Sergio Mendes

Name: Sergio Mendes
Start: 2024-10-10T19:30:00-07:00
End: 2024-10-13T19:30:00-07:00
Location: Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

Schedule

Thu Oct 10 2024 at 07:30 pm to Sun Oct 13 2024 at 07:30 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

Dimitriou's Jazz Alley | Seattle, WA

Dimitriou's Jazz Alley welcomes Brazilian legend, Sergio Mendes, for four nights and five shows. Band members include: Gracinha Leporace (singer), Katie Hampton (singer), Andre De Santanna (bass), Leonardo Orofino Costa(drums), Scott Mayo (kbds, horns), Kleber Jorge Pimenta (guitars), and Marco Dos Santos (percussion). Show times Thursday, Friday and Sunday at 7:30pm. Show times Saturday at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Doors open at 6:00pm Thursday and 5:30pm Friday - Sunday.
This show is supported by KNKX.
ARTIST INFO
One common thread weaves throughout the staggeringly diverse tapestry of music that Sergio Mendes has created over his remarkable six-decade career: the spirit of joy.
From his pioneering contributions to the foundations of bossa nova alongside the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim, through the era-defining Latin-pop sound of his iconic group Brasil ’66; his scintillating collaborations with jazz legends like Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann to his chart-topping adult contemporary smash “Never Gonna Let You Go;” on through his 21st-century reinvention with the Black-Eyed Peas and John Legend or his Oscar-nominated theme song from the animated hit Rio: an infectious spirit of joy pervades everything Mendes has ushered into the ears of listeners.
The Brazilian legend’s 2020 album is no exception. On In the Key of Joy, Mendes looks back the only way he knows how – by once again moving forward. Released to coincide with a spectacular new documentary on his life by acclaimed filmmaker John Scheinfeld (Chasing Trane, Who Is Harry Nilsson?), the album In the Key of Joy melds the classic Brazilian, jazz and pop sounds that have long characterized Mendes’ music with stunningly contemporary inspirations that make the album sound at once utterly timeless and wholly of the moment.
The documentary, Sergio Mendes: In The Key of Joy is enjoying worldwide release in 2021, after its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2020. Here’s a few milestones in the life Sergio Mendes, one of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time.
SERGIO MENDES BIOGRAPHICAL TIMELINE
1941– Born in Niteroi, RJ, Brazil.
1947 to 1955– studies classic music at “Curso Santa Cecilia” and the Conservatory of Music in Niteroi.
1956 – for the first time, hears a jazz record – Dave Brubeck – at a friend’s house, and forms a group of jazz “aficionados”.
Dave Brubeck, Horace Silver and Art Tatum change Sergio’s musical perception completely. The universe of Jazz becomes the biggest influence in his musical tendency.
1962 – Sergio goes to New York to participate in the famous Bossa Nova Festival at Carnegie Hall, joining Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd among others. The New York Times calls Sergio’s appearance one of the highlights of the evening. During this trip, Sergio visits the famous “Birdland”, and hears, for the first time in person, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderley. At the time, Cannonball invites Sergio to make a record with him – “Cannonball Adderley and The Bossa Rio Sextet”. Around this time Sergio meets Nesuhi Ertegun, owner/President of Atlantic Records, who signs Sergio and produces his first American record – “The Swinger From Rio”. Nesuhi becomes a great friend and mentor.
1964 – Sergio moves to the US (California), with a group that he names “Brasil 64”. With this instrumental formation he makes two records – in 64 and 65, and does several personal appearances, in clubs, around the United States.
1965/1966 – Sergio decides to add females vocals to his instrumental sound, hires 2 singers, and finds out that, this way, he can achieve a new sonority, very different from anything he has ever done before, thus creating a sound that will be recognized all over the world, as his trademark – “Brasil 66”. Sergio meets Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, of A&M Records, who then sign Sergio to their company. They become close friends forever. Herb Alpert produces the first “Brasil 66” LP, which becomes an immediate success on the hit parade of the world. “Mas Que Nada” written by Jorge Ben, becomes the first song, sung entirely in Portuguese to reach the top 5 on the Billboard magazine pop chart in the US.
From that success, he goes on to earn several gold and platinum records and produce many hit songs. Sergio’s popularity explodes in the US and internationally. He appears in several top US variety shows and TV specials during this time, with stars including Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, Danny Kaye, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams as well as on the top rated The Tonight Show.
2015 – In addition to a full tour of concerts in the US, Asia and Europe, Sergio and his band played to 100,000+ fans in September on the Sunset Stage in Rio de Janeiro, as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of Rock in Rio, the biggest music festival in South America.
2016 – Sergio traveled all over the world, with tours of US, Japan and several other countries, in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of his band Brasil ’66. To celebrate the 2016 Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, he recorded, along Brazilian singers Baby do Brasil and Rogerio Flausino, the song “Se Liga Ae”, written by Rogê/Pretinho da Serrinha/Leandro Fab, which was released in June 2016.
2017 to Present – Sergio continues touring in concert throughout the US, England, Europe and Japan. He also began work on a documentary about his life, directed by John Scheinfeld, who is has done very well known documentaries on John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Brian Wilson and many others. The documentary, entitled “SERGIO MENDES: IN THE KEY OF JOY” inspired a CD by the same name, featuring collaborations with Common, Cali y El Dandee, Buddy, Sugar Joans, Hermeto Pascoal, Shelea Frazer and Gracinha Leporace. Both the documentary and the CD premiered in early 2020 and continue to be released in worldwide markets through 2021.