Three of the hottest shows headed to Tacoma this weekend will be in local churches. In last week's edition, you may have read about Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle's upcoming appearance on May 17 at Urban Grace Church. (See the Nightlife Calendar on B5 for ticket info.) And now two more hot tickets will bring singer-songwriter Adam Levy and Latin Grammy-nominated jazz composer Jovino Santos Neto to town on May 18.
The Brazilian-born Neto will appear with Jovino Santos Neto Quintet at 5 p.m. as part of the monthly Jazz LIVE series at Marine View Presbyterian Church, 8469 East Side Dr., NE, in Browns Point.
Neto honed his chops in Rio de Janeiro from 1977 to 1992 with Brazilian master Hermeto Pascoal’s group before moving to Seattle. His imaginative and interactive playing has continued through the release of his 2011 release “Current,” highlighting his lengthy collaboration with some of the Northwest’s finest instrumentalists.
“He builds on the forms created by earlier generations, mixing them with jazz even more than those who came before him, until it's almost a new hybrid that joins North and Latin American styles,” critic Chris Nickson writes for AllMusic.com.
Appearing with Jovino at Marine View will be vibraphonist Ben Thomas, bassist Chuck Deardorf, Mark Ivester on drums and Jeff Busch on percussion. Music starts at 5 p.m., and the show is free and open to all ages; (253) 927-0557 or http://www.marineviewpc.org for further details.
At that same time, Levy – the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and jazz guitarist best known for playing with Norah Jones' Handsome Band – will headline the monthly Blues Vespers series at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 901 N. J St., in Tacoma.
Levy appears on Jones' Grammy-winning debut smash “Come Away with Me” and follow-up albums “Feels Like Home” and “Not Too Late.” His playing is also featured on Tracy Chapman's “Give Me One Reason” and releases by Amos Lee, Sex Mob and Chris Difford, among others.
Levy tackles a variety of playing styles on his solo work. His latest releases include April's blues and jazz-oriented “Town & Country,” which features appearances by Matt Chamberlain and Larry Goldings, last year's folk-pop focused “Portuguese Subtitles” and “Live from Sun Studios,” a collaboration with the Mint Imperials he recorded at Memphis studio where Elvis, Johnny Cash, B.B. King and others recorded some of their early hits.
In Tacoma, Levy will be joined by local cellist Emily Peterson who is best known for her work with Tacoma's Goldfinch and as co-founder of the Coda School of Music. The Vespers concert will also include poetry and a brief meditation. Admission is free, though a collection will be taken to support the artists. Call (253) 627-8371 or visit http://www.ipctacoma.org to learn more.