Recife's most amazing big band beats

Spok – Saxophone alto and Soprano, Carlos Cléber (Kebinha) - Saxophone alto, Gilberto Pontes, Rafael Santos – Saxophone tenor

Enok Chagas, Augusto França, Flávio Santana, Erico Veríssimo – Trumpet

Elci Ramos,  Marcone Túlio, Adonis Garcia, 
Thomas de Lima– Trombone

Renato Bandeira – Guitar

Hélio Silva – Double bass

Adelson Silva – Drums

Augusto Silva – Drums and percussions

Dedé Simpatia – Percussions

Launched in December 2004 and funded by Funcultura/State of Pernambuco (Brazil), SpokFrevo Orquestra's first album, "Passo de Anjo" (Via Som Records), was considered by indutry critics the beginning of a new era in the history of frevo.

The 22-piece Spok Frevo Orchestra, enhance traditional frevos with blistering new arrangements and opening spaces for jazzy solos and improvisations. They've also added electric guitars and the forró-associated accordion to the nimble-fingered, frenzied rhythms of trumpets, piccolos, clarinets, trombones and saxophones - an intoxicating blend.

The Frevo is, outside Brazil, one of the least-known of its dance rhythms. It’s also, quite possibly, the most infectious. Frevo comes from the Portuguese word ferver (to boil) and is a kind of super-charged Polka and has its own umbrella-wielding dance.

The orchestra proposes to give frevo a different treatment with modern arrangements and refined harmonies.  The musicians exploit the freedom of expression in improvisations with clear influences from jazz.

"Frevo is a unique rhythm, different from all others, cheerful and with a special magic: the one to transmit happiness," Spok explains.

Read more: http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/performances/view/1461-spokfrevo-orquestra?utm_source=newsletterJune&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=26June2013