Piedmont Piano Company is pleased to present
Ricardo Peixoto Quintet
An evening of Brazilian guitarist and composer Ricardo Peixoto’s original music, including material from his soon to be released CD. The music is grounded both in the jazz and Brazilian music traditions, but always ventures well beyond their borders, combining rich melodies, sophisticated harmonies, and the traditional rhythms of Brazil. Ricardo will be joined by Bob Afifi on flute, Ken Cook on piano, Cliff Hugo on bass, and Kendrick Freeman on drums.
$20 General Admission
Originally from Rio de Janeiro and based in the Bay Area, guitarist and composer Ricardo Peixoto is among the top representatives of Brazilian guitar in the US today. His fluid melodic style and keen compositional sense explore Brazil’s rich and diverse traditions. His recording and performance credits include Claudia Villela, Berkeley Choro Ensemble, Flora Purim and Airto, Bud Shank, Paul McCandless, Dom Um Romão, Sivuca, Claudio Roditi, Toots Thielemans, Dori Caymmi, Guinga, Arturo Sandoval, Spok, Jovino Santos Neto, Duo Violão Brasil, Marcos Silva and Terra Sul.
Equally at home in the jazz and classical worlds, with degrees in Jazz Studies from Sonoma State University, and in Classical Flute from San Francisco State University, flutist Bob Afifi is a virtuoso instrumentalist and educator. He’s participated in several recordings with bassist Mel Graves, including the critically acclaimed Day of Love as well as Ear Shot - The Music of Mel Gravesand Indian Parrot and Other Stories - Music of W.A. Mathieu.
Pianist, educator and composer Ken Cook has performed in Europe, Latin and South America and much of the Eastern United states with various groups including the great New Orleans singer Johnny Adams. He has a Masters Degree in Music from the New England Conservatory and is an active clinician and educator. Ken currently holds the Jazz Piano chair in the Jazz Studies Department at Sonoma State University.
Acoustic and electric bassist Cliff Hugo's extensive credits include 25 years as a member of British rock band Supertramp, as well as recording/performing with Ray Charles, Moacir Santos, Manhattan Transfer, Willie Bobo, Dan Hicks and many others.
Kendrick Freeman's background in both drumset and hand drums has allowed him the flexibility to collaborate with a range of artists. He's played with Nashville dobro ace Rob Ickes, Joe Craven's trio and Pakistani singer Sukhawat Ali Khan. Current work includes Malian singer/ngoni player Mamadou Sidibe and the Oakland-based Haitian dance company Rara Tou Limen. Kendrick has been the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts.