Karma Roulette Quartet

While at Oberlin Brian studied percussion with Michael Rosen and played with the school’s orchestras, contemporary ensemble, percussion group, gamelan, steel band, and the Mandinka Ensemble.  Study in tabla followed with Pandit Sharda Sahai and Bob Becker.  Brian's study of the pandeiro began in 1986 with many esteemed teachers, but his work with Marcos Suzano inspired him to expand his use of the pandeiro outside the Brazilian music world and apply it to Balkan, Celtic, Middle Eastern, Spanish, and Cuban music with great effect.  Brian's prowess on the instrument has led him to perform and record with numerous Brazilian artists, including Rogerio Souza, Jovino Santos Neto, Paulo Sergio Santos, Dudu Maia, Hamilton de Holanda, Edinho Gerber, Jorge Alabe, and touring with the Danilo Brito Quintet that performed at both the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers.

After Oberlin Brian moved to Oregon where he began doing freelance work in 1989.  Five years later he moved to Seattle to join Bochinche and perform their acclaimed production of "A Musical Tour of the Americas" for countless schools.  While in Seattle, Brian founded and directed Samba Seattle, a parade-ready samba percussion and dance troupe. He also created and directed the Afro-Cuban Folkloric Collective, a drum and dance troupe specializing in Afro-Cuban folkloric traditions. 

Since moving to the Bay Area in 1997, Brian has branched out into a multitude of styles including Spanish flamenco, klezmer, jazz, folk, Broadway musicals, Celtic, Balkan music, and the occasional Chinese funeral.  Brian's classical music background and expertise on a vast array of hand drums came into play when he performed in over seventy shows of "The Lion King", the Santa Rosa Symphony's rendition of the silent film "Metropolis", and John Luther Adams' "Inuksuit".  He currently performs with Tres Baia (which he founded), Cascada de Flores, Danilo Brito, Mike Marshall and Choro Famoso, Wake the Dead, The Berkeley Choro Ensemble, Samba Rio, Mariah Parker Indo-Latin Ensemble, and Orchestrating Excellence.  

With Jane Lenoir of the Berkeley Choro Ensemble, Brian founded the Berkeley Festival of Choro, now in its 8th year.  The festival has included artists such as Choro Das 3, Trio Brasileiro with Anat Cohen, Amilton Godoy/Lea Freire Duo, Duo Violao Brasil, Grupo Falso Baiano, Gileno Santana/Henrique Neto Duo, and many others. 

Since 1997 Brian has taught privately and conducted workshops throughout the Bay Area (California Brazil Camp, Oaktown Jazz Workshop), nationally (Stanford University, Oberlin Conservatory, Queens College), and internationally (Cantareira College and UNICAMP in Brazil).  Today Brian directs the Samba Bateria and Afro-Cuban Ensemble at UC Davis and teaches Brazilian music at UC Berkeley and the California Jazz Conservatory.