Jazz in the Penthouse: The Music of Pixinguinha
J@LC will kick off the festivities on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, May 2, 3, and 4, 2002 with an intimate Jazz in the Penthouse concert featuring the music of the legendary Brazilian musician, Alfredo da Rocha Vianna, Jr., known as Pixinguinha (1897-1973). A prolific composer, touring visionary, and virtuoso performer, he is often compared to Louis Armstrong in terms of his enormous influence on his native music. Brazilian guitarist ROMERO LUBAMBO will lead the program focusing on Pixinguinha’s rich music, with a top-notch ensemble featuring PAULA ROBISON (flute), MAURO SENISE (alto saxophone, flute), CYRO BAPTISTA (percussion), DUDUKA da FONSECA (drums), and NILSON MATTA (bass). “The Music of Pixinguinha” will be held at 8pm in the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse.

Jazz on Film: Carnival in Brazil and in New Orleans
On Wednesday, May 15, at 8pm in the Walter Reade Theater, J@LC Artistic Director WYNTON MARSALIS will host an entertaining and informative evening of Jazz on Film: “Carnival in Brazil and in New Orleans.” Mr. Marsalis will examine the similarities and differences between the legendary Carnivale tradition of Brazil and the equally famous Mardi Gras tradition of his native New Orleans, with entertaining footage of both events coupled with narration and anecdotes.

LCJO: Carnival on Broadway, with Cyro Baptista and samba ensemble.
The highlight of the festivities will take place on Friday and Saturday, May 17 and 18, 2002 at 8pm in Alice Tully Hall, when the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (LCJO) with Wynton Marsalis perform “Carnival on Broadway.” The LCJO will explore the connection between Brazilian music and jazz by collaborating with a samba ensemble led by percussion wizard CYRO BAPTISTA. In a variety of combinations, the musicians will perform traditional Brazilian compositions, jazz standards with a samba groove, bossa nova songs, and a number of new arrangements and compositions.

Jazz for Young People: “What is Samba?”
As part of its ongoing mission to foster an appreciation for jazz among younger generations, J@LC will produce the Jazz for Young PeopleSM concert “What is Samba?” on Saturday, May 18, 2002 at 11am and 1pm in Alice Tully Hall. In addition, there will be a program for area school groups only at the Apollo Theatre on Monday, May 20, 2002 at 10am and 12pm. Wynton Marsalis will host the program, which will explore this exciting dance and musical style, joined by members of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and guest guitarist ROMERO LUBAMBO and percussionist CYRO BAPTISTA.

Cyro Baptista is a Brazilian percussionist who has played a wide array of traditional and self-created percussion instruments over his twenty-year career. Since his arrival in New York City in 1980, he has performed and recorded with an impressive collection of artists including Paul Simon, Laurie Anderson, Brain Eno, David Byrne, Carly Simon, Robert Palmer, John Zorn, Janis Ian, Herbie Mann, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ruben Blades, Chuck Mangione, Steve Gadd, Nana Vasconcelos, Caetano Veloso, and Astrud Gilberto. He appeared on releases in the 1990s on recordings by vocalists Cassandra Wilson and Holly Cole. He has also composed music and appeared in the movie “Woods” staring Nick Nolte. On his first album as a leader, 1997’s Vila Loubos Vila Loucos, performs his wild interpretations of the music of Brazilian classical composer Hector Villa-Lobos, joined by John Zorn, Greg Cohen, Marc Ribot, and Nana Vasconcelos. With Canadian guitarist Kevin Breit, Baptista formed the group Supergenerous, which performs in New York City and released a 2000 recording on Blue Note Records.

Romero Lubambo (guitar) was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1955 and studied classical piano and music theory as a young boy, before devoting himself to the guitar at age 13. He graduated from the Villa-Lobos School of Music in Rio in 1978, an outstanding student of classical guitar, and in 1980, received a degree in mechanical engineering from the Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro. He taught himself through intense research and practice, developing exceptional skill, versatility, and fluency in both jazz and Brazilian idioms. In 1985 he left Brazil for New York, where he became in-demand not only for his authentic Brazilian sound, but also for his command of a variety of styles. Lubambo has performed and recorded with many outstanding artists, including Dianne Reeves, Michael Brecker, Kathleen Battle, Herbie Mann, Ivan Lins, Paquito D’Rivera, Harry Belafonte, Grover Washington Jr., and Dave Weckl among many others. He has also established himself as a composer and performer on his own critically acclaimed recording projects as well as on those of Trio Da Paz, a Brazilian jazz trio Lubambo formed with Nilson Matta and Duduka da Fonseca. In 2001, he was featured in the J@LC Valentine’s Day concert featuring Dianne Reeves and a string ensemble.