Don’t blow it
Enjoy a musical journey to Brazil, as Dmitri Matheny and renowned vocalist Holly Pyle put a fresh spin on jazz samba, bossa nova and beyond at the Newport Performing Arts Center this Friday, July 14.
All About Jazz magazine called the Dmitri Matheny Group “an all-star jazz band featuring some of the most accomplished musicians in the western United States,” and the International Review of Music lauded flugelhornist Matheny as “one of the most emotionally expressive improvisers of his generation.”
An honors graduate of Berklee College of Music, Matheny vaulted onto the jazz scene in the 1990s as the protégé of legend Art Farmer. He has since garnered critical acclaim and a loyal international following, releasing 12 CDs and touring extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.
Pyle is based in Los Angeles and was complemented by the Phoenix New Times for her “soulfully graceful, liquid-like voice.” She began as an opera major and is now one of the most popular vocalists in the west, performing with leading jazz groups and appearing regularly as a solo a-cappella act, using electronic looping to build masterful sonic creations. For a decade now, she and Matheny have toured the western states, delighting audiences with their creative collaborations.
“Holly is absolutely brilliant,” Matheny said. “So soulful, with the kind of relaxed virtuosity you usually only hear from much older artists. Every year she and I build a new show around a particular artist, style, or theme and take it on the road. We draw inspiration from everywhere: art, music, literature, nature - you name it. This year’s program, The Brazil Project, is our take on the jazz samba and bossa nova craze of the 1960s, highlighting the music of Antônio Carlos Jobim.”
In the early 1960s, Brazil ignited a global musical revolution by exporting a new kind of jazz-infused music. Blending subtle, caressing melodies with intoxicating syncopated rhythms, the sound was called Bossa Nova, Portuguese for “new trend.” When Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “The Girl From Ipanema” won the Grammy in 1965, the new trend became a worldwide phenomenon.
“We’re thrilled and honored to host a stop on Dmitri and Holly’s summer tour,” said Jason Holland, executive director of the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts. “It’s exciting to share such a vibrant and unique live concert experience with our local audiences.”
The show starts at 7pm and tickets are $40. The Newport Performing Arts Center is located at 777 W Olive Street. For more information, go to coastarts.org or call 541-265-2787.