ESTRELA DO NORTE

ESTRELA DO NORTE (North Star) is a group of accomplished musicians brought together by their love of Brazilian music. Featuring mandolin, flute, 7 string guitar and two percussionists, they focus on choro music, a spirited blend of Portuguese dance melodies, American jazz and Brazilian rhythms. Their performances have been praised for their joyous interplay, melodic freedom and infectious rhythmic drive. These musicians listen to and delight each other, and bring the audience into this wonderful music known as choro.

Will Patton has been playing mandolin for over 40 years and Brazilian music in one form or another for over 3 decades. Also known for his Gypsy jazz and swing mandolin playing, he founded this group in 2005 to explore choro, bossas and sambas in concerts and the recording studio. The group performs many of his original compositions in their repertoire.

Dominique Gagne is a native of Londonderry, NH. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Oberlin Conservatory and her Masters degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging from UMass Amherst. She has recently moved to Burlington, VT, where she is actively involved in the music scene as a composer, bandleader, flutist, pianist and vocalist. She plays flute with Gua Gua, a ten piece Latin Jazz band, and leads her own band, Ahimsa, which features her own originals as well as settings of Latin jazz standards. She also sings and studys the music of her French-Canadian heritage with Waitsfield native Wrenn Compere. Dominique has a private flute and piano studio at the Bundy Gallery in Waitsfield, VT.

Dono Schabner was born in Germany and grew up in Pennsylvania and New York. He started playing professionally at age 12 with Italian wedding bands. At 17 he hit the road, playing R & B all over the U.S. and the Caribbean. After many years of travel, he settled near Stowe, Vt. with his photographer wife, Lauren. For the last 3 years he and Will have been making music in many contexts, and also work as a duo. He has been studying the demanding 7 string guitar of late, using all 10 fingers.

Bonnie Anderson began playing brazilian percussion in 1996 with Burlington's samba drumming band, Sambatucada, under the direction of local drummer Bruce McKenzie. With Sambatucada, she has studied and performed alongside brazilian percussion masters Cyro Baptista, Cabello and others. She travelled to Brazil in 2000 and 2004, studying pandeiro, tamborim and berimbau with teachers in Rio and Salvador. Bringing her inspiration home to help create Guarana, a brazilian music project, she adds both percussion and vocals to that band's diverse repertoire.
In 2005, Bonnie, along with other members of Sambatucada, provided samba rhythms for Will Patton on his latest CD, String Theory. She now brings her love of brazilian music and the pandeiro to this choro ensemble.

Skeeter Camera's drumming and percussion work is vast and varied, from the prestigious Admiralty Navy Band of the 6th Fleet, to the Parisian jazz scene of the 1960's where he worked with jazz legends Blossom Dearie, Mal Waldron and Clark Terry. Upon returning the the states he performed extensively in New York City (playing with Caroline Hester during the early folk years), San Francisco and Australia. His longtime love of Brazilian music is one of the inspirations for this new project. Skeeter and Will have been making music together for over 30 years.