The Sounds of VTech

Since the start of the Timeless Series on February 1st, 2009, word has spread throughout the streets, over airwaves and the internet, and across oceans about the magic it has brought, not only to Los Angeles, but to music lovers worldwide. Timeless has given those fortunate to attend, the chance to bear witness to musical miracles and be engulfed by beautiful melodies. Music that truly stays with you forever.

On March 15th, 2009, Los Angeles was blessed with a very special gift. The opportunity to see Arthur Verocai perform his seminal 1972 album for the very first time with a 36-piece orchestra.

From the moment the maestro, Arthur Verocai, stepped out onto the stage at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex on Sunday night, the audience was mesmerized. Not only by the sight of this musical powerhouse gracing the L.A. stage for the very first time, but by his haunting, intensely beautiful and psychedelically soulful arrangements. 

From the musical Lea family (Chris: flute/piccolo, Tom: viola, Elizabeth: trombone) to trumpet player Todd Simon, from Suite For Ma Dukes arranger/composer Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (viola) to Justo Almario (alto sax, flute), there was no shortage of talent in Verocai’s orchestra that night. And with the added help of Verocai’s friends and some of the finest Brazilian musicians, Ivan “Mamao” Conti and Jose Roberto Bertrami from Azymuth, percussionist Airto Moreira,  and Aloisio Aguiar (original piano player on Verocai’s debut album), the music was undoubtedly superb. 

Vocals provided by Carlos Dafé (original singer on Verocai’s debut album) and Clarisse Grova (original singer on Verocai’s second album) brought an authenticity to Verocai’s music that was reminiscent to listening to his record for the very first time. And when Verocai took the microphone to perform Caboclo, the audience held its breath. 

There is something special to be said about seeing a live musical performance. The nuances of the singers as they change octaves and harmonize, the synchronization of the string section as each shift in the head and sway of the body is timed perfectly, the love and emotion beaming from the musicians faces as they perform, and the joy and humble gratitude shown by a legend to an audience who appreciates his work. 

To be in the presence of such a man, on such an evening, unequivocally a gift to treasure for a lifetime.

VTech and Mochilla have brought a breathe of fresh air to Los Angeles.

-Let’s keep on breathing- 

Photos by Azul 213*

Though some may say the Ides of March evokes a dark mood, VTech and Mochilla couldn’t disagree more (Sorry Julius Caesar).  It’s time to rejoice and cheer, Verocai is here!

 Arthur Verocai with a 36 piece orchestra will be performing live in Los Angeles for the very first time, and you won’t want to miss it.  

For hip hop fans and music lovers alike, come experience Arthur Verocai’s self-titled 1972 debut album in its entirety.

How can you resist this? Opening DJ sets with  Madlib and DJ Nuts. A 36 piece orchestra featuring Brasilian heavy hitters Ivan “Mamao” Conti and Jose Roberto Bertrami from Azymuth, Carlos Dafé (the originally singer on Verocai’s album), Airto Moreira, and more!! 

TONIGHT! TONIGHT! TONIGHT! TONIGHT!

Sunday, March 15th, 2009

7-11pm / All Ages /  $32.50 

The Luckman Box Office +1 323 343 6600
(Please keep in mind that these are assigned seating events - in order to sit together you MUST purchase your tickets together - to view seating chart please go http://luckmanarts.org/seatingchart.php)
*Early arrival is STRONGLY suggested*

Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex
Cal State University Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive. Los Angeles. 90032

VTech and Mochilla are bringing you another installment to their  monumental concert series, a landmark in Los Angeles music history, with Timeless III.

Get ready to experience the cosmic vibes of none other than, ARTHUR VEROCAI. The legendary Brasilian producer/composer will be on stage this Sunday, March 15th, 2009, at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex. He’ll be performing his 1972 self-titled album in its entirety with a 36 piece orchestra featuring percussionist Airto Moreira, Ivan “Mamao” Conti and Jose Roberto Bertrami from Azymuth, and Carlos Dafé (the original singer on Verocai’s 1972 album).

Here’s a closer look at the supporting cast:

Ivan “Mamao” Conti and Jose Roberto Bertrami of AZYMUTH 

Ivan "Mamao" Conti of Azymuth

Jose Roberto Bertrami of Azymuth

Azymuth is a three-piece electric funk jazz group from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Formed in 1972, the group is comprised of Jose Roberto Bertrami (keyboards), Alex Malheiros (bass,guitar), and Ivan “Mamao” Conti (drums, percussion). They’re known for their particular style of music called “Samba Doido”, which means “Crazy Samba”.

The group started out in the early 70’s as Grupo Seleçao, a cover band. In 1973, they switched to the name Azymuth, inspired by a Marcos & Paulo Sergio Valle song. Their first album of the same name, was released two years later and featured the hit “Linha do Horizonte”. In 1976, they recorded other minor hits like the single “Melo da Cuica“. From 1979-1989, they released many albums for Milestone Records, including their 1979 hit, “Jazz Carnival”. 

Recently, many of Azymuth’s songs have undergone a series of remixes from various artists and musicians.

Ivan “Mamao” Conti and hip hop musician Madlib released an album in 2008, as Jackson Conti, titled Sujinho.

Jose Roberto Bertrami has recorded at least six albums under his own helm.

Percussionist Airto Moreira

Airto Moreira

Airto Moreira was born in 1941 in the small village of Itaiopolis - south Brasil, and was raised in Curitiba. Even before he could walk he would start shaking and banging on the floor every time the radio played a hot song. This worried his mother, but his grandmother recognized his potential and encouraged him to express himself. By the time he was six years old he had won many music contests by singing and playing percussion. The city gave him his own radio program every Saturday afternoon. At thirteen he became a professional musician, playing percussion, drums, and singing in local dance bands. He moved to Sao Paulo at the age of sixteen and performed regularly in nightclubs and television as a percussionist, drummer and singer.

In 1965 he met the singer Flora Purim in Rio de Janeiro. Flora moved to the USA in 1967 and Airto followed her shortly after. When in New York Airto began playing with musicians such as Reggie Workman, JJ Johnson, Cedar Walton and bassist Walter Booker. It was through Booker that Airto began playing with the greats - Cannonball Adderley, Lee Morgan, Paul Desmond and Joe Zawinul,
to name a few. Zawignul recommended Airto to Miles Davis for a recording session in 1970 for the “Bitches Brew” album. Davis then invited Airto to join his group, which included such jazz icons as Wayne Shorter, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea and later John McLaughlin and Keith Jarrett. He remained with Miles for two years, and appears on such releases as “Live/Evil”, “Live at the Fillmore”, “On the Corner”, “The Isle of Wight”, “Bitches Brew” and later releases including the “Fillmore Sessions”.

Following his stint with Miles Davis, Airto was invited to form the original Weather Report with Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Miroslav Vitous and Alphonse Mouzon with whom he recorded “The Weather Report”. Soon after, he joined Chick Corea’s original Return to Forever group with Flora Purim, Joe Farrell and Stanley Clarke and they recorded the albums, “Return to Forever” and “Light as a Feather”.

Airto remains one of popular music’s most in demand percussionists. His collection of instruments, along with his knack for playing the right sound at the right moment, has made him the first choice of many producers and bandleaders. His work with Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, George Duke and Paul Simon, Carlos Santana, Gil Evans, Gato Barbieri, Michael Brecker, The Crusaders, Chicago, and many others including contributions to movie sound tracks such as The Exorcist, Last Tango in Paris, King of the Gypsies and Apocalypse Now, represents only a small number of the musical contributions Airto has made over the last three decades.

His impact was so powerful that Downbeat magazine added the category of percussion to its readers and critic’s polls, which he has won over twenty times since 1973. In the past few years he was voted number one percussionist by Jazz Times, Modern Drummer, Drum Magazine, Jazzizz Magazine, Jazz Central Station’s Global Jazz Poll on the Internet, as well as in many European, Latin American and Asian publications.

Singer Carlos Dafé

Carlos Dafé

Carlos Dafé was born into a family of musicians in Rio de Janeiro. He learned how to play the cavaquinho, mandolin and accordion with his father. Later, he studied the piano and the bass. In the 1960s, he started out as a vocalist in nightclubs in Rio and São Paulo. In the 70s he added soul music elements to his songs, as heard on the album “Venha Matar Saudades” (1978, with Banda Black Rio). He was established as one of the most important names in Brazilian soul music, along with Tim Maia, Cassiano and Gerson King Kombo. 

Sunday, March 15th, 2009
7-11pm / All Ages / $22.50 Limited Presale / $32.50 After
*Presale Tickets Available @www.ticketmaster.com and
The Luckman Box Office +1 323 343 6600
(Please keep in mind that these are assigned seating events - in order to sit together you MUST purchase your tickets together - to view seating chart please go http://luckmanarts.org/seatingchart.php)
*Presale + early arrival is STRONGLY suggested*

Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex
Cal State University Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive. Los Angeles. 90032

Feb 22nd 2009
VTech, Mochilla and ArtDontSleep present

Suite for Ma Dukes : Miguel Atwood- Ferguson & Carlos Nino with a 40-piece orchestra.

James Yancey will be forever be known as J Dilla.  He was born in Detroit. His music was the most revered sound in hiphop from the mid-nineties until today.  He had worked with everyone from Tribe called Quest to Busta Rhymes, De la Soul, Common even Janet Jackson. His two solo albums for BBE records are classics and his Donuts album for Stones Throw is considered genre defining. Donuts, his final album,  was completed during one of his extended hospital stays. Dilla suffered from Lupus. It was released on February 7, his 32nd birthday. Three days later, while at his Los Angeles home with his mother (MaDukes), he passed away.

Carlos Nino & Miguel Atwood Ferguson have chosen to pay tribute to Dilla by interpreting his music in a contemporary chamber music style that they been developing.  Their EP “Suite For Ma Dukes” will be released and performed live for the first time.  Very special guests to be announced.

Opening Dj Sets by J.ROCC and House Shoes
Very Special Guests TBA

Sunday, February 1, 2009
7-11pm / All Ages / $32.50

*Tickets Available via WWW.TICKETMASTER. COM

Presented at The Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex located on the campus of Cal State University Los Angeles. 5151 State University Drive. Los Angeles. 90032

March 15th 2009
VTech, Mochilla and ArtDontSleep present:
Arthur Verocai with 30 piece orchestra featuring Airto Moreira, Ivan “Mamao” Conti, Jose Bertrami, Carlos Dafe and many more…

Folk-jazz composer/arranger Arthur Verocai was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1945.He has created challenging arrangements and compositions for Brasilian artistsfrom Jorge Ben (Negro é Linda) to Ivan Lins (Agora) to works from Leny Andrade and Gal Costa. Verocai is best known however for his eponymous 1972 album. It is a stunningly innovative effort.  It puts Verocai into a rarified field with the heavy string oriented music of Charles Stepney and David Axelrod. Released in a dark period of Brasilian history, the album fared poorly. Subsequently the album has become an oft sampled highly influential classic - see Ludacriss and Little Brother.

Opening sets by Madlib and Dj Nuts
Very Special Guests TBA

Sunday, February 1, 2009
7-11pm / All Ages / $22.50

*Tickets Available via WWW.TICKETMASTER. COM

Presented at The Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex located on the campus of Cal State University Los Angeles. 5151 State University Drive. Los Angeles. 90032

April 5th 2009
VTech, Mochilla and ArtDontSleep present:

The Music of David Axelrod live with 26 piece orchestra.

Born in Los Angeles, David Axelrod defines composer/arranger. He was a Grammy winning producer for Capitol Records in the 1960s and ’70s.  He has recorded everyone from Stan Kenton to Lou Rawls from the Electric Prunes to Cannonball Adderley. David Axelrod has forged a distinctive dramatic musical style.  His music lives and breathes Los Angeles.  His pair of solo albums based on the visionary, mystical poetry of William Blake (Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience) have influenced so much of hiphop.  His string heavy sound has been sampled by everyone from Dr. Dre (Next Episode) to Lauryn Hill and Lil Wayne (Dr Carter).

Opening sets by J.ROCC
Very Special Guests TBA

Sunday, February 1, 2009
7-11pm / All Ages / $32.50

*Tickets Available via WWW.TICKETMASTER. COM or please call the Luckman box office.

Presented at The Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex located on the campus of Cal State University Los Angeles. 5151 State University Drive. Los Angeles. 90032