In the words of Brazilian pianist Jovino Santos Neto, Mike Marshall "shows to all those with an open mind that music is indeed One Universe. His profound musical gift is revealed in his interpretations of the choros . . . being a fantastic cook, he can add the right spices to his interpretations to please the most refined musical palates."

Mike, a mandolin ace known best for his groundbreaking "newgrass" work with David Grisman, chamber-folk work with Montreux, and genre-busting group Psychograss, is joined by a group of superb jazz and Brazilian instrumentalists in Choro Famoso. Along with Mike, guitarist Carlos Oliveira, clarinetist Andy Connell, and percussionists, Michael Spiro and Brian Rice, perform Brazilian dance rhythms with the fiery speed of a Django Reinhardt Hot Club group.

Choro, the swinging strings, reeds, and percussion fusion from which samba and bossa nova grew, is rooted in the early 1900s when Portuguese, Italian, and Eastern Europeans brought their folk and classical traditions to a Brazil rich in the vitality of African, Indian, and Latin styles. Tonight the group will present new pieces as well as classics by noted choro composers like Jacob do Bandolim and Luis Americano as featured on their recent self-titled debut album.