Jazz

Igor's Jazz Cowboys

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Igor's Jazz Cowboys play acoustic Western Swing accompanied by a hot horn section. Just imagine Louis Armstrong singing with Roy Rogers and his boys - you get the picture. With roots stretching from the Great Southwest all the way over to Dixie Land, Jazz Cowboy music is sure to get your feet stomping.

The one with the handlebar mustache and beard? That's Igor. Not only can he play the upright bass like the dickens, but he can sing beyond 3 octaves.

Igor's Jazz Cowboys ride the Jazz Trail from Connecticut to California, and Canada to Florida. Sometimes the posse loads the horses and goes overseas. They've appeared in Australia, throughout Europe, and in Israel.

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Pete Pancrazi

Pete Pancrazi being named recently by Downbeat Magazine as "one to watch" and a guitar player "deserving greater attention" is no surprise to those who have heard him perform. Audiences in Arizona voted him the "Jazz Guitar Player of the Year" in AzJazz Magazine's 2000 Readers' Poll.

This graduate of the Berklee School of Music in Boston has been "one to watch" in the Phoenix area since taking up residence here in 1990. Through the years, he has cultivated a large and loyal following. Audiences enjoy his nimble guitar work and warm vocals in settings ranging from his solo performances at The Duck & Decanter to the complexity of his quintet at the Desert Botanical Gardens.

While in Boston, Pancrazi won the Berklee Performer/Songwriter Award four times as well as becoming a two time all around winner of the Berklee Songwriter Competition. He also received the Boston (ASCAP) Songwriter's Award and the Berklee Performer's Scholarship. He continues to delight audiences with his growing repertoire of original compositions, presented in performance alongside straight-ahead and Latin jazz standards.

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Novo Mundo

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From swinging sambas and sizzling salsa to soothing bossa novas and romantic ballads, the group Novo Mundo plays traditional music from Brazil and Cuba, seasoned with a jazz flavor. They feature the vocals of guitarist Kay Peper who sings in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, teamed with latin-jazz keyboardist Beth Lederman, and some of Phoenix's finest musicians backing them up. Translating from Portuguese as "New World", Novo Mundo merges contemporary elements of jazz and fusion with Brazilian standards and pop music. In addition they play cha-chas, salsa, and latin jazz for a smooth blend of world music.

Novo Mundo was founded in 1998 by Beth Lederman and Kay Peper, two Arizona natives with a love for Brazilian and latin music. The group has gone on to become one of the most in-demand bands in Arizona. Composed of full-time professional musicians, they have performed for concerts, schools, and private functions throughout the state. The core group of four musicians expands to the full six-piece ensemble for a musical impact that you won't soon forget!

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