Brazilian Tinge
December 2004 By David R. Adler
Ouro Negro
Adventure
There isn't a weak moment anywhere on the two-disc expanse of Ouro Negro (Adventure), a gripping Moacir Santos retrospective produced by saxophonist Ze Nogueira and guitarist Mario Adnet and supervised by Santos himself. The octogenarian composer and conductor...
December 2004 By David R. Adler
Live
Adventure
Ricardo Silveira, who played electric guitar on much of Ouro Negro, recorded a 2002 duo concert with pianist Luiz Avellar devoted largely to the music of Milton Nascimento. The resulting Live (Adventure) finds Silveira in good form on nylon-string guitar...
December 2004 By David R. Adler
Brizzi do Brasil
Amiata
Brizzi do Brasil (Amiata), not unlike the Moacir Santos compilation, features guests performing the music of one man-in this case the Italian composer Aldo Brizzi, who makes his home in Brazil's Bahia region. But these tracks, all produced and arranged by...
December 2004 By David R. Adler
Children of the Wind
Adventure
The Rio-born composer and pianist Weber Iago's Children of the Wind (Adven-ture) is strongly reminiscent of Oregon. This isn't surprising given that Paul McCandless is playing oboe, with Caito Marcondes on tabla and caxixi (along with Iago on piano and Rogerio...
December 2004 By David R. Adler
Movimento
Cumulus Records
One wouldn't expect a fellow named Ed Johnson to sing as though Portuguese were his first language. But this nylon-string guitarist and vocalist, with his octet Novo Tempo, has fashioned an authentic Brazilian jazz-pop sound from his home base in Palo Alto...
December 2004 By David R. Adler
Orquestra Popular de Camara
Adventure
Paradoxically, Orquesta Popular de Camara, for all its indigenous instruments and folkloric allusions, sounds overripe and self-conscious next to Johnson's Ivan Lins-ish pop. Granted, the ensemble-including bandolim, accordion, country viola, flutes and...
December 2004 By David R. Adler
Yatrata
Clavebop Productions
Yatrata (Clavebop) is a vivacious, well-sculpted effort from the Cadence Trio, featuring three Brazilian contenders: pianist Helio Alves, electric bassist Itaiguara and drummer Portinho. The session opens with the Tania Maria-penned title track, emphasizing...
December 2004 By David R. Adler
Mike Marshall and Choro Famoso
Adventure
The new self-titled CD on Adventure by Mike Marshall & Choro Famoso features the famed bluegrass mandolinist in a Brazilian setting, with a light-on-its-feet chamber group. The first seven tracks feature Marshall with Carlos Oliveira on nylon-string guitar...
December 2004 By David R. Adler
Samba de Novembro
Jazzand Productions
Only two pieces on guitarist Rick Stone's refreshing Samba de Novembro (Jazzand) are Brazilian in flavor. The upbeat title track cycles through a series of fetching modulations, while the slower "Rain Forest" lends an air of mystery. But Stone's focus, even...
December 2004 By David R. Adler
Frenesi
Zoho
If Brazilian music has an official instrument, it is the nylon-string guitar, so we begin with Carlos Barbosa-Lima's Frenesi (ZoHo). Lima is a classical virtuoso, but over the last 20 years he's explored the music of Scott Joplin, the Beatles and many others...
