Samba sounds will sizzle New York City on July 29 when the New York Samba Jazz Band performs at The Cooper Union.

The band features some of the best names in jazz: Duduka Da Fonseca on drums
; Jay Ashby on trombone; 
Klaus Mueller on piano
; and James Genus on bass. The band will perform two sets, at 7 and 9:30p.m.
in the Rose Auditorium. Thomas Conrad at JazzTimes said this of Da Fonseca:

“The universal appeal of Brazilian jazz is how measured, melodic emotion is energized from within by subtle, invincible rhythm. Da Fonseca may be the best in the world at motivating and sustaining  that special vital pulse.”

The Cooper Union is located at 41 Cooper Square on Third Ave. For more information or tickets, call 212-353-4135
or visit the Cooper Union website.

Brazilian grooves mamixed with country twang make for the perfect sound for the New York-based band Nation Beat.

The band was profiled this week by NJ.com, and the band spoke about their unique take on Brazilian music. Group founder Scott Kettner says it took the band a while to find the right mix, but through the years has perfected a mix of American country and Brazilian foró, a Brazilian style of music built around an accordion, triangle, and zabumba bass drum, a Brazilian instrument in which the player stands up and strikes both sides of the drums using the hands. The band’s sound has led to some interesting gigs – including playing Willie Nelson’s Farm Aid. NJ.com offered the following on the band’s founding:

The idea for the band began to form when Kettner was studying with the esteemed jazz drummer Billy Hart. After both explored bossa nova and samba, Hart suggested the lesser-known rhythms of the Brazilian northeast, though he was not familiar with them. Kettner began investigating those styles, which were not even well-known in other parts of Brazil.

Kettner found some New York musicians who were similarly open-minded, and they brought in their various influences. While recording in the Brazilian city of Recife, band members met backup singer (Liliana) Araújo and invited her to join them in New York as lead singer, which she did in 2007.

In 2008, the band released “Legends of the Preacher,” which playfully brings together the rural sounds of two different hemispheres. The band adapted the Hank Williams weeper “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” giving it a peppy Pernambuco-inspired percussion track. The band also went further, adding funk and touches of Southern rock, and even collaborating with the Klezmatics on three songs.

Brazil, it seems, offers something for everyone and every taste. T listen to some of their sounds, watch them here at Mosaic TV.

Fresh off shows in Brazil, Seu Jorge will hit the North American concert trail with a 13-city tour beginning this summer, and Mosaic Brazil offers you his tour schedule to see if he makes a stop near you.

Jorge has gained quite a following in the last decade, both as a singer/songwriter and as an actor. He grew up in a favela in the city of Belord Roxo in Rio de Janeiro state. Jorge began his career in the group Farofa Carioca, writing most of the band’s songs on the group’s 1998 debut album.

In 2001, he struck out on his own releasing his first album, Samba Esporte Fino, with his own version of Brazilian pop samba. The album was released internationally in 2003 and re-titled Carolina. A second album, Cru (Raw), was released in 2005, followed by a duo album Ana & Jorge with Brazilian singer Ana Carolina.

Jorge has also seen success on the silver screen as an actor and soundtrack songwriter. He appeared in both The City of God and The Life Aquatic with Zissou, providing the soundtrack for the latter by singing classic David Bowie songs in Portuguese. His audience in the U.S. and Canada continues to grow thanks to performances at the Bonnaroo music festival and other festivals north of the border. This year, Jorge also made an appearance on PBS’s Austin City Limits.

The following are his planned tour stops. Click on each city for ticket information.

• July 23 – Miami Beach, Fla. (The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater)

• July 24 – Orlando, Fla. (Club Firestone)

• July 28 –  Philadelphia (The Trocadero)

• July 29 – Boston (Royale Nightclub (formerly The Roxy)

• Jul 30 – New York City (Terminal 5)

• Aug. 1 – Montreal, Quebec (Osheaga Festival)

• Aug. 2 – Toronto, Ontario (Phoenix Concert Theater)

• Aug. 3 – Chicago (Congress Theater)

• Aug. 7 – Seattle (King Cat Theater)

• Aug. 8 – Portland, Oregon (The Crystal Ballroom)

• Aug. 10 – San Francisco, Calif. – (The Regency Ballroom)

• Aug. 14 – Los Angeles, Calif. – (Club Nokia)

Let us know what you think of his show.

To purchase Seu Jorge CDs, visit Connect Brazil.

 An overview of the world’s greatest party!

Here’s a Mosaic Video story on Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval traditions – enjoy!