Mike Marshall & Choro Famoso

Friday night, January 28, 2005
8 p.m. (doors open 7 p.m.)

Choro Famoso: Brian Rice, Andy Connell, Carlos Oliveira, Michael Spiro & Mike Marshall

Post-show note from Roger: This show was magical. All 70 guests loved it and gave the guys a standing ovation at the end. Many guests wrote afterward to offer thanks for a truly wonderful evening. Mike and the band are certainly welcome back anytime. Here are a couple of pics from the evening taken by guest Gints Klimanis: Overview, Close-up.

This show will be extraordinary and should not be missed! I saw this mandolin master and his band perform last summer and was absolutely spellbound. I've been trying to get them to the Rog Mahal for 6 months now and am very pleased that they were finally able to squeeze this show into their current national tour.

Mike Marshall is one of the world's most accomplished mandolinists, and his playing is as imaginative and adventurous as it is technically thrilling. If you don't know about him, here's a little name dropping: he was invited to join the David Grisman Quintet at 19, has recorded or performed with violin masters Stephan Grappelli, Joshua Bell and Mark O'Connor, as well as banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck, and lots more. With his former band Montreux, he produced five successful CDs on Windham Hill and toured extensively throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan to high critical acclaim. Next he founded the Modern Mandolin Quartet, producing four Windham Hill CDs that showcase the mando in a classical setting, and performing at venues including Carnegie Hall! And if you're an NPR listener, you'll hear Mike on the themes for "Car Talk" and "Forum". You can learn more about Mike's music at www.mikemarshall.net.

The band you'll be seeing, Choro Famoso, reflects Mike's love of "choro" music, a very energetic, rhythmic and beautiful indigenous musical genre of Brazil. Or, as it was once described to me, it is the "show off" music of Brazil--fast, lively and very challenging to play while also melodic, sensitive, and highly emotional. By the way, the rest of the band are truly gifted players as well. The amazing thing about Mike and this band is that, even though this music is highly intricate and difficult to play, they make it seem easy and they simply appear to be having a great time on the stage!

Take a listen to these MP3 audio samples from the band's current CD :
UM ABRAÇO SEU DOMINGOS
COCHICHANDO

Like John Jorgenson's show last year, this show is not just for musicians but rather an energetic, fun, beautiful, emotional show that musicians and non-musicians alike will be moved by. Don't miss it!

Please RSVP to rlinn@rogerlinndesign.com. Seating is limited and I expect this one to sell out. If you need to cancel later, PLEASE let me know so I can make your seat available to others.

Requested donation (all of which goes to the performers): $20 at the door

Date: Friday night, January 28, 2005

Time:
7:00 pm: Doors open, hang out in the turret overlooking a view of the San Francisco skyline and, over appetizers and a glass of wine, meet others who value music and ideas.
8:00 - 8:30 pm: Show starts, 1st set
8:30 - 8:50 pm: Intermission, more eat, drink & chat
8:50 - 9:30 pm: Choro Famoso, 2nd set
9:30 - ?: People often stay a while

Where: At Roger Linn's home in the Berkeley hills. Click here for directions.