About Me
A fusion of ideas, cultural identities, and genres of music is the best way to describe veteran jazz group Cabo Frio. Emerging from the musically fertile Upstate New York region-home to a host of other acclaimed musicians like Cab Calloway, Chuck Mangione, and Steve Gadd-Cabo Frio's beginnings date back to 1979, when members of the group from the Rochester-Buffalo area joined forces. Cabo Frio's recording career began in 1979, with the release of their albums on MCA Records; at that time they were at the forefront of the genre of music called fusion. Back on the scene Cabo Frio is awaiting the release of its new album Side Steppin. Over the past two decades, the group has recorded Eight albums and toured with the likes of Buddy Rich, Phyllis Hyman, Jeff Lorber, Joan Jett, The Yellow Jackets, Dave Valentine, Paquito D'Rivera, The Crusaders, and Joe Sample. Cabo Frio has participated in national jazz festivals, sharing the bill with such notables as Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, and Kenny G. The group has appeared on National TV on the Arsenio Hall Show and regularly across the country at such venues as the Newport Jazz Festival, Blue Note in New York City, Blues Alley in Washington D.C., the Baltimore Inner Harbor Concert Series, and Carnegie [Mellon] Hall. Named after a city in Brazil, Cabo Frio strives to reflect cultural diversity in its music. Influenced by cultures around the world, its members meld their backgrounds and individual sounds to create music that is as diverse as its audience."We want to touch a broad spectrum of tastes with our music," says drummer Curtis Kendrick, one of the founding members of Cabo Frio. A multi-talented musician and Cabo Frio's backbone, Kendrick is not only an exceptional percussionist, but also a prolific songwriter, keyboardist, arranger, and producer. A Rochester, NY native, Kendrick has played it all, from Middle Eastern music to funk, and to him, music is a way of life. His goal is to write songs that open the minds' of others to the spectrum of musical genres. Kendrick's collaboration with bassist Mark Russell Baltimore native an influence in the group since 1993 and an essential element of the Cabo Frio sound, makes for an exciting blend of R&B rhythms and jazz melodies with funky bass undertones. At home on the fretless, fretted, and acoustic bass, Russell has achieved international notoriety .Cabo Frio still remains one of the most well known and exciting ensembles in instrumental music. To a large extent this latest project is a reaction of group leader Curtis Kendrick to the fragmenting of the jazz world. Being uncomfortable with a label that would confine their playing, Kendrick and the other members purposely chose to create songs that would dispel any preconceptions about the music or the group. As their career quickly closes in on the 30-year mark, the unit has always been known for their brilliant blending of soul, jazz, pop and R&B blend. and discovery of new forms of jazz, and the result is a new blend of music for the fans for years to come.
