Mike Marshall has become a legendary figure in acoustic music. He has the ability to seamlessly blend his American roots background with a deep understanding of European classical music, Brazilian choro, and other musics of the world. Mike is a fluid Jazz improviser and a master on mandolin, guitar, mandocello, and violin. At age 20 he made his Carnegie Hall debut with jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli as a member of the David Grisman Quartet. He’s been nominated three times for Grammy awards and collaborates frequently with mandolin virtuoso Caterina Lichtenberg.
Choro is a vibrant, virtuosic style that emerged in late 19th century Brazil from a mixture of European popular dance forms and Afro-Brazilian rhythms. While it reached peak popularity in the 1930’s and 1940’s, Choro is now enjoying a renaissance in Brazil and is growing in popularity in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Choro Famoso seeks to bring Choro music to new ears and expose audiences to its more than 140 years of history, celebrating the diversity of Brazil and one of their first art musics. As a music that is traditionally committed to memory and improvised upon, it allows the musicians to spontaneously arrange the music and challenge the other players to keep up, not unlike in jazz. The playful ease with which Choro Famoso performs this Brazilian music is contagious. Choro Famoso and Mike Marshall have recorded two albums together: Segundo Vez (2014) and Mike Marshall & Choro Famoso (2004).
Mike’s Website: https://mikemarshall.net/biography