrevista ao repórter Ivaldo Costa do jornal "The Brasilians", que é publicado em Nova Iorque. A entrevista foi publicada em outubro, e eu a pus no meu site, aqui.
Feliz Ano Novo - Happy New Year!

NPR Christmas show

I played a special Jazz Piano Christmas concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC earlier in December. NPR has made that show available for streaming on their web site. Click here to go there. Check out the bonus track with a round-robin version of "Silent Night" and the pictures...

Sivuca

I found out today that the great Brazilian accordionist Sivuca passed away last Thursday in his home state of Paraíba, Brazil. He was a true pioneer and a beautiful person. I had the opportunity to play with him and with Hermeto back in 1978. Below is an obituary from the L.A. Times.
Sivuca, 76; Brazilian accordionist, composer won Latin Grammy From Times Staff and Wire Reports December 17, 2006


Sivuca, the white-maned accordionist, composer and arranger known for his work with South African singer Miriam Makeba and others, died Thursday of throat cancer at a hospital in his home state of Paraiba, Brazil. He was 76.

Born Severino Dias de Oliveira, Sivuca was credited with arranging Makeba's most famous recording, "Pata Pata." During his 50-year career, he played with a wide range of musical artists around the world, including Harry Belafonte, Toots Thielmans, Airto Moreira and Hermeto Pascoal.

A master of the accordion-driven forro style of Brazil's northeast, he won a Latin Grammy in 2005 with accordionist Oswaldinho in the Brazilian roots category.

Born on the family farm in northern Brazil, Sivuca was an albino whose need to stay out of the sun allowed him to avoid farm chores and devote more time to music. He began playing the accordion at fairs and parties when he was 9 and by 15 was performing on radio programs. In 1950 he made his first recording, which included the hit "Adeus Maria Fulo."

He lived in Rio de Janeiro for many years before moving to Lisbon, Paris and New York City. He joined Makeba's group as a guitarist in the early 1960s and eventually toured the world with her.

Hermeto Pascoal - Programa Jazz Brasil

here is some more fotage of the Hermeto Group in 1991. This is an extended version of the tune "O Galo do Airan"

Hermeto Pascoal - Hermeto Campeão

here is an excerpt of the film "Hermeto Campeão", made in 1980. Here is the Grupo at a rehearsal...check out the hair!

...a beautiful quote by Glenn Gould...

I believe that the justification of art is the internal combustion it ignites in the hearts of men and not its shallow, externalized, public manifestations. The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity.
Glenn Gould

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!