BRAZILIAN NITES PRODUCTIONS
1839 N. Kenwood Street, Burbank, CA  91505
phone (818) 567-0641    events hotline (818) 566-1111   fax (818) 567-6377
 shows@BrazilianNites.com     www.BrazilianNites.com

CELEBRATION OF JOBIM SPOTLIGHTS MUSICAL LEGACY OF BRAZIL'S MOST RENOWNED COMPOSER AT THE FORD AMPHITHEATRE

AS PART OF THE WORLD FESTIVAL OF SACRED MUSIC

World-class musicians, Armandinho, Paulo Moura, Gabriel Improta and Robertinho Silva Join Forces to Explore the music of the legendary and undisputed Maestro of the Bossa Nova

Antonio Carlos Jobim

Marcos Ariel, piano player, opens with his melodic and sophisticated style

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, AT 8 PM

Los Angeles, August 19, 2005 - After one more successful performance of this year’s Brazilian Summer Festival 2005, Brazilian Nites Productions adds a second event as part of the Summer Season at the Ford Amphitheatre and part of the World Festival of Sacred Music - TRIBUTE TO TOM JOBIM, on Friday, September 30 at 8:00 pm. The breezy and lilting bossa nova of Antonio Carlos Jobim, one of Brazil's most acclaimed composers whose beautiful melodies have become part of the standard song repertoire will offer the intricate arrangements of Paulo Moura's clarinet, Armandinho's Bahian guitar, Robertinho Silva's percussion and Helio del Miro's guitar.

Reserved seat tickets for "Tribute to Tom Jobim," priced at $45, $35 and $12 for children 12 and under, are available at the Ford Amphitheatre box office by calling (323) GO-1 FORD (461-3673) or by logging on to www.fordamphitheatre.org or www.pelourinho.com.

Bossa nova pioneer TOM JOBIM is recognized globally as a songwriter who shares equal rank with the Gershwins, Cole Porter and The Beatles. His arrangements combined modernist classical touches with a suave swing similar to North American "cool" jazz, rendering such deceptive simplicity that it masks gorgeous and complex harmonic structures. Jobim's bossa nova sound has captivated audiences since the musical style emerged in the 1960s. His universal classics include "The Girl From Ipanema" and "Desafinado." Long an ambassador and advocate of Brazilian music, Jobim also helped obtain the first recording contract for Brazil's other great bossa nova legend, Joao Gilberto.

In any ranking of important Brazilian instrumentalists, ARMANDINHO MACEDO has a place of honor alongside Pixinguinha, Hermeto Pascoal, Baden Powell, Raphael Rabello, and Paulo Moura. Luís Nassif writes in Folha de São Paulo: "To affirm that Armandinho is the greatest bandolim player in Brazil today is merited, but not enough. To say that he is the greatest to appear in Brazil since Jacó do Bandolim is better, but insufficient. To maintain that he is the greatest Brazilian instrumentalist to emerge in the last 20 years is just, but still does not reflect all of his talent. In truth, Armandinho, guitarist, bandolim player, and king of Bahian Carnaval is one of the greatest instrumentalists in history." Admittedly, Armandinho's history is a fascinating chronicle that recounts remarkable feats of creativity and experimentation. Armandinho's musical passion and virtuosity, in an expansive spectrum of musical genres, can be traced to the influence of his father, Osmar Macêdo, a pioneer of the trio elétrico. So perhaps it is worth recalling at the outset that in 1942, Adolfo Nascimento ("Dodô" - 1920-1978) and Osmar Alvares Macêdo (1923-1997) perfected the solid body electric guitar without any knowledge of developments made in North America by Leo Fender and guitarist Les Paul.

A legend of Brazilian music for half a century, the first Brazilian instrumentalist ever to win the Latin Grammy (2000), PAULO MOURA (clarinet and saxophone) is arguably Brazil's greatest living instrumentalist. Throughout his multi-faceted career, he has been a dominant figure in every Brazilian musical tradition, including choro, gafieira, jazz and classical music. His virtuoso playing is regarded with reverence in musical circles throughout the world. His sound, whether on saxophone or clarinet, is unmistakable, with his unique sense of improvisation, his interpretations and phrasings. He is the vigorous and effervescent synthesis of all strands of Brazilian music, always experimenting, innovating, inspiring young artists and moving his fans. His dedication to preserving the traditions, while simultaneously moving forward, is the model by which the new generation guides their careers. With an incomparable record of achievement behind him, his prolific career continues in full force as he performs regularly, composes, and constantly releases new recordings.

Helio Del Miro will not be part of the group due to health issues. Instead, Gabriel Improta will take his place.

GABRIEL IMPROTA personifies a marvelous kind of musical schizophrenia, expressing in both composition and performance, distinct, immediately recognizable talents that will be of crucial importance on the Brazilian music scene in the coming decades. His influential debut recording balances between passion and beauty, demanding total submission. Whether playing single-line solos that combine inner strength with a delicacy in approach, or essaying chordal work with an enviable awareness of dynamics, Gabriel Improta is a sensitive, lyrical musician with a warm, sonorous tone who sounds like a full rhythm section in accompaniment. His writing distinguishes itself by bringing listeners into an intensely personal vision and expressive range that stretches the Brazilian jazz genre to new parameters without breaking its thread. As the Improta family is replete with outstanding musicians, it would have been difficult for Gabriel to follow any other path. "I've known Gabriel for five years," says Carlos Malta, "and can affirm that his musical thread descends directly and genetically from a family that has tattooed in his soul both the sublimity of classical works and the creativity and innovation required in jazz and popular music." Before describing additional events connected with Gabriel Improta's career it would be well to digress a bit and share the Improta family background, since he is the descendant of one of Brazilian music's most illustrious dynasties. One reason for Improta's stellar reputation among his fellow musicians, besides his relaxed attitude, is not the fact that he is able to play and stretch out on anything, but that he can turn even the most cliché-ridden tune into an adventure. The audience feels how much he enjoys playing, and his pleasure is contagious. A master of subtle accompaniment and interplay, Improta supports with a strong rhythmic undertow that gives his playing a churning insistence. Improta's music may owe something to Baden Powell's world, but he sets his own indisputably virtuosic guidelines. He is a man whose compositions are full of unexpected details, revolving colors, emotional curves, and surprises. extremely coherent and original musical ideas allied to perfect technique, always resulting in music of quality, brilliant rhythmic articulation, and, above all, Gabriel's rare capacity and maturity for improvisation." By the simple, if uncommon, process of being himself, Gabriel Improta has developed into a musician with a style that is lyrical and warm, yet displays fire and drive without sounding driven or harsh—a force caressed by serenity.

ROBERTINHO SILVA, is without a doubt one of the most significant Brazilian artists of the last decades. His art is to play the drums. Internationally renowned for his innovative fusion of indigenous Brazilian and North American jazz rhythms—and especially for his work with singer-composer Milton Nascimento over the past 25 years—trap drum master Robertinho Silva displays his mastery of both genres on his new Milestone CD, Shot On Goal (Perigo de Gol).Like his U.S. debut Speak No Evil, which was released on Milestone last year, Shot On Goal is a rich, brilliantly conceived pastiche of musical styles held together by the leader’s consummate artistry; it is certain to expand the global following for Silva’s mesmerizing, genre-blending music.His discography includes contributions on recordings of Milton Nascimento, João Donato, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Wayne Shorter, Paul Horn, George Duke, Egberto Gismonti, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Raul de Souza, Dori Caymmi, Cal Tjader, Sarah Vaughn, Gilberto Gil, Toninho Horta and most recently Lisa Ono and Guilherme Vergueiro.

ROBERTINHO SILVA will also be part of a Percussion Workshop on Thursday, September 29 at the REMO Percussion Center in North Hollywood located at 7308 Coldwater Canyon, for more information call (818) 982-0461. This will be the kick-off celebration of this much anticipated event.

Piano Player MARCOS ARIEL'S career began in 1976, after studying piano and flute intensively. Following his way, he acted in countless contexts, developing his style and languages in different areas, always with balance creativity and consistency. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he is a carioca through and through-a true product of a city which constantly balances the risky tensions of its urban realities with the colorful passions of its ever-expressive emotions.

Leaving in the route Rio de Janeiro-Los Angeles, lots of things happened to Ariel, who released 22 albums that made his

talent even stronger in Brazil and the USA. Releasing PIANO WITH ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM, Ariel made a dream come true-record songs from the greatest Brazilian writer of all times, one of the most performed and recorded in the twentieth century. Marcos Ariel recorded this tribute in piano-solo, playing Jobim`s songs in a single way. He seems to follow the philosophy of Duke Ellington, who confirmed that simplicity is the first step to great achievements. With this refined work, Marcos Ariel shows he is a mature, conscious and victorious artist, which existence and category assured him a high position without proving anything .It is a work of a creator who refines his art each day of his life.

Brazilian Nites Productions, recognized by the County of Los Angeles for being the leading producers of Brazilian artists and culture in Los Angeles, are organizers of the annual Brazilian Summer Festival at the Ford and the annual Brazilian Carnaval at the Queen Mary generally in the month of February. The festival has featured the finest Brazilian artists since 1994 in Southern California including Caetano Veloso, Olodum, Elba Ramalho, Dori Caymmi, Fundo de Quintal, Beth Carvalho among others.

This event is sponsored in part by Varig Brazilian Airlines, Pelourinho.com, REMO Inc., KPFK 90.7 FM and Radiovisa 8.30 AM.

The Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East off the 101 (Hollywood) freeway just north of Hollywood Bowl and south of the Universal Amphitheatre. The Ford is disabled accessible and portable wireless listening devices are available upon request. On-site, stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle. FREE satellite parking serviced by FREE shuttles to the Ford is available at the Universal City Metro Station lot at Lankershim Blvd. and Campo de Cahuenga. The Ford shuttle stops in the "kiss and ride" area and cycles every 15-20 minutes.

This event is part of the Ford Amphitheatre 2005 Season, a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations. For a complete season schedule, directions to the theater, parking information, and box dinner menus, log on to www.FordAmphitheatre.org.

For more information, call the Brazilian Nites Productions Events Hotline at (818) 566-1111 or log on to www.BrazilianNites.com