Luciana Souza, vocals Romero Lubambo, guitar

Program: Brazilian Duos

Grammy-winner Luciana Souza’s list of collaborators reads like a Who’s Who of genre-crossing luminaries including Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, Osvaldo Golijov, James Taylor and many others. Here she teams up with compatriot Romero Lubambo, “the best Brazilian guitarist there is,” according to Herbie Mann, for a return to their celebrated duo collaboration.

Grammy winner Luciana Souza is one of Jazz’s leading singers and interpreters. Hailing from São Paulo, Brazil, she grew… Show more up in a family of Bossa Nova innovators. Her work as a performer transcends traditional boundaries around musical styles, offering solid roots in jazz, sophisticated lineage in world music, and an enlightened approach to classical repertoire and new music. As a leader, Luciana Souza has eight acclaimed releases including her four Grammy nominated records Brazilian Duos, 2002, North and South, 2003, and Duos II, 2005, and Tide, 2009. Her debut recording for Universal/Verve (produced by her husband, Larry Klein), The New Bossa Nova, (2007) was met with critical acclaim (Bilboard Latin Jazz Album of the Year) and on Tide, Luciana “continued her captivating journey as a uniquely talented vocalist who organically crosses genre borders. Her music soulfully reflects, wistfully regrets, romantically woos, joyfully celebrates…” (Billboard). Ms. Souza has performed and recorded with greats like Herbie Hancock (on his Grammy winning record, River – The Joni Letters), Paul Simon, Bobby McFerrin, Maria Schneider, Danilo Perez, and many others. Her longstanding duo work with Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo has earned her accolades across the globe. Her complete discography contains more than 50 records as a side singer. Luciana Souza’s singing has been called “transcendental, perfect,” and of “unparalleled beauty.” Entertainment Weekly said, “Her voice traces a landscape of emotion that knows no boundaries.” Luciana Souza has been a prominent soloist in two important works by composer Osvaldo Golijov—La Pasion According to St. Mark, and Oceana. She has performed with the Bach Akademie Stuttgart, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Other orchestral appearances include de Falla’s El Amor Brujo with the New York Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Her work in chamber music includes a fruitful collaboration with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. Ms. Souza began her recording career at age three with a radio commercial, and recorded more than 200 jingles and soundtracks, becoming a first-call studio veteran at age 16. She spent four years on faculty at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she received a Bachelor’s in Jazz Composition. Ms. Souza earned a Master's degree in Jazz Studies from New England Conservatory of Music and taught for four years at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, in New York City. In 2005, Luciana was awarded Female Jazz Singer of the Year, by the Jazz Journalists Association. From 2005 to 2010, Luciana was the Jazz Artist in Residence with the prestigious San Francisco Performances. Ms. Souza will be a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra on the premiere of a new piece by young composer Derek Bermel in 2011.

In 1985, Romero Lubambo came to the United States, and brought with him a new sound in Brazilian jazz guitar.

Romero’s guitar playing unites the styles and rhythms of his native Brazilian musical heritage with his fluency in the American jazz tradition to form a distinctive new sound.

From the cool, sophisticated rhythms of his native Brazil to hard bop, Romero is a guitarist who’s comfortable in any musical setting. He is an uncommonly gifted soloist and musical improviser with a steady stream of unpredictably creative musical thoughts and the virtuosity to deliver them ever so tastefully.

After arriving in New York City, Romero quickly established himself as a “first call” session and touring guitarist who was in demand not only for his authentic Brazilian sound, but also for his command with a variety of styles.

Lubambo has performed and recorded with many outstanding artists, including Dianne Reeves, Michael Brecker, Yo-Yo Ma, Kathleen Battle, Diana Krall, Herbie Mann, Wynton Marsalis, Gal Costa, Kurt Elling, Kenny Barron, Luciana Souza, Cyro Baptista, Sergio and Odair Assad, Ivan Lins, Grover Washington Jr., Vernon Reid, Flora Purim and Airto, Paquito D'Rivera, Harry Belafonte, Larry Coryell, Gato Barbieri, Leny Andrade, James Carter, Paula Robison, Dave Weckl, Jason Miles, and Cesar Camargo Mariano…among many others.

He has also established himself as a composer and performer on his own critically acclaimed recording projects as well as on those of Trio Da Paz, a Brazilian jazz trio Lubambo formed with Nilson Matta and Duduka da Fonseca.

Romero Lubambo is considered by critics to be “the best practitioner of his craft in the world today…the guitarist’s facility, creativity and energy are in a class all their own.”

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