Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues

Spyro Gyra - Created by saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, Spyro Gyra combines R & B and elements of pop and Caribbean music with jazz. The band emerged in Buffalo, NY, in 1974 and has been one of the most significant bands of pop jazz of the past 30 years. Spyro Gyra has launched its first demo in 1976 by independent record Amherst. The album became a success and Amherst sold the rights to Infinity Records, a division of MCA. Morning Dance, their first album recorded by Infinity, was released in 1979 and became a huge hit, creating a Top 40 single with Morning Dance, going Platinum. Since then, Spyro Gyra became synonymous with commercial success in instrumental music, attending the parades of success and pleased fans who normally do not pay attention to the genre. They have more than 25 albums and thousands of fans around the world. The actual lineup of Spyro Gyra is Scott Ambush (bass), Jay Beckenstein (saxophone), Julio Fernandez (guitar), Tom Schuman (piano) and Bonny B. (percussion).

John Hammond Quartet - With a career sppaning more than three decades, John Hammond is one of the musicians responsible for the white blues revival in the late 60th Some critics have described Hammond as a white Robert Johnson, one of the icons of blues of all time, to get a sense of his style. Hammond do justice to classic blues by combining the sound of guitar and harmonica with expressive vocals and a impressive.stage presence. With four nominees and one Grammy Award won, he shared the stage and recorded with blues masters Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and John Lee Hooker, among others. Since the beginning of his career he devoted his time to spread the blues classics - some of them forgotten. Now, 40 years later, Hammond continues to tour the U.S., Canada and Europe. After S 2000 he launched three CDs by label Back Porch: Ready for Love (2002), In Your Arms Again (2005) and Push Comes to Shove (2007). At the Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues, John Hammond will perform with his quartet including Marty Ballou (bass), Neil Gouvin (drums) and Bruce Katz (keyboard).

Coco Montoya - After an early career as a drummer with Albert Collins, Coco Montoya became one of the major blues guitarists of the 90’s. Along with Collins, "The Master of the Telecaster”, Montoya learned all about the blues guitar. In the early 80’s, during a gig at a bar, the music attracted the attention of the father of the British blues, John Mayall, that called Coco for the new version of the Bluesbreakers, place occupied before by Eric Clapton and Peter Green. He stayed with the band until the early 90’s. His solo career began in 1993 with the album Gotta Mind to Travel by Blind Pig Records - where he also released Ya Think I'd Know Better and Just Go Leg. In 1996 Montoya won the Handy Blues Award for new talent. In 2000, the guitarist signed with Alligator releasing Suspicion, Can’t Look Back and Dirty Deal. At the Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues, Coco Montoya will be accompanied by Brant Leeper (keyboards), Nathan Brown (bass) and Randy Hayes (drums).

The Bad Plus c/ Wendy Lewis - Piano, drums and bass in the service of a modern and irreverent jazz rock. The North American trio was known for making jazzy versions of songs from bands like Nirvana, Aphex Twin and Blondie. The Bad Plus shows arrangements developed and enriched with the use of dissonance, that by its energetic sound, daring and controversial, some American critics call "punk jazz." Next to Medeski, Martin and Wood, The Bad Plus has become one of the main groups of the Jam Band movement. Among their works, Prog (2007), that recreates Tears For Fears, Burt Bacharach, David Bowie and Rush, among others, was nominated by Billboard as "the coolest jazz album of 2007." His latest release For All I Care incorporates for the first time the voice of Wendy Lewis. The Bad Plus is now Reid Anderson (bass), David King (drums) Ethan Iverson (piano) and Wendy Lewis (vocals).

Jason Miles - In the Spirit of Miles Davis - Jason Miles has been a highly respected figure in the scene of the studios in New York since the 80’s, as the first programmer and keyboardist for high level artists as Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, David Sanborn, and Michael Jackson. Two solo CDs, World Tour (1994) and Mr. X (1995), marked the beginning of the story of Miles as a leader. However, it was the collaboration of Miles with the Telarc Jazz label at the end of the 90’s, that caused his burst as a producer, stage musician and composer. In 2000 the label released the venerable The Music of Weather Report, a tribute to the innovative and influential fusion group of the 70’s. In 2001, Miles won a Grammy for his production of A Love Affair: The Music of Ivan Lins. Along with Marcus Miller he made the CD Miles to Miles: In the Spirit of Miles Davis. This CD is a unique vision to explore what direction the music of Miles Davis would follow if he were still alive. The Project turned into a show that Jason Miles will present at the Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues with Jerry Brooks (bass) and Brian Dunne (drums), with special guests DJ Logic and Michael "Patches" Stewart (trumpet).

DJ Logic - “The theorem of turntablist as musician has been long proven in the capable hands of DJ Logic, whom with jazz as his foundation has become a wax innovator by crossing genres and sprinkling his sound across the map. As one of the world's most accomplished turntablist’s, DJ Logicc is widely credited for introducing jazz into the hip - hop realms and is considered by most as a highly respected session musician and an innovative bandleader. Since his emergence in the early nineties amidst the bronx hip-hop scene, the new york city based deejay has been amassing a veritable mountain of collaborations ranging from the likes of: Medeski Martin And Wood, Christian Mcbride, Vernon Reid, Charlie Hunter, Jack Dejohnette, John Mayer, Ben Harper, Mos Def and The Roots, to name but a few.

Michael "Patches" Stewart - When you hear Michael "Patches" Stewart play his trumpet, you know immediately he was born and raised in the city where Jazz was born — New Orleans. It was during his high school years as one of St. Augustine's High School's "Purple Knights" that he acquired his nickname "Patches" from his habit of wearing a variety of patches on his blue jeans. He started to gain a rep around New Orleans and while still a teenager Patches got a call to fill-in at a recording session with Allen Toussaint. It would be his first time in a studio, and it turned out to be an important one -- he was in the horn section session for LaBelle's international hit Lady Marmalade. Not long after, Patches began touring with another jazz giant — Al Jarreau. In-between tours with Al, Patches could often be found in studio recording sessions or occasionally performing with world class artists like Quincy Jones, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Anita Baker, George Duke, Bonnie Raitt, and Rickie Lee Jones. To date, Patches has 3 solo CDs to his credit, the latest being the highly respected Blow, produced by Marcus Milller.

Rudder - Rudder is the most progressive and innovative band to reach the music scene in recent years since Medeski, Martin & Wood. The band is one of the greatest sensations of the alternative scene in New York and brings new sound possibilities and concepts for jazz. A sound that crosses borders between styles and sounds. Considered favorites of festivals from all corners of the world, the music of Rudder is distributed worldwide through 19 / 8 Records and iTunes. Exceptional musicians, Chris Cheek (saxophones), Henry Hey (keyboards), Tim Lefebvre (bass) and Keith Carlock (drums) transform the stage into a laboratory for their experiments. The music is vigorous and accessible, creating a completely new and original take on the band show. According to Downbeat Magazine, Rudder is the greatest revelation of his generation in the contemporary jazz scene. Keith Carlock in Brazil will be replaced by the Saturday Night Live drummer, Shawn Pelton.

Duofel c/ Fábio Pascoal - Formed by guitarist Luiz Bueno and Fernando Melo in 1977, Duofel has six CDs recorded in Brazil, one in Germany and one in the studios of Ornette Coleman, USA. With nine nominees to the Sharp award and three times winners - best arrangement in 1996, best soloist in 1994 and Best song in 93, Duofel music is the result of 30 years of research, tests and presentations in Brazil and abroad. At the Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues, Fernando Melo and Luiz Bueno, will show various stages of their partnership and several unreleased themes varying by the sounds produced in these 30 years, a trademark of the duo, with the combinations of steel string guitars tones of 12 strings, 10 strings, nylon strings and 4. The show will also have the special guest from Recife, Fábio Pascoal, son of Hermeto Pascoal, a percussionist who started his musical studies in the late 70’s with Edgard Nunes Rocca (Bituca). Since 1987, he’s part of the Hermeto Pascoal Group. He played in recordings of the arrangements for Hermeto songbooks of Maria Bethania and Gilberto Gil, Dorival Caymmi and Edu Lobo, besides touring the world, recording the CD Feast of the God (1992) and World Green Hope (2002).

Pau Brasil - Formed in 1979, the Pau Brazil quintet hás been one of the main Brazilian musical references in instrumental music. His original proposal is the creation of a viscerally Brazilian music, although coming from the most diverse influences, as advocated by Oswald de Andrade in his Pau Brasil Manifesto. The group has 8 CDs, five of them released internationally. Their CD Babel, 1996, was nominated to the U.S. Grammy in the Best Jazz Group category. During their 25 years of experience, more than 20 musicians passed through the group, as the saxophonists Costita Hector and Roberto Sion, the accordionist Toninho Ferragutti, the singer Marlui Miranda, the keyboardists Nazário Lelo and Christopher Bastos, and drummers Azael Rodrigues, Nene and Bob Wyatt. Pau Brasil today is Nelson Ayres (keyboards), Paul Bellinati (guitar) Rodolfo Stroeter (bass), Teco Cardoso (sax) and Ricardo Mosca (drums).

Jefferson Gonçalves Blues Band - The Carioca Jefferson Goncalves began his career in the early 1990s, followed by a path common to many harp players: the blues. He founded Baseado em Blues and acoustic trio Blues Etc., recorded with artists from different genres and has consolidated itself as one of the most complete names of harmonica in the country, including representing Brazil in international meetings (SPAH in 1998, Detroit-USA). The harp player identified very similar traits between the North American black music and the brazilian Northeast, based on the rhythms of forró, as Baião, xaxado and xote. Discovered maracatu and rural samba, and as a natural consequence, incorporated these elements to his first solo CD, Gréia (2004). The mixture was well received by critics and audience. His latest CD, Ar Puro (2008) by Blues Time Records, consolidates the intense search of the Northeast rhythms and melodies. At the Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues, Jefferson will be accompanied by Kléber Dias (vocal, guitar, double, guitar, 12 strings and mandolin), Sergio Velasco (guitar, marimbal, double, guitar, 6 strings, lap steel and vocals), Fabio Mesquita (low), Anderson Moraes (drums and percussion) and Marco BZ (drums and percussion).

Big Time Orquestra - People who still think big band is a thing of the past, can be really wrong. Big Time Orchestra is one of the main bands of the Brazilian neoswing, musical style inspired by the sound of the big bands of the 30’s and 40’s, with strong influence of Rock’n’Roll. At the Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues their repertoire will be based on the CD / DVD “Live at Bourbon Street”, that shows their brand of irreverence and fun on their own songs and versions as "Americano" (Brazilian) and " Just a Gigolo "(Gigolo), along with renditions of tunes by Ray Charles, Chuck Berry and blues classics, among other masters. Big Time Orchestra is Lilian Nakahodo (keyboard), Zorba Mestre (vocal), Fabiano Cordon (bass) , Andre Ricciardi (drums), Ronnie Panzone (guitar), Jaquerson Bueno (trumpet), Oscar Costa e Silva (trumpet), Luiz Jiraya (trombone), Raul Alves (trombone), Jeronimo Bello (baritone sax), Márcio Rangel (sax tenor) and Everson Martins (alto sax).

Ari Borger - Ari Borger is one of the most talented Brazilian pianist and organists. When it comes to blues or piano & Hammond B3 organ, the name comes from Ari Borger immediately. Over twenty years on the road, he’s considered by critics, the public and the media as the best musical of the country, and at the same level of the great names of the genre. In his career has played with blues legends like Pinetop Perkins's, Johnnie Johnson, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, and open the concerts of the fineness of Bluesman BB King. In the Oyster River Jazz & Blues, Ari Borger present their newly released CD AB4. Ari him and his group travel several musical currents. The feeling and the experience acquired with the blues, the deep knowledge of the language of jazz and soul, in addition to the urgent desire for new musical directions, the result in this new work. Ari Borger Quartet is formed by Ari Borger (piano and Hammond), Celso Salim (guitar), Humberto Zigler (drums) and Marcos Klis (acoustic bass).

Orquestra Kuarup: conductor Nando Carneiro - The Kuarup Orchestra from Rio das Ostras, led by maestro Nando Carneiro, will, once again, the opening show of the Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues Festival in 2009. Led by maestro Nando Carneiro, the orchestra conductor, his formation includes 25 musicians, students and former students of the Arts Training Center of the Culture Foundation of Rio das Ostras. The Orchestra Kuarup String & Winds was one of the first artistic events in the city's public square rehearsing with instruments donated by the community.
The name Kuarup comes from a indigenous ritual, Tupi-guarani of origin, in which the elders of the tribe gather their young and they went to the traditions of its people in order to perpetuate through the new generations. With two CD recordings, the orchestra has in its history presentations at Sala Cecilia Meireles in Rio de Janeiro and in the Teatro Trianon in Campos dos Goytacazes. In 2004 went to Germany for an exchange with the school of music Musikchule of Tübingen. The following year, the German school of music came to Rio das Ostras. They played together at the Sala Cecília Meireles.
The Orchestra Kuarup is a project of the Rio das Ostras Culture Foundation.

Dixie Square Jazz Band - This band is the block of the jazz, where the emotion, joy and the good music meet each other. The audience participation is the essence and the life, of this magnificent band of traditional jazz.
Marco Vital, the Dixie Square’s leader, has the "Wash board" upfront from where he pulls a rhythmic and explosive demarcation. Formed by musicians that play the best jazz themes with high vibration.
This band stays during 3 years in Bourbon Street "cast", for his high quality. Dixie Square has been opening shows for great names as: B.B. King, Ray Charles, etc. They also play and promote festivals as: Bourbon Street Fest, 8th Visa Jazz & Blues, etc.
The Dixie Square Jazz Band will play as a Street Band, with constant movement in several points of the event, bringing to the Rio das Ostras Festival a special shine.