Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 3, March 2003
Copyright 2003 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.
LIVE FROM NORTH SEATTLE!
Local band blends jazz, bossa
By CLAYTON PARK
Grupo amoroso is a North Seattle-based five-piece band that characterizes its breezy, swinging sound as "jazzy pop-bossa" a mix of melodic jazz and bossa nova, the latter a form of Brazilian music that combines a samba-like beat, only slower, with elements of American jazz.
The band will play its unusual blend of music at Uncommon Groups wine cafe in the Roosevelt district on Saturday, March 22, from 9-11 p.m. There is no cover charge. The restaurant is located at 6508 Roosevelt Way.
Guitarist/singer Paul Korsmo, a member of Grupo amoroso, says perhaps the best-known bossa nova tune is "Girl from Ipanema" by Brazilian musician Antonio Carlos Jobim, which became a big hit in the United States in the 1960s.
The band's name, Korsmo explains, is Portuguese (the primary language spoken in Brazil), with "grupo" meaning "group" and "amoroso" meaning "loving" or "romantic."
"Amoroso" was also the title of an album by Brazilian musician Joao Gilberto, one of the early innovators of the bossa nova sound.
Three of the members of Grupo amoroso Korsmo, lead vocalist Sophia Smith and keyboard/percussion player Dinnen Cleary (Smith's husband) have been playing together on and off since the 1970s. In the 1980s, they played in a rock 'n roll bar band called Cremona and have also played everything from folk/rock to reggae and pop.
The band, which became more jazz-oriented in recent years, began performing bossa nova tunes a year ago.
Tunes the band performs include "Afro Blue," "Blue Bossa," "Look of Love," "Moondance" and "Summer Samba," to name just a few.
The lineup for Grupo Amoroso recently expanded to include Jeff Olson on bass and Dave Sanders on drums, windsynth and vocals.
Three of the band members hail from North Seattle: Smith and Cleary live in the Roosevelt neighborhood, while Olson is a Wallingford resident. Korsmo and Sanders live in Lake Forest Park.
***
For more information about the band, call Sophia Smith at 525-3048 or e-mail sophia.smith@hartcrowser.com.
Church hosts jazz series
Maple Leaf Lutheran Church introduced its new pastor, Julie Blum, to the community last year with an ice cream social that included a jazz music concert by a couple of musicians who live in the area.
The musicians later remarked that they were impressed with the acoustics of the church sanctuary as well as Maple Leaf Lutheran's piano a black, baby grand Steinway.
That prompted Terry Vogel, the church's community outreach director, to enlist the help of Marc Seales, an assistant professor in jazz studies at the University of Washington (and jazz musician himself) who lives near the church, to plan a series of jazz concerts at Maple Leaf Lutheran.
The monthly concert series kicked off in January with a performance by the Steve Korn Group, which drew 30 people.
Next up was a Feb. 22 performance by the Marc Seales Group.
On Saturday, March 15, the church will host a performance by a jazz group called The Living Spirit Trio, which features drummer Larry Jones, an instructor at the Youth Advancement through Music and Art (YATMA) program at Sand Point, along with a bassist and vibraphone player. The concert will take place from 7:30-10 pm., with a half-hour intermission. A suggestion donation of $10 for adults and $5 for students will be collected at the door.
The proceeds from the concerts will be donated to YATMA, a non-profit group that provides disadvantaged at-risk youths with mentors in music and art. YATMA holds classes at the church.
Upcoming jazz nights at Maple Leaf Lutheran will feature performances by the student jazz bands from Garfield and Roosevelt high schools and Eckstein and Washington middle schools.
Many of the performers will also offer CDs of their music for sale at the concerts. The church will provide refreshments that include coffee, tea, water and candy for kids.
Maple Leaf Lutheran is located at 10005 32nd Ave. NE in the Meadowbrook neighborhood. A full schedule for the jazz series can be found on the church's Web site: www.reachoutchurch.org.
Cabaret night at Gaspare's
Gaspare's Ristorante Italiano, located at 8051 Lake City Way, will hold a "Spring Cabaret" music night, Wednesday, March 19, from 7-9:30 p.m. Featured performers will include jazz vocalist Dianne Trani (who also happens to be co-owner, along with her husband Gaspare, of the restaurant) and a backing band that includes Andy Carr on keyboards, drummer Don Berman, bassist Dennis Staskowski, and guitarist Jake Powell. The evening will also feature a special performance by The Fenderskirts, an all-girl vocal group that includes Trani, Kaetche Miller and Siri Blaine. There is no cover charge, but dinner reservations are required to attend.
***
For details, call 524-3806.