Jovino Santos Neto

Jovino Santos Neto (born September 18, 1954 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a Brazilian American jazz pianist, flutist, composer, arranger, educator, and record producer. Jovino Santos Neto started playing piano at age 13 and by 16 was playing keyboards in a band called the Vacancy Group in Bangu, Rio de Janeiro. He earned a degree in Biology, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and later from Macdonald College of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 1977, he joined the group led by Brazilian composer Hermeto Pascoal, working as a pianist, flutist, composer, arranger and producer. Since leaving Hermeto's group in 1992 and relocating to the United States, Santos Neto has released several albums. He has toured internationally as the leader of his own ensemble and with musicians such as Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, and Mike Marshall. Santos Neto teaches at Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts and is a frequent teacher at Jazz Camp West.