JOVINO
SANTOS NETO

About the Artists

The Duo collaboration of Richard Boukas and Jovino Santos Neto offers a uniquely contemporary and universal musical language that abandons all common artificial industry boundaries between Brazilian, Jazz, Classical and other evolving traditions.

Their work is marked by an organic synergy of primary Brazilian genres and polyrhythms including samba, bai‹o, maracatu, choro and frevo; rich and daring Jazz harmonies and improvisations; extended compositional structures driven by Classical contrapuntal textures and motivic development.Such fertile crossroads allow Boukas and Santos Neto to explore a broad musical horizon while maintaining the stylistic integrity and clarity of a workÕs primary component influences.

Performances feature their own award-winning compositions and those of legendary Brazilian master Hermeto Pascoal, with whom Jovino was pianist/co-producer from 1977-92. To date he remains PascoalÕs official musical archivist, editor and tireless advocate.

The DuoÕs 2001 debut release Balaio for Malandro Records continues to earn high critical acclaim in the industry as a cutting-edge Brazilian Jazz release. CLICK for a compilation of recent CD reviews.

The Duo is internationally recognized for their Brazilian Music educational residencies and work throughout the music industry. Recent residency sites include University of Denver, Casper College (WY), University of Louisville, Cincinnatti Conservatory and Cornish School of the Arts (Seattle). Individually and collectively, they have been featured performers, presenters and composers at 2000/01/02 IAJE Conventions, and 2001/02 CMA (Chamber Music America) Conventions. They were also featured performers at 2001 Jazz Journalist Association Jazz Awards.

Fertile common ground between the two artists well prior to launching their acoustic Duo in 1998. Jovino’s brilliant fifteen-year tenure as pianist-producer for Hermeto Pascoal was a great inspiration to Boukas, whose own Jazz composing and playing had been infused with Brazilian music since the mid ‘70’s. Richard's intense study and authoritative transcriptions of Pascoal's music led him to contact Jovino and thus began their association in 1998.

The Duo's wealth of knowledge and broad teaching experience in Jazz, Brazilian, Classical and World music has been enjoyed by music programs and seminars around the world, and their residencies are available in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Japanese, without need for translation: Their artist residencies are customized carefully to the specific interests of the hosting institution, offering the aspiring musician an unprecedented horizon for exploring their creative self-discovery.

His heralded work as artist-educator, composer, author, journalist and producer has established his unique voice in contemporary Jazz, Brazilian and classical music. Born in New York City and leader of original music ensembles for twenty-five years, he is a Malandro recording artist and endorsing artist for Thomastik-Infeld Strings and B-Band Pickups. The acclaimed acoustic Duo CD with Jovino Santos Neto, Balaio continues to receive industry accolades. In addition to the duo recording Balaio. Boukas has three prior recordings for the Jazz Essence label: Amazôna, Embarcadero and Commitment.

Richard was selected "Best Brazilian Jazz Guitarist in the U.S." by GuitarOne Magazine. His longtime dedication to Brazilian music was recognized by his appointment as first-time Chair for Brazilian Music on the IAJE Resource Team. The position's primary objectives are to synergize efforts of individuals key to the creation, dissemination and support of Brazilian music in education and the music industry. He is also an active member of the Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) and helped expand their annual awards to include a category for Best Brazilian Jazz CD of the Year.

His extensive writings on Brazilian music and guitar in Just Jazz Guitar, JazzOne, Acoustic Guitar and Piano and Keyboard magazines are read worldwide. He is currently working on an authoritative publication for Mel Bay Publishing, "The Complete Brazilian Guitar Method", slated for early 2003 release. Richard is also producing a special recording featuring music from the landmark Hermeto Pascoal collection, "Calendário do Som", due out this fall.

In 1998 he was guest artist-professor at Brazil's prestigious Campos do Jord‹o Winter Festival in S‹o Paulo, performing and teaching with notable Brazilian Jazz greats Roberto Sion, Nen�, Amilton Godoy (Zimbo Trio) and top Brazilian Classical chamber artists. Richard's numerous awards in composition and performance include New York Foundation on the Arts Fellowship, ASCAP Popular Composer and four NEA Jazz Grants. In followup trips he has worked with other great Brazilian artists including Nelson Ayres, Marcelo Jaffé and Rogério Botter-Maio and conducted interviews with major guitarists including Guinga,
Lula Galvão, Marco Pereira, Paulinho Nogueira and Ulisses Rocha.

His chamber music commissions include Modern Mandolin Quartet, Manhattan Brass Quintet, Cuban-born guitarist Ricardo Iznaola and Brazilian clarinet quintet Sujeito ˆ Guincho. In addition to his numerous works for solo guitar, mainstream and Brazilian Jazz ensembles, he is a consummate choral singer, composer and conductor, and experienced scholar and performer in various Middle/Near Eastern and Balkan world music traditions.

Boukas is has been a key artist-faculty member at New School Jazz & Contemporary Music Program since 1989, teaching in several curricular areas including Improvisation, World Music, Ear-Training. Guitar. Voice and Choir. In 1995 he founded the school's Brazilian Jazz Ensemble , giving U.S. premi�res to over 200 Brazilian works by contemporary composers including Hermeto Pascoal, Guinga, Jovino Santos Neto, and Teco Cardoso. His numerous solo artist residencies include Harvard, Univ. of Denver, Cornell, Temple, Univ. Arizona/Tucson, Univ. of Toronto, Humber College (Ontario), Ithaca College and guest seminars at National Guitar Workshop and American Institute of Guitar.

Richard is founder and artistic director of JazzEthnics, a non-profit presenting community performances and workshops in his native Queens. He is also an award-winning producer for QPTV cable and plans to produce more TV and radio programming devoted to Brazilian music and culture. He currently makes his home in Kew Gardens, NY.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, his universal approach to playing, composing and teaching has sparked innovative collaborations with American, Brazilian, Native American, Indian, Chinese and other internationally contemporary artists. Since relocating to Seattle in 1993, he has worked with Brazilian greats Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Dori Caymmi, Joyce, Celso Machado and American artists including Richard Boukas, Andy Narell and Mike Marshall.

Jovino is reknown for his key contribution to the Hermeto Pascoal Grupo (1977-92) for which he co-produced several award-winning recordings and world tours. As official archivist and editor of first-time Pascoal publications for Universal Edition including the book Tudo Ž Som, and an edition of his own original compositions for Universal's new World Music Series.

Jovino has two CD's as leader on Seattle-based Liquid City Records, Caboclo and Ao Vivo em Olympia. His collaborations with Native American artists include the acclaimed project People of the Willows on the MakochŽ label. HIs most recent world music collaborations include Indian veena master Chitravina N. Ravikiran and Chinese pipa player Qiu Xia He.

In 1996 he joined the music faculty of Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts. Aside from artist residencies co-presented with Richard Boukas, he has given solo workshops at universities including Univ. of Florida/Tampa, Wheaton College, MIT, New England Conservatory (MA), JazzCamp West, Brazil Camp (CA), and toured extensively with his own Quintet.

Jovino's own compositions branch out into contemporary chamber music, including his piece Vagalumes (Fireflies) for Musicians' Accord. He is a composer recipient of WA state's Artist Trust Fellowship, Seattle Arts Commission Award, was guest composer for GermanyÕs NDR Big Band 50th season and was commissioned by the IAJE/ASCAP 2002 Convention to compose a big band piece dedicated to Billy Taylor, "Billyssimo".

Very active in expanding the music industry's recognition of Brazilian music, he is Vice-President of NARAS Northwest chapter.

For more information on JovinoÕs own artist activities and recordings, visit his website at www.jovisan.net or email him at jovino@jovisan.net.

Jovino with Hermeto at the Blue Note, 1991 photo by Tim Geaney

Jovino's compositions also branch out into contemporary chamber music commissions. His piece Vagalumes (Fireflies) for Musicians' Accord recently received its New York premi�re at New School Jazz Performance Space. He was also recently guest composer for GermanyÕs NDR Big Band 50th anniversary season and led an all-star English big band recording new music by Hermeto Pascoal.

Duo Residencies in Brazilian Music