Duets require an intense and flexible creativity from any artist, putting the depth of their musicality in a very exposed setting. There’s not a whole lot to fall back upon during a duet; you simply have the strength of your own musicality and the sole support of your partner. This means that the performance can result in new found heights of musical awareness or easily slip into tired cliche. Approaching a duet with passion and conviction can open an intimate window into the core of a musician’s personality, exposing their inner thoughts. Moving into a duet hesitantly will only provide a shaky performance built upon rigid safety nets. The move into duets is a calculated risk, but the potential pay-off is huge.
Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has jumped headfirst into the challenge of the duet on his latest release, Veja O Som (See The Sound), actively exploring dual sides of his musicianship. Raised in Rio de Janeiro, Neto soaked in the influences of the culture around him, connecting with the piano in his early teens. After some involvement in local groups, Neto became a primary member of Brazilian composer Hermeto Pascoal’s group in 1977, serving as pianist, composer, and producer. Neto spent the next fifteen years performing and recording with the influential Brazilian musician, taking a major part in albums such as Zabumbê-Bum-Á, Lagoa Da Canoa Municipio De Arapiraca, and Hermeto Pascoal E Grupo. A recording session with Sergio Mendes for the 1992 album Brasileiro brought Neto to the United States, and the pianist soon found a home on the West Coast in Seattle. He joined Flora Purim and Airto Moreira’s group Fourth World, touring with them through the next four years. During that time, Neto studied conducting at Cornish College Of The Arts, where he became a regular staff member, teaching piano and jazz ensembles. He established a solid career as a bandleader through a number of fantastic albums, ranging from his 1997 debut Caboclo, to his exploration of Brazilian music from the Northeast, Alma do Nordeste (Soul of the Northeast). The pianist’s latest release focuses specifically on duets with a large variety of musicians, spanning the range of two full CDs. The first recording finds Neto playing duets with musicians from the United States, staying for the most part, within the realm of Brazilian repertoire. Neto’s collaborators come from everywhere on the Stateside jazz map, including saxophonist David Sanchez, guitarist Bill Frisell, vocalist Gretchen Parlato, clarinetists Paquito D’Rivera and Anat Cohen, vibraphonist Joe Locke, and many more. The second disc places Neto in duet settings with a number of Brazilian musicians, once again interpreting the music of his home country. Some of the prominent musicians on this recording include pianist João Donato, guitarist Ricardo Silveira, vocalist Joyce Moreno, trombonist Vittor Santos, and many more. Neto interacts with each musician insightfully and builds a unique perspective upon every tune that only comes from a richly free-flowing conversation.
Neto tells us a lot about his own musicality and exposes a wealth of information about Brazilian music on Veja O Som (See The Sound). His duets show us the extreme flexibility of each composition and remind us that hearing an intimate conversation between two masters is indeed a privilege. In honor of the outstanding work on Veja O Som (See The Sound), today’s Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix is dedicated to Jovino Santos Neto. The first clip finds Santos and his Quinteto performing in New York City, tackling the song “Comichão.” The second video brings Neto back to Seattle for a performance of “Festa de Erê” with a quintet at The Sunset Tavern. In the third snippet, Neto and his Quarteto perform one of Hermeto Pascoal’s compositions, “Campinas,” during the Ballard Jazz walk. The last piece gives a hint of the album with a duet between Neto and guitarist Sergio Santos, “Samba Pra Mangueira.” Neto is an amazing musician with a great sense of Brazilian swing, a dynamic sensitivity, and an unending creativity, providing an unbelievable amount of quality music – enjoy!
———- Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto Performing “Comichão” Live In New York
Jovino Santos Neto Quarteto Performing “Festa de Erê” Live At Sunset Tavern
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