Artist Name: Leo Gandelman Artist Biography: A major musician in his native Brazil, Leo Gandelman has recorded a series of albums for Verve Forecast that combine Brazilian Jazz, funk, and R&B with a pop sensibility. In his youth, Gandelman studied classical piano and flute, becoming a soloist with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra when he was 15. Quickly developing a taste for pop and jazz, he attended the Berklee School of Music. Moving back to Brazil in the late ´70s, Gandelman played piano and an assortment of reeds on over 500 recordings of Brazil´s most popular musicians, including Gilberto Gil and Milton Nascimento. In 1987, he made his recording debut as a leader; soon afterward, he started making records for Polygram Brazil and Verve Forecast. With a sound indebted to David Sanborn, Gandelman has won his country´s Jorno de Brasil poll for nine years running as Brazil´s most popular instrumental artist. E-mail:   Web Site: