Receita de Samba
Anna Borges, vocal
Bill Ward, piano
Fernando Huergo, bass
Mark Walker, drums
Gabriel Meirelles, percussion
Henrique Eisenmann Trio
Henrique Eisenmann, piano
Fernando Huergo, bass
Mark Walker, drums
Receita de Samba
Receita de Samba, taken from Jacob do Bandolim's choro of the same name, means in Portuguese "recipe for samba", an apt name for a group whose focus is to showcase the many flavors of Brazilian music in their purest form, with no artificial additives like drum machines or electronic sampling. The chefs de cuisine are husband and wife duo Anna Borges and Bill Ward, who draw from Boston's vibrant Brazilian music scene to cook up only the finest bossa nova and samba, as well as regional specialties such as forró, ijexá, and coco.
Anna Borges, originally from Recife, Pernambuco, began her career in Brasília, singing in local nightclubs and theaters. As an adolescent, she would go out to hear musicians passing through Brasília such as Egberto Gismonti, Joyce Moreno, Hermeto Pascoal, Chico Buarque, and the vocal group Boca Livre. Eventually, she learned to play guitar and enrolled in the Escola de Música de Brasília, where she studied voice with Jane Duboc and sang in choral groups, studying both classical and popular techniques. After many years working closely with Brazilian guitarist Agilson Alcântara, Anna moved to Boston Massachusetts along with her father who was stationed there as a vice-consul in the Brazilian Consulate. She began a musical collaboration in Boston with Bill Ward, whom she would later marry.
Bill Ward is a pianist, guitarist, and singer who has explored, in-depth, many musical universes. He began as a jazz pianist, winning Downbeat polls as a high school student and later studying at Oberlin Conservatory with Dan Wall and Sanford Margolis. He got his first João Gilberto record when he was thirteen. Still, it wasn’t until later, in college, that he would drop everything to learn Portuguese as he fell deeper and deeper into the vortex of Brazilian music. Lately, he has immersed himself in the universe of Classical Piano, pursuing a Master’s degree in Piano Performance at Boston University, where he studies with Boaz Sharon and Gila Goldstein.
Henrique Eisenmann
Drawing inspiration from different world genres, chants, poetry, jazz, and contemporary music, Henrique Eisenmann has established himself as an innovator inside the contemporary improvisation world, creating an original musical universe that is powerfully creative, authentic, and accessible to anyone.
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Eisenmann has always been intrigued with the idea of translating different musical sonorities to the piano. His music focuses on unique collaborations with artists from all different fields: dancers, poets, and actors. Recently, his "Notes for Pina Bausch" suite has been performed and choreographed by several international dance companies. Among his latest releases, the 2017 album "The Free Poetics of Henrique Eisenmann" (Red Piano Records) has drawn unanimous praise from critics across the world. Eisenmann has performed in numerous international jazz festivals and has worked with dozens of outstanding musicians such as Gunther Schuller, Paul Winter, George Garzone, Matti Caspi, and Tom Zé.
Eisenmann holds a master's and a doctorate from the New England Conservatory. His doctoral thesis explored the idea of free improvisation as a universal phenomenon.
Eisenmann is a current piano faculty member at the New England Conservatory, Improvisation faculty at The Juilliard School, and the Artistic Director of Jazz Lab.
