Fourth Anniversary Show Featuring Felipe Salles Quintent

Special Ithaca Festival Show

Saturday, June 21 @ 8PM

Admission: $5 with an Ithaca Festival Button

Crossing Borders LIVE, WVBR's multicultural radio concert series, is proud to commemorate four years of quality multi-cultural programming by teaming up with Ithaca Festival for a special broadcast party, on June 21rst. Featuring the Felipe Salles Quintet, a fresh voice in Brazilian Jazz, the show returns to the Brazilian theme of its very first live broadcast on June 19th, 2004. The broadcast begins live at 8pm from the Lost Dog Lounge. Party, cake, and Latin Rhythm Jam Session will follow as part of IthaCulture programming, open to all. Celebrating further, Crossing Borders will extend its broadcast from 10 to 12pm to air another of its unheard concert productions, totaling a four hour on air marathon. Admission to the Felipe Salles live concert is only $5 with a Festival button. The concert is sponsored by the Ithaca Festival. Accommodations by: MacIntyre's Cottage, Helen's Guest Rooms, and the Coddington Guest House.

Felipe Salles is a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, who is currently based in New York City. His group, The Felipe Salles Quintet is the result of this cultural fusion, a blend of elements from two of the richest musical traditions in the world: Brazilian/Latin music and Jazz. Before coming to the United States, Felipe was active in numerous combos and bands as a saxophonist, composer and arranger. He played with such bands as Octeto de Musica Brasileira, Zerro Santos Big Band, Banda Farinha Seca, Zydeco Band, Santa Gafieira, Sampa Crew, Savoy Quartet, and the Axel Fisch Group, and has performed with Brazilian artists such as Daniela Mercury, Paulo Moura and Wagner Tiso. He has also appeared on the same bill with a number of prominent American artists, such as Betty Carter, at Bourbon Street Club, in Sao Paulo.

Salles has been performing actively in the US since 1995, leading his own group, the Felipe Salles Quintet at the now extinct Willow Jazz Club and Connolly's Jazz Club, The Knitting Factory, The Big Easy, Hybernia, Acton Jazz Cafe, Sandrina's, Ryles Jazz Club, The Middle East, Natick Center for the Arts, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Boston's Symphony Hall and the Regattabar. As a sideman, Salles has worked and recorded with numerous jazz, Latin and Pop groups including Mango Blue, Either/Orchestra, Bellevue Cadillac, La Timba Loca, Mozamba, Bevan Manson, The Daddys, Dead Cat Bounce, Quizamba, Grand Unified Theory, The Touch, Big and Phat Jazz Orchestra, Black Tie Affair Orchestra, Charles Brown Organization and Soul City. He has also worked and recorded with jazz artists like George Russell, Gunther Schuller, Sam Rivers, Herb Pomeroy, Jerry Bergonzi, Tony Lujan, Luciana Souza, Bob Moses and Fernando Brandão. Salles has studied with world-renowned musicians David Liebman, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Charlie Banacos and Kenny Werner.

Felipe Salles' first solo CD, "Further South", on the Spanish Label Fresh Sound/New Talent has received critical acclaim, and features Bob Moses on drums, John Lockwood on Bass, Alain Mallet piano, and Tony D'Aveni on trumpet. His acclaimed second CD "Mind Motions", on the same label, features Tony D'Aveni on trumpet, Joel Yennior on Trombone, Nando Michelin on Piano, Bertram Lehmann on Drums and Rick McLaughlin on Bass. Felipe Salles holds a Master of Music Degree in Jazz Studies from New England Conservatory and is the first candidate ever to graduate with a Doctoral Degree in Jazz Advancement from Manhattan School of Music. He is currently on faculty at Manhattan School of Music Precollege Jazz Division and Five Towns College. For more information see: www.sallesjazz.com.

Salles' vision is reflected his group's new release on Curare Records "South American Suite", made possible by the generosity of the Chamber Music America New Works: Creation and Presentation Grant Program, a component of the Doris Duke Jazz Ensembles Project, sponsored by The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Defined by the composer as a journey through Brazilian rhythms, modern harmonies and jazz improvisation, this suite has been described by David Liebman as follows:

Felipe Salles has truly taken a step into the future with this CD. He has found a way to incorporate the rich musical heritage of his native country, Brazil (with more than a nod to the genius Hermeto Pascoal), while at the same time incorporating sounds and colors from the advanced harmonies of 20th century contemporary classical music. Possessing a gift for orchestration and arranging, Felipe's music is definitely pointing to the future.

The very line-up of the Felipe Salles Group is an example of music being a universal language. Musicians from all over the world include the Uruguayan pianist Nando Michelin, German drummer Bertram Lehmann, Australian alto sax player Jacam Manricks and Argentinean bassist Fernando Huergo. Other musicians who participated in Felipe Salles' CDs are the French pianist Alain Mallet, trumpetist Tony D'Aveni, bassist Rick McLaughlin, South African bassist John Lockwood, Brazilian percussionists Rogerio Boccato and Pedro Ito, Colombian percussionist Ernesto Diaz, and American drummer legend Bob Moses.

The Felipe Salles Group has gained a lot of recognition in the US and abroad while participating in jazz festivals such as the Boston Jazz Society Jazz Festival in 1998 and 1999 and the Premio SGAE Tete Montoliu 2003 edition (that featured the works of Felipe Salles) in Barcelona, Spain The group has been featured in prominent American radio shows such as "Eric in the Evening" on WGBH in 1998, 2001, 2003, NPR's "The World" in 2003, "Jazz Latino" on KTSU 90.9 FM in 2003, and "Jazz Oasis" on WERS in 2000-2001. International radio show appearances include: "Jazz Concert" on Radio Cultura FM 103.3 (Brazil) in 2002 and 2003, and "My Favorite Things" RCV 99 FM (France) in 2002 and 2003.