Press Release, January 9, 2006 SERGIO MENDES NEW CD ‘TIMELESS’ PRODUCED AND FEATURES WILL.I.AM OF BLACK EYED PEAS

It’s not often an album comes along that truly blends two distinct cultures in an innovative way.  That album is TIMELESS by SERGIO MENDES, due out on February 14 as a co-release by Concord Records and Starbucks Hear Music.

Produced by and featuring will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, TIMELESS is a wholly original blend of music from one of the most internationally successful Brazilian musicians of all time, SERGIO MENDES, who–40 years ago–brought Brasil ‘66 and “Mas Que Nada” to the world.  Will and Sergio brought in the Black Eyed Peas, one of hip-hop’s premier artists, and also recruited some of pop music’s biggest artists, each a Sergio fan, to contribute to various tracks, including Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, india.arie, Black Thought of The Roots, John Legend, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, Jill Scott, and Q-Tip, among others.  

The album’s first radio track, “Yes, Yes Y’all” (feat. Black Thought of The Roots and Chali 2na of Jurassic 5) has already hit number 1 on the Top 50 Airplay Chart at KCRW, the influential Los Angeles public radio station. KCRW Music Director Nic Harcourt calls TIMELESS “A new spin from a timeless master. Will.i.am's brilliance will bring Sergio's music to a whole new audience.” Look for SERGIO and will.i.am to perform on an episode of NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on Thursday, February 2.

SERGIO describes TIMELESS–recorded in Brazil and Los Angeles–as a “… wonderful marriage of rhythms, because it’s all African rhythms and haunting melodies…the same common denominator that brought the samba to Brazil and brought jazz to America.”

Will says, “Hip-hop is urban to America , but samba and bossa nova are urban to Brazil .  It’s two urban cultures clashing and fusing together beautifully, because they share a lot of the same qualities.”

Of working with SERGIO, Justin Timberlake said, "Sergio's creation of chord progressions has heavily influenced modern R & B, specifically now. He is a legend and a beautiful person. It was a pleasure to work with him.”  Black Thought of The Roots adds, “I’ve had the opportunity to work with just about everyone I’ve desired to work with and now the legendary Sergio Mendes! It was an honor to be able to collaborate with such a cool, unorthodox, timeless and well-rounded musician.  He’s quite an inspiration.”

SERGIO has previously recorded with will.i.am and the Black Eyed Peas on their last two albums as well as their performance together in the 2005 feature film Be Cool.  When they first met, SERGIO says, “Will came to my house with a lot of old vinyl that I recorded many years ago.  And I was so surprised. It was like, ‘Wow!’ He knew every song. He knows every Brazilian riff. I could just feel his passion for the music. We talked and I said, ‘You know what? You love Brazilian music. Why don’t we bring the Brazilian music and melodies to the hip-hop urban world and put them together? I think we can make something really different.’”

For more details and background on the making of TIMELESS, check out the just-launched www.sergiomendestimeless.com website.

For more information on SERGIO MENDES, contact:
MSO 818-380-0400
Alexandra Greenberg x223, agreenberg@msopr.com
Todd Brodginski x239, toddb@msopr.com