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22_V1_WAT_Nov30 HOLIDAY MARKETPLACE: DEC 1-3 HORSE-DRAWN TROLLEY RIDES VISITS WITH SANTA IN-STORE SPECIALS AND FESTIVE TREATS DRAW FOR $500 UPTOWN DOLLARS AND SO MUCH MORE! For a full schedule of activities and list of participating businesses, visit www.uptownwaterloobia.com. Activities compliments of UpTown Waterloo businesses. 22 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • Th ursday, November 30, 2017 Serving your community since 1856 ARTS FOCUS Th e Grand River Jazz Society pres- ents two spectacular and unusual con- certs this weekend at the Jazz Room. Friday night features two much loved Waterloo Region ensembles and three singers as New Vibes and the Penderecki Quartet team up for a show of songs performed by the Breithaupt Brothers. On Saturday, Portuguese singer and multi instrumentalist Louis Simao makes his fi rst visit to the Jazz Room. Hailed by the Toronto Star as Cana- da's Gershwin brothers and with songs "worthy of inclusion in the Great Amer- ican Songbook," according to CBC Radio, the Breithaupt Brothers -- Don (music), Jeff (lyrics) -- released the universally acclaimed album Just Pass- ing Th rough: Th e Breithaupt Brothers Songbook Vol. II on Alma Records in 2014. Jeff and Don are two musical descendants of "those Breithaupts": mayors, industrialists, a lieutenant- governor, and community builders. While their music is fresh, their songs seem like they were written in a golden age alongside the likes of Gershwin, Porter and Hammerstein. At two sold-out Registry Theatre concerts this past June, the region was introduced to this warm and sonorous music through the voices of many of the region's fi nest jazz vocal- ists accompanied by the New Vibes Jazz Quintet and the Penderecki String Quartet. At this special Jazz Room pre- sentation, the smooth and theatrical voices of Joni NehRita, Mary-Catherine Pazzano and Derek Hines will be fea- tured in this repeat performance by two of the region's fi nest ensembles. New Vibes Jazz Quartet interprets jazz standards with a polished sound and fl uid improvisation. Th eir two per- cussionists provide an extensive range of rhythmic expression. The com- bination of vibraphone and violin is not often heard … but what a beauti- ful sound. Th ey are no strangers to the Jazz Room, always playing to a packed house. On Saturday, Toronto-based musi- cian, Simão visits the Jazz Room. He has been composing, performing and recording as a multi-instrumentalist in a variety of genres for 20 years, and 2016 marked the release of his much- anticipated solo album, A Luz (The Light) -- a collection of Simão's own compositions and arrangements. Joined by the best cross-genre musicians Toronto has to off er, Simão takes the listener on a journey through the sounds of the Portuguese-speaking world as experienced through the life of this first-generation Canadian. His cultural background combined with his jazz sensibility and chamber music compositional style come together to create a voice that is at once univer- sal while remaining deeply personal. Simão's tunes easily shift from samba to folkloric to funk to lush string and woodwind arrangements. Described as "utterly unique" by CBC Radio One, he was the winner of the 2007 USA Songwriting Competition in the World Music category with his song, Fado Torto. Simão has opened for Cesaria Evora and Celso Machado, shared a night with Brazilian reggae stars Chico Cesar and Rita Ribeiro, toured Portugal. Th e band features Simão on guitar, accor- dion, vocals and piano, David French on saxophone and vocals, Bill McBirnie on fl ute, Rich Brown on electric bass, Marito Marques on drums and Manin- ho Costa on percussion and vocals. The Grand River Jazz Society is an all volunteer organization. Volun- teers are always welcome to help greet patrons at the door and generally assist in managing the events. Friday and Saturday concerts start at 8:30. For more information, please visit kwjazzroom.com. Two special shows coming to the Jazz Room this weekend SUBMITTED PHOTO Singer and multi-instrumentalist Louis Simão brings his Portuguese infused jazz sound to the Jazz Room Saturday. The New Vibes and Penderecki Quartet open the weekend with a few special guests.