Adventure Music Signs Renowned Pianist Jovino Santos Neto

Adventure Music has announced that the acclaimed Brazilian pianist Jovino Santos Neto has been formally signed to the label, and has just completed recording an as-yet untitled CD for release in early 2006. The new CD is Santos Neto’s first recording as a leader since 2003’s Canto de Rio.

The upcoming release captures Santos Neto in a trio setting, where he is joined by Rogerio Botter-Maio, who also contributed to Weber Iago’s recent Adventure Music release, On Filhos de Vento, on bass and Marcio Bahia, one of Brazil’s most in-demand session players, on drums. On the CD, which features a collection of never recorded, mostly original tunes, pianist Santos Neto also plays flute and melodica. Special guests on the project include vocalist Joyce, Hamilton de Holanda on mandolin, Marcos Amorim on guitar, and Gabriel Grossi on harmonica. In addition to acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal, for whom Santo Neto has served as pianist and musical director for 15 years and counting Hermeto’s son Fabio, can be heard on percussion.

“Adventure Music is delighted to be working formally with our friend Jovino, whom we consider to be one of the most talented, creative and prolific Brazilian artists living here in the States,” says label president and co-founder Richard Zirinsky, Jr. “Personally, I am extremely excited about this new project and the many new compositions Jovino has selected and recorded. Not only will this project feature Jovino in a mostly trio setting, which is a unique format for him, but it will also highlight the instrumental work of some of Brazil’s most wonderful players and of course, the amazing vocals of Joyce”.

Santos Neto first recorded for Adventure Music on Serenata, the 2003 collaboration with label co-founder mandolinist Mike Marshall. That CD, a collection of the music of Hermeto Pascoal, also featured Pascoal on flute and melodica. Marshall and Santos Neto’s first actual recorded collaboration was on Brazil Duets, the long-out-of-print 1994 recording that has just been re-released by Adventure Music with three all new bonus tracks.