Here’s your chance to Celebrate musical Mendes magic this summer
The best Brazilian Jazz story of 2026 is happening right now, in real time, to celebrate six decades of the Sergio Mendes sound.
By Scott Adams
Years before his first Grammy award, his first Gold and Platinum recordings, and even before his first American fan, Sergio Mendes was looking ahead.
Back then, he was known as the Boy from Nitoroi, crossing the Guanabara Bay on an afternoon ferry, and then hailing a taxi for that evening’s Zona Sul gig as a teenage jazz pianist.
It wasn’t long before Sergio Mendes became a band leader. He called that first group Sexteto Bossa Rio, and it led to his first album, Dance Moderno, in 1961.
A move to the US resulted in the Sergio Mendes Trio, then Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’65, ’66, ’77, ’88, ’99, and 2000.
So, even after Sergio’s passing in 2024, perhaps it’s no surprise that The Sergio Mendes Band is touring to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the album that made Sergio Mendes a household name.
You’ll find complete tour dates and venues below.
Meet The Sergio Mendes Band
Fronted by Sergio’s widow, Gracinha Leporace, the lineup for The Sergio Mendes Band includes many familiar faces.
Katie Hampton shares vocals. Reedman Scott Mayo returns as Music Director with guitarist Kleber Jorge, bassist André de Santanna, and Jamieson Trotter’s piano. Drummer Leo Costa and Gibi dos Santos’ percussion pace the group.
The Sergio Mendes Band Tour Dates
This list is current as of publication and will be updated as new venues are added. Please check the official Sergio Mendes Band website for additional information.
May 2026
15 – Yoshi’s Oakland, Yoshi’s Oakland
27 – Belly Up, Solana Beach, CA
June 2026
06 – Upland Park (Global Sounds Music Festival 2026), Omaha, NE
11 – Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), Morristown, NJ
12 – Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD
14 – Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ
16 – City Winery Boston, Boston, MA
17 – Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT
26 – Adrienne Arsht PAC – Knight Concert Hall, Miami, FL
August 2026
06 – Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA
September 2026
04 – Regent Theater, Los Angeles, CA
The Sergio Mendes Band: Fans, Friends, And A Tribute Song
Fandom and friendship are part of the long musical fraternity that we share with Sergio Mendes and his music. So, why not consider treating this 2026 tour as a destination event?
Recently, the New Jersey Jazz Society published a wonderful interview with Sergio’s wife, Gracinha Leporace, in Jersey Jazz Magazine.
You’ll find the complete story here, but this quote really stands out. Here’s Gracinha:
“One of the first things that struck me when I met Sergio,” she said, “was the extraordinary number of genuine friendships he had. Today, with social media, people claim to have thousands of friends, but in those days friendship meant something very different. Sergio had close friends everywhere — in Brazil, in the United States, across Europe — and from every imaginable profession and walk of life. What amazed me most was that he maintained those friendships throughout his entire life. People were drawn to him because he was endlessly curious about life.”
Being ‘front row, center’ at a Sergio Mendes concert always mirrored those feelings with his audience. Exhileration? Sergio’s ultimate album was titled Songs In The Key Of Joy.
Musicians are fans, too. So, take a minute to relive the magic of Sergio Mendes, Ao Vivo, with this tribute song by Steve and Lori Rose Adorno.
The Story Behind ‘Mas Que Nada’
Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 was both a commercial and a cultural success.
It sold more than 500,000 albums to become Sergio’s first Gold record. And Mendes succeeded where his contemporaries struggled by bringing Rio’s chic Bossa rhythms to America’s rocketing pop scene.
The album’s first radio single, ‘Mas Que Nada,’ debuted in August 1966 to inspire generations of Brazilian music fans. It is Sergio Mendes’s signature song.
But the story behind ‘Mas Que Nada’ begins earlier than Sergio’s version. And the original version upset Rio’s Sambisas to the point where they considered it… revolutionary.
- Read Connect Brazil’s story on ‘Mas Que Nada’.
- Why Sergio Mendes Absolutely Loved July.
- Sergio Mendes Meet and Greet with The Sounds of Brazil.
- A Sergio Mendes Christmas Mystery.
The Sergio Mendes Band: Beyond 2026
The buzz increases daily for additional dates, cities, and venues for the 60th Anniversary Tour for The Sergio Mendes Band, so please return to this page to check for new listings.
We’ll also update this tour on our live streaming station at Connect Brazil.
And while the socials are lit for this summer, little is being said about what comes next. Will The Sergio Mendes Band continue into 2027 and beyond? Dare we hope for a new album or single?
As I stated above, the best Brazilian Jazz story of 2026 is happening right now, in real time. And you can be part of it.
Music, Travel, Friends, And Fun!
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