MS fundraiser The Right Notes to feature Brazilian jazz quartet

By Michael Bray,

SOMERS POINT — The seventh production of The Right Notes, presented by the Donovan Financial Group of UBS Financial Services, will be held Thursday, Oct. 17, at Greate Bay Country Club. This year the wine tasting will kick things up a notch by adding the Nilson Matta Quartet as the entertainment for the evening.

Considered one of the greatest bassists in the world, Grammy-nominated Nilson Matta is a pioneer in the art of playing Brazilian jazz on an acoustic bass and has been a force in the evolution and popularity of Brazilian jazz. He has performed and recorded with renowned artists Paquito D’Rivera, Herbie Mann, Claudio Roditi and many others. He recorded with Yo-Yo Ma on “Obrigado Brazil,” “Live in Concert at Carnegie Hall” and “Yo-Yo Ma & Friends.” All of these were Grammy winners.

Nilson studied bass at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro with Sandrino Santoro, a Brazilian classical bass player. During his years living in Brazil, Nilson played the bass with musicians such as João Gilberto, Hermeto Pascoal, Roberto Carlos, Chico Buarque de Holanda, Nana Caymmi, João Bosco, Johnny Alf, Helio Delmiro, Luis Bonfá, MPB4 and Roberto Carlos.

Nilson moved to New York City in 1985. Since then he has performed and recorded with artists such as Joe Henderson, Paquito D'Rivera, Slide Hampton, Herbie Mann, Mark Murphy, Oscar Castro Neves, Don Friedman, Paul Winter and Gato Barbieri.

The funds raised by The Right Notes will assist local people living with MS by helping to support the Society’s MS Navigator program and increase the quality of care available to patients through its Physician Fellowship program. Through generous support of sponsors and the community, TRN has raised over $367,000 since its inception. This year’s theme, “A Touch of Orange,” encourages guests to wear a splash of the vibrant hue in honor of the MS Society.

To make a donation, become an event sponsor, donate to the auction or for more information, see NationalMSSociety.org/RightNotes or contact Stephanie Marakowski, manager of leadership events at stephanie.marakowski@nmss.org or 267-765-5113.

The Right Notes was inspired by the many ways in which multiple sclerosis has impacted our lives. Jayne Bray, the mother of Passion Vines’ founder Michael Bray, was diagnosed with MS 29 years ago, and finding a cure has been the charitable focus of Passion Vines wine and spirit company since the store’s inception. Additionally, committee members Pat Counsellor, Nick Regine and Ilene Carr live with MS and struggle daily with its challenges and complications. Over 400 individuals in Cape May and Atlantic counties are living with MS today.

Over the past two years, the MS Society received more than 450 requests for information, financial assistance and services from our community through the Navigator program.

The society mobilizes people and resources so everyone affected by multiple sclerosis can live their best lives, restore what has been lost and end MS forever. Last year alone, through a comprehensive nationwide network of services, the society devoted more than $100 million to connect about one million people affected by MS to the connections, information and resources they need. To move closer to a world free of MS, the society also invested $42 million to support more than 380 new and ongoing research projects around the world. Learn more at nationalMSsociety.org.