By Lorne Reese
Special to the Weekly
Three-time Latin Grammy nominee Jovino Santos-Neto, one of the top Brazilian musicians on stage today, returns to Lopez Center on Saturday, Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m. in the third concert of the Steinway Piano Series. Titled “Piano Mania,” this event also features popular jazz bassist, Chuck Deardorf. Both men have also been on the faculty of Cornish College of the Arts for years.
The piano series was designed to present a variety of artists playing the Steinway piano, willed to the Lopez Center when Lucille Henderson died. To help make performances by visiting musicians affordable to everyone, this concert, like the first two, will be by donation only. Once again, numerous sponsors have stepped in to help defray costs.
“Jovino is one of the most powerful musicians we’ll see here,” says Richard Singer, member of the steering committee which organized the concerts. “He’s played with many admired musicians all over the world and brings imagination and the joy of Brazilian music, merged with American jazz and other worldwide influences to his playing.”
Santos-Neto describes the upcoming show as a treat because it features Deardorf. The two musicians have been playing together for almost 20 years.
“I’m happy to share that personal and musical connection with the folks who will come to hear us on Lopez,” said Santos-Neto. “We’ll play some original compositions and several wonderful Brazilian tunes.”
“Piano Mania” will also highlight skilled Lopez pianists Kim Smith and Lia Pryce who will open the evening.
“Kim Smith played the difficult Wizard of Oz accompaniment on Lopez earlier this year, and did it admirably,” says Richard Singer, “while Lia is an unusually talented girl who played at one of our Lopez Center community performance nights this year.”
Richard Singer and his wife Meg, both musicians in their own right, have been instrumental in bringing numerous musical events to the island, starting when Lopez Center opened in 1999. Among the performers they’ve championed are Children of the Revolution, the St. Helens String Quartet and the Three Generations bluegrass band. And both Singers have played for musical functions at Lopez Center.
Santos-Neto met the Singers through a neighbor, Reilly Atkinson, a great jazz pianist and childhood friend of Richard and Meg.
The connection led Santos-Neto to his first concert on Lopez years ago. He describes the Singers as wonderful artistic people who love music and support it in many ways.
“We love music,” says Richard Singer, “and it’s our way to make a contribution to our extraordinary community. We started helping regularly with planning and events after being on the piano committee right after the Center opened.”
