Dave Pietro, a New York-based jazz musician, is not one to shy away from the exploratory aspect of his craft. An exceptional saxophonist and composer, Pietro creates music that blends various different styles into a strong jazz foundation, creating music that has a refreshingly original and distinctive sound without seeming contrived.

"With a few exceptions, when you talk with any creative artist, such as a Wayne Shorter or a Pat Metheny, they all strive to create music without being concerned about rigid boundaries," Pietro says. "That's something that I'm striving for as well."

On Monday, April 4 Pietro brings his current group Banda Brazil to the University of New Hampshire, the last show in the seasonal Traditional Jazz Series. Pietro, joined by Helio Alves on piano, Leonardo Cioglia on bass, Adriano Santos on drums and Pedro Ito on percussion and vocals, will play music from his recent A Records release, Embrace: Impressions of Brazil.

If the title suggests that Embrace is another Bossa-Nova influenced recording, think again. The album is a diverse array of Brazilian song forms all blended seamlessly with jazz. "I didn't set out to make a Brazilian music album," Pietro says. "And I don't look at this as being a Brazilian album. Rather, it's my music drawing on the experiences I've had in some trips to Brazil, blended with jazz. I wanted it to be a true fusion of styles."

Pietro's inspiration for the album came on his first trip to Brazil in 1998. "I was on tour with Maria Schneider's band, and while I was there, I had my first introduction to all kinds of Brazilian music and musicians. I fell in love with the country, the people and the music."

Embrace is a wonderful recording. The music that Pietro wrote and arranged on the album has a lively, danceable quality to it. The Brazilian influences are more implied than direct.

"Several of the tunes are loosely based on Brazilian song forms," Pietro says. "For instance, the tune 'The Scene Between Two Unseens' is based on the Baiao, but it's not a traditional Baiao. The Baiao comes from the same rhythmic source as the New Orleans Second Line groove, and is played at a fast tempo." Other forms include Samba, Canto Can Cao and Choro. "What I especially love about Brazilian music is how the harmonies follow the melodies."

The harmonic sound of some of the tunes, another notable dimension to the music, nods in the direction of Pat Metheny, especially the cuts "Never Nothing" and "Equanimity." "Pat's definitely had an influence on my approach, but he himself has been influenced by Brazilian music and musicians," Pietro says. Once again, the influence is more implied than derivative.

A native of Northborough, Mass., Pietro attended UNH from 1982 to 1984 before transferring to North Texas State University. Since 1987, Pietro has been in New York, carving out an active playing career. The range of artists he's worked with is wide, from Maynard Ferguson to Blood, Sweat & Tears to Maria Schneider. For several years he was a mainstay of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, until the group disbanded late last year. Along the way, Pietro picked up a master's degree in jazz composition from New York University. In addition to his active gigging schedule, Pietro teaches at NYU and Hofstra University. And he's currently studying the music of India as well. This all fuels Pietro's approach to creating music without boundaries.

"I feel my music comes from a personal place," he says. "I try to create good music that isn't necessarily confined within a rigid box."