Claudia Villela & Vitor Gonçalves

“A Brazilian-born genius with a blistering voice” (JazzTimes), Rio-born Claudia Villela has developed a reputation as a singularly unique singer, pianist and composer, lending her five-octave voice to work with jazz luminaries including Kenny Werner, Michael Brecker and Toots Thielemans. Villela began singing professionally as a teen and eventually moved to the Bay Area. A scholarship to New York’s Manhattan School of Music and studies with the legendary Sheila Jordan cemented Villela’s jazz credentials, and she returned to California as an artist on a mission to create fresh, original music born of her Brazilian upbringing and passion for jazz. She blends the ever-present samba of her native Brazil with jazz, blues, and songs from around the globe, inspiring the iconic San Francisco Chronicle critic Phil Elwood to enthuse, “Villela doesn’t just sing – she actually dances with her voice on top of Brazilian beats.”

Villela will be joined on this concert date by accordionist/pianist Vitor Gonçalves. Gonçalves
hails from Rio de Janeiro, and after an illustrious career as an in demand musician in Brazil, playing with such icons as Hermeto Pascoal, Maria Bethânia, Itiberê Zwarg, and many others, he made the move to New York City, where he currently resides. Since arriving in NYC, he has garnered much acclaim and built a star-studded resume, including features in NPR’s ‘Jazz Night in America’ and as a frequent performer at Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Jazz Standard, and the Jazz Gallery.

Claudia Villela Website
Vitor Goncalves Website
Sponsored by Melody Walsh
(Ticket Includes 5% City of Santa Cruz Admission Tax)