The Whole Music Experience

Best Artist of 2010 Jovino Santos Neto For his vision and versatility

Jovino Santos Neto (and friends) Veja O Som (See the Sound) 2 CDs Adventure Music The music that Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Jovino Santos Neto performs and composes possesses a sunny vibration. This warm vibration won’t toast you, but leave you feeling warm and slightly tingly when listening to his new recording, See the Sound . Certainly I find Jovino’s music falling on the healthier side of things as I find much of Brazilian jazz and traditional music. On See the Sound (title derived from a quote at a recording session), involves some world travel, 20 fabulous duets with North and South American musicians, and performances not soon to be forgotten any time soon. Let’s start with the list of musical duo partners which includes: David Sanchez (tenor sax), Mike Marshall (mandocello and mandolin), Gretchen Parlato (voice), Paquito d’Rivera (C clarinet), Bill Frisell (electric guitar), Airto Moreira (voice, percussion), Tom Lellis (voice, shaker), Anat Cohen (so...

Photo: By Daniel Sheehan WM The Samba Effect--Conversation with Brazilian Musician Jovino Santos Neto I discovered the healing effects of Brazilian music, samba in particular back in the early 1990s when I began listening to Astrud Gilberto classics. Even though I was not aware of the healing elements of music, I noticed that my spirits lifted every time I listened to a "best of" recording by the Brazilian chanteuse. Years later I discovered Joyce, Monica Salmaso, Jovino Santos Neto and Virginia Rodrigues among other Brazilian artists. Again, I felt that spiritual lift even in times of great darkness and despair. I did not wish to dissect the music--equal parts polyrhythms hailing from Africa, soaring melodies from Europe, etc... Then shortly after that, Masaru Emoto provided us with a water crystal of a Brazilian samba and earlier still, Don Campbell mentioned in his text, The Mozart Effect that he found the samba most healing. Although opportunities abound to s...

Jovino Santos Neto Alma do Nordeste Adventure Music For his third release on Adventure Music, Brazilian jazz pianist and composer Jovino Santos Neto celebrates the music of Northeastern Brazil--and what a wealth of musical styles! Alma do Nordeste (Soul of the Northeast), features a variety of Brazilian genres including, Baião, xote, Forrò, marcha and others. Lush Afro-Brazilian polyrhythms provide a backdrop for swirling flute, woodwinds, lush accordion and gorgeous instrumental harmonies. From the cover art to the passionate musicianship of Jovino (piano, melodica, flute), Toninho Ferragutti (accordion), Gabriel Grossi (harmonica), Carlos Malta, Eduardo Neves and Marcelo Martins (woodwinds), Joseman Honaine (10 string guitar), Dudu Lima (basses), Marcio Bahia (drums), Tiago da Serrinha and Durval Pereira (percussion) and Pernambuco (voice)--whew!, this music feels like the sun bursting forth through layers of clouds. Especially on the title track, when the music breaks int...