Sunday, March 13, 2022- 4pm
$15 youth, $20 Senior/Student, $25 general admission
Tickets available through Eventbrite.

Grupo Falso Baiano, exhilarating local masters of Brazilian choro, offers a window into the history and diverse culture of that country. Choro is one of Brazil’s earliest popular musics, dating back to the late 1800s, and, similar to jazz, it reflects the melding of African rhythms with a melodic and harmonic structure closely resembling Baroque Classical music. G.F.B.’s exploration of choro spans nearly 100 years, including everything from the traditional to more contemporary versions and jazz influenced reinterpretations. G.F. B. performed at St. Alban's in 2018 to universal acclaim. We are thrilled to welcome them back!

YOUR SAFE ENJOYMENT OF THIS WONDERFUL MUSIC IS OUR TOP PRIORITY:

Proof of full vaccination is required to attend, a properly-worn mask is required at all times, and the venue will be sold to only 50% capacity. The artists and staff are all fully vaccinated, and will be masked at all times.

Available IN-PERSON or LIVE-STREAMED.

More About Grupo Falso Baiano

Grupo Falso Baiano is a choro group that offers a window into the history and diverse culture of Brazil. Choro is one of Brazil’s earliest popular musics, dating back to the late 1800s, and, similar to jazz, it reflects the melding of African rhythms with a melodic and harmonic structure closely resembling Baroque Classical music.

G.F.B.’s exploration of choro spans nearly 100 years, including everything from the traditional to more contemporary versions and jazz influenced reinterpretations. In addition to performing and touring, Grupo Falso Baiano has worked in collaboration with the Pasadena Pops, Around the World Music Program, Young Audiences of Northern CA, and Youth in Arts, to bring choro and Brazilian music to students throughout California.

Grupo Falso Baiano takes its name from the famous Geraldo Pereira song “Falsa Baiana,” made famous by Joao Gilberto, among others. A “falsa baiana” (or falso baiano) is a fake Bahian: one who claims to come from the state of Bahia, named after its famous bay. Hence the play on words as it applies to Grupo Falso Baiano: since we hail from the San Francisco Bay Area, we are Bahians of North America, but are “fake Brazilians”.

“We picked the name to honestly reflect our love and respect for the music we play. Our take on choro is to preserve the traditional sounds and instruments while incorporating our own influences and heritage.”

Artist Profiles

Brian Moran |7-string guitar: Brian Moran hails from New Jersey, where he grew up playing piano and clarinet before deciding to focus on guitar. As a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Brian worked as a jazz guitarist and composer before discovering the rich tradition of the Brazilian 7-string guitar. Since then, he travels often to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, expanding his studies of the 7-string guitar, Brazilian mandolin and cavaquinho, a type of ukulele with Portuguese origins used in many styles of Brazilian music. In addition to playing with Brazilian quartet Grupo Falso Baiano, Brian has performed with Jorge Alabê, Samba Rio and is the bandleader of Oakland Samba Revue, a Samba big band.

Zack Pitt-Smith | reeds Woodwinds player Zack Pitt-Smith began his musical journey by playing a drum set at age 6. By age 11 the New York native was performing on the saxophone and studying woodwind technique and music theory at Eastman School of Music and later at Berklee College of Music. He went on to earn a degree in Ethnomusicology from Brown University. Zack has found his richest inspiration in several of Brazil’s traditional music styles. He has shared the stage with Jovino Santos, Harvey Wainapel, and Marcos Silva, Gene Harris, Slide Hampton and James Williams.

Natalie Cressman | voice + trombone
Possessing a voice as cool and crystalline as an Alpine stream, Natalie Cressman draws inspiration from a vast array of deep and powerful musical currents. Deeply versed in Latin jazz, post-bop, pop, and Brazilian music, Natalie has spent the past eleven years touring the jam band circuit as a horn player and vocalist with Phish's Trey Anastasio, while also performing around NYC with jazz greats Wycliffe Gordon, Nicholas Payton, Anat Cohen, and Peter Apfelbaum.

Ami Molinelli | percussion Based in San Francisco, Ami Molinelli is an American musician and percussionist with Falso Baiano and member of Duo Violão +1 featuring acclaimed guitar duo Edinho Gerber and Rogerio Souza from Rio de Janeiro. Ami is a two-time recipient of the prestigious San Francisco Arts Commission Individual Artist Grant and recently presented a series called "Samba de Raiz" a video covid project featuring 19 musicians from Rio de Janeiro and the Bay Area. Ami is also a director of the early education music non-profit Music is First. Ami earned a Master of Fine Arts in World Music form the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and has studied Brazilian percussion and dance at the Universidade Federal da Bahia in Salvador. Ami endorses Latin Percussion, LP.