Event

Homenagem Brasileira Quintet featuring Jeff Cressman

Vocalist Sandy Cressman was born in New York, but she found her musical home when she first heard the music of Brazilian songwriter Ivan Lins. From that moment on, Sandy felt a deep affinity for Brazilian music and devoted herself to studying and performing it. She studied Portuguese and immersed herself in the music of Lins, Djavan, Milton Nascimento, Dori Caymmi, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and many others. Since 1996, Sandy has collaborated extensively with Brazilian keyboardist Marcos Silva.

In 1997, Cressman created Homenagem Brasileira. The group has released two acclaimed albums of Brazilian songs and performed across the United States, as well as in France, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. Homenagem Brasileira's repertoire embraces the diversity of Brazil's musical traditions, rather than simply focusing on Brazilian standards that have already crossed over into the jazz world. According to Brazilian keyboardist and musicologist Jovino Santos Neto, "after decades of listening to countless American singers rehash the same five or six tunes over and over, it is indeed a breath of fresh air to hear someone who is not afraid to try something new."

Sandy Cressman, voice/percussion
Anne Sajdera, piano
Ami Molinelli, percussion
Fred Randolph, acoustic bass
Jeff Cressman, trombone

The quintet, featuring Santana trombonist Jeff Cressman, will be presenting some material from Cressman's upcoming collaboration CD Entre Amigos.