Jovino Santos Neto started playing piano at age 13 and by 16 was playing keyboards in a band called the Vacancy Group in
Bangu, Rio de Janeiro. He earned a degree in Biology, from the
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and later from
Macdonald College of
McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 1977, he joined the group led by Brazilian composer
Hermeto Pascoal, working as a pianist, flutist, composer, arranger and producer. Since leaving Hermeto's group in 1992 and relocating to the United States, Santos Neto has released several albums. He has toured internationally as the leader of his own ensemble and with musicians such as
Airto Moreira,
Flora Purim, and
Mike Marshall. Santos Neto taught at Seattle's
Cornish College of the Arts for 26 years, ending in May 2020, whereupon he took to teaching via Zoom. He is a frequent teacher at Jazz Camp West. ==Discography==