BOSSA NOUVEAU

Bossa Nouveau can be heard on radio stations throughout the Pacific Northwest. The music from their last CD, You're Not The Bossa Me! has been played on ESPN (Oh! The Beautiful Ball) and most recently the original song Tres Generaciones (written by son Jorge Airto) was selected for the PBS documentary Nuestra Familia, about corruption and politics surrounding Latino prison gangs in California. It is scheduled to debut at the LA Latino Film Festival and San Francisco Film Festival. In 2004 songs from their critically acclaimed Christmas Northwest I and II CD's was selected for a compilation CD of the Northwest's finest jazz artists. They had more songs than any other group.

The group was created by Jorge Zamorano, who is regarded by his peers, the press and Jazz fans as the Pacific Northwest's premier Brasilian and Latin Jazz guitarist. He plays in the style of Brasilian Jazz guitarists Romero Lubambo, Oscar Castro Neves, Bola Sete and Toninho Horta. In the last 20 years he has had extensive experience ranging from classical, jazz to Latin/Brasilian music. He has appeared many jazz and world music festivals around the country as a a side man and leader. He has performed with many jazz artists including Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, Charlie Byrd and Paul Horn. He has performed with Motown groups The Temptations, The Drifters, The Coasters and The Platters. Jorge has played inaugural balls for President's Reagan, Carter and Bush, Sr.

Bassist Thomas Williams, co-writer/arranger for the group's first four CDs, is a Washington DC resident. His musical experience is vast and varied. He has appeared with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Bellson, Slide Hampton, and such jazz notables as Diane Schurr, Claudio Roditi, Arturo Sanduval, and James Moody.

Drummer Joe Janiga studied classical and ethnic percussion and jazz drums at The University of Oregon in Eugene. He then moved to Brazil for a year where he studied brazilian percussion with the great Formigga in Sao Paulo. Upon returning he settled in Portland where he has played and recorded CD's with local musicians and groups 3 Leg Torso Sextet, and McKinley and Klezmocracy, of which two were on the Oregonians top 10 list for 2003. Joe is co-founder of the group Klezmocracy which is also the house band for the radio show Live Wire of which Joe is co-musical director.

Classically trained flutist Liberty is an amazing musician with an incredible sound and technique. She has performed in orchestras as principal flutist for the Portland Youth Philharmonic, Portland State University Wind Symphony, PSU Orchestra, Portland Festival Orchestra, Bel Canto North West Orchestra, and the Astoria Music Festival Orchestra

Dan Davis playing bass guitar at age 15, picking up his first upright and working professionally at age 18. Dan has worked performing in and around Portland with jazz artists, Salsa bands, Rock bands, and Blues groups backing such notables such as Paul Delay, Lloyd Jones, Duffy Bishop, Lee Blake, Robbie Laws, Boyd Small Band, Mel Brown, Gordon Lee amongst others.

Dan has traveled outside of the area working with Myron Floren, Joanne Castle, Steve March Torme, Tiny Tim, Ed Shaunessy, and others. Dan was recently nominated for the 2205 Muddy Awards by the Cascade Blues Association for the Bass Category.

Renato Caranto, sax man for the first 3 CDs, recently received Portland Blues Association Muddy award for best sax and was inducted to the "Hall of Fame" for receiving the award 3 times. Renato is one of those rare performers who can improvise with the best of them while taking a melody that can bring the listener to their knees. He is a regular member of the Mel Brown group, one of Portland's top jazz ensembles.

Jorge Tom and Renato have been recording and performing together for many years. They have shared stages with many notable performers, including Kevin Eubanks, the Yellowjackets and world music diva Cesaria Evora.

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