1
CONTACT: Jane Lenoir (415) 260-8111 [email protected] BERKELEY CHORO ENSEMBLE CELEBRATES THE RELEASE OF THEIR FIRST CD, “THE VIEW FROM HERE” Saturday, February 10, at 8 PM St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 1501 Washington Ave, Albany CA http://www.berkeleychoroensemble.com Choro, the first uniquely Brazilian popular music and the root of samba and bossa nova, has its origins in the late 1800s. The genre, a captivating blend of European salon and chamber music with Afro-Brazilian rhythmic energy and a touch of jazz, is still being renewed and updated, and is spreading internationally at a very healthy pace. The Berkeley Choro Ensemble, formed in 2010, has dedicated itself to the performance of recent choro works and collaborations with renowned Brazilian performers and composers. The new CD is a reflection of what is happening today in the world of choro. Flutist and group founder JANE LENOIR is classically trained and comfortable in many genres; she has performed with symphony orchestras, new music ensembles, chamber and early music groups, as well as jazz, latin and Brazilian groups. She has recorded and/or performed with the Seattle Group for New Music, Matiz Ensemble, as well as Brazilian artists Paulo Sergio Santos, Rogério Souza, Caio Marcio Dos Santos, Netinho Albuquerque, and Alessandro Penezzi. www.janelenoir.com Clarinetist/saxophonist HARVEY WAINAPEL has his feet firmly planted in two musical worlds. His jazz experience has led to work with the likes of McCoy Tyner, Kenny Barron, Joe Henderson, the Metropole Orchestra, Ray Charles, and Joe Lovano. Wainapel’s deep connection with Brazilian music has resulted in performances and recordings with Guinga, Airto Moreira & Flora Purim, Jovino Santos Neto, Marco César, Spok, and Paulo Bellinati, among many other notables from that country. To date Harvey has presented his work in clubs, festivals and studios in 22 countries. www.harvjazz.com A native of Rio de Janeiro, RICARDO PEIXOTO (7-string acoustic guitar) came to the US on a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, and later settled in the Bay Area. As a guitarist and composer he has integrated his Brazilian roots with the improvisational freedom of jazz. Ricardo has recorded, performed, and collaborated with Claudia Villela, Flora Purim and Airto, Bud Shank, Toots Thielmans, Dori Caymmi, Guinga, Marcos Silva, and Arturo Sandoval among others. Percussionist BRIAN RICE has devoted much of his musical career to playing Brazilian music and choro in particular. He has performed with Mike Marshall, Jovino Santos Neto, Danilo Brito, Dudu Maia, Alessandro Penezzi, Paulo Sergio Santos and Rogério Souza among others. Brian has performed at the Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center and the Savannah Music Festival with the Danilo Brito Quintet. Brian is the co-founder and artistic director of the Berkeley Festival of Choro, now in its fourth year presenting choro music to the San Francisco Bay Area. www.brian-rice.com
