JOVINO SANTOS NETO QUARTETO

MAIS QUE TUDO – LIVE AT KERRY HALL, 1995

Origin Records

Jovino Santos Neto, piano/composer/arranger; Hans Teuber, flute/saxophone; Chuck Deardorf, bass; Mark Ivester, drums.

Brazilian Pianist, Jovino Santos Neto left Rio de Janeiro and relocated to Seattle in 1993.  He established himself at Cornish College of the Arts, a thriving incubator of creativity, since the early 1900s. Within weeks his reputation spread.  Musicians from all over were drawn to Jovino’s unique blend of Brazilian, classical and jazz music.  Neto formed a group with his fellow faculty members.  This ‘live’ recording captures the first public performance of his 30-year-old Quarteto. It features Jovino Santos Neto’s compositions.  You can hear and feel the excitement generated not only from the musicians, but from the audience members.

Jovino uncovered these tapes of that April 28^th concert of 1995 and knew they would make a fitting and loving tribute to their historic music and to bandmember, Chuck Deardorf (who passed in 2022).  It also celebrated the surviving musicians who have pursued this wonderful music for over three decades.  This is a legacy album!

They open with “Metamorph,” blasting across the concert hall with a joyful sound. This tune burns across my listening room with unrestrained energy.  Neto’s fingers flash across the 88-keys with power and purpose.  It was also released on an album called “Caboclo.”

The second composition by Jovino Santos Neto is the one that snatches my complete attention.  Titled “Mais Que Tudo” (that translates to “More Than Anything”) it features Chuck Deardorf bowing on his acoustic bass.  This is a testament to his years of study with Ron Simon of the Seattle Symphony.  Deardorf’s solo is also impressive, as he displays his prolific improvisation abilities over shifting chord changes. When the band changes tempos to 6/8, Jovino Santos Neto enters the arrangement with an exciting piano solo.

The composition, “Cara Navalha” plays like a masterclass in advanced harmonization.  It features another stunning solo from Jovino, followed by a spirited drum solo from Mark Ivester. The exhilarating saxophone solo by Hans Teuber lifts this arrangement.  Then Jovino Santos jumps in with both hands racing, raising the bar even higher with his explosive piano solo.  The audience goes wild!

Deardorf opens the tune “Chorelético” with a dynamic and emotional bass introduction played rubato.  When the band enters, they come in at a moderate speed, a slow gallop with Hans Teuber improvising on his saxophone. On the great composer, Hermeto Pascoal’s medley, I enjoy Hans now playing flute. The arrangement is playful and happy.

The final and closing song of this concert was a surprise for Jovino’s young son.  His father wrote it for him as a birthday present and based the harmonic variations on the well-known birthday tune.

There are so many twists and turns, musical magical moments on this album. The excellence of these four musicians transmits through this compact disc, as through I am seated front row center, soaking up all this excellent musicianship.  The brilliant compositions keep me spellbound and the concert, as a whole, is mesmerizing.  Just listen to the audience roar!

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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