By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – American pianist-composer Jeff Gardner will bring his varied repertoire of contemporary, jazz, bossa nova and classical music to Leblon’s Midrash tonight, August 6th, starting at 9PM. Born in New York, U.S., Gardner has been living, playing and composing in Brazil since 2002.
Influenced by the sounds of his surroundings for the last decade, Gardner has received classical piano training from teachers Ruth Schontal and Ivan Tcherepnin. Additionally, he studied jazz with Jaki Byard and Charles Banacos and harmony with Nadia Boulanger, among others.
“I am thrilled to be playing the Midrash Cultural Center,” Gardner told The Rio Times. “It’s a multicultural pole of good taste in the heart of Leblon.”
“I will be presenting some pieces from a cycle of 24 Jazz Preludes for solo piano,” said Gardner of Tuesday’s show. “These [pieces] vary from jazz to modern classical in mood. I will also play some original chorinhos from my CD in preparation, Chorando Jazz, and some pieces from Spirit Call, my solo CD.” Chorinho (little cry) is a well-known type of instrumental Brazilian popular music characterized by its upbeat tempo and improvisation.
“This music is tasty and beautiful, wait and see, Jeff is a great musician – I am speaking from the heart,” Brazilian composer Hermeto Pascoal said of Gardner. The prolific Gardner has released seventeen CDs to date and has played with numerous international musicians including, Gilberto Gil, Rick Margitza, Kenny Wheeler, Gary Peacock, Norma Winstone and Hélio Delmiro.
“This will be my first piano solo in Rio for a while and I look forward to the intimate conversation with the audience,” said Gardener adding that “[it’s] always very musical in Rio.”
Who: Jeff Gardner
When:Tuesday, August 6th at 9PM
Where: Midrash Centro Cultural, Rua General Venâncio Flores 184, Leblon
Contact: (21) 2239 2222 / (21) 2239 1800
Tickets: R$20
Read more (in Portuguese).
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