With the Tito Martino Jazz Band
By Mats Olsen

For a night of Jazz with the highly esteemed Tito Martino, head over to the Memorial da Amrica Latina on Saturday (31st July). If the thought of sublime improvisations and perfect harmonies aren't enough to get you out there, guess what, it's also free! "Jazz, Hoje" is part of a series of concerts called "Porque Hoje Sabado" (Because Today is Saturday) which organizes free concerts on Saturdays, and should not be missed by Jazz enthusiasts or even the uninitiated. According to Tito Martino, the band leader, it will be 'Hot Jazz for a Cold night' and the audience is sure to warm to his vibrant talents. The band will play classics by the likes of Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong, in a specially rehearsed piece called 'hot and swinging'. Martino, from So Paulo, is claimed by many to be one the greatest clarinet players in Brazil. He has been interviewed and photographed by the New York Times, the Washington Post, and specialized European magazines. He has recorded 8 LPs and 4 CDs, has produced Jazz programs on TV and on Radio Cultura FM and created the legendary Jazz house OPUS 2004. Teaming up with him on Saturday will be more of the best jazz musicians in Brazil: pianist Ari Giorgi, bassist Zeca Arajo, and Carlos Lima. The Tito Martino Jazz Band hopes to preserve the "cultural treasure" of Jazz in Brazil, music that contains spontaneity and creativity but which always looks back to its musical roots: the Blues, ragtime tunes, European and Latin-American folk songs and the rhythm of African drums. The event promises authentic Jazz that will "cleanse your soul."