4 Vocalist Maucha Adnet is no stranger to Antonio Carlos Jobim and his legacy of sambas and bossa novas, having accompanied the maestro for a decade in the Banda Nova project. Here she is joined by a stellar cast to deliver a sensitive and dynamic collection of some of his most celebrated songs. Adnet’s voice is hauntingly reminiscent of Brazil’s beloved Elis Regina, at times so delicate and understated she disappears into the fabric of the piece. From the lush opener, “Vivo Sonhando,” it is clear the horn players on this album are absolutely an integral force in the arrangements, with the solos of featured guests Joe Lovano (saxes), Randy Brecker and Claudio Roditi (flugelhorn) and Jay Ashby (trombone) blending into these classic bossas while peppering around Maucha’s exquisite phrasing. Rounding out the rhythm section are pianist Helio Alves, drummer Duduka Da Fonseca and bassist Nilson Matta, who provide rock-solid and tasteful accompaniment as well as solos throughout. While there are no pyrotechnics on The Jobim Songbook, one of the more exciting arrangements by guitarist Mario Adnet is a sizzling rendition of “Agua de Beber,” which closes this album of classics with an uplifting and confident finale. This well-recorded and mixed album stands as one of the more beautiful tributes to Jobim and his music; it is pretty, refreshingly honest and makes you yearn for more. true 312 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17169 104 200608 true 0 55 2006-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

Vocalist Maucha Adnet is no stranger to Antonio Carlos Jobim and his legacy of sambas and bossa novas, having accompanied the maestro for a decade in the Banda Nova project. Here she is joined by a stellar cast to deliver a sensitive and dynamic collection of some of his most celebrated songs. Adnet’s voice is hauntingly reminiscent of Brazil’s beloved Elis Regina, at times so delicate and understated she disappears into the fabric of the piece. From the lush opener, “Vivo Sonhando,” it is clear the horn players on this album are absolutely an integral force in the arrangements, with the solos of featured guests Joe Lovano (saxes), Randy Brecker and Claudio Roditi (flugelhorn) and Jay Ashby (trombone) blending into these classic bossas while peppering around Maucha’s exquisite phrasing. Rounding out the rhythm section are pianist Helio Alves, drummer Duduka Da Fonseca and bassist Nilson Matta, who provide rock-solid and tasteful accompaniment as well as solos throughout. While there are no pyrotechnics on The Jobim Songbook, one of the more exciting arrangements by guitarist Mario Adnet is a sizzling rendition of “Agua de Beber,” which closes this album of classics with an uplifting and confident finale. This well-recorded and mixed album stands as one of the more beautiful tributes to Jobim and his music; it is pretty, refreshingly honest and makes you yearn for more.

2009-03-02T00:25:40-05:00

4 Guitarist Marcos Amorim follows up his 2003 release, Cris on the Farm, with this offering of original pieces, featuring Brazilian flutist Nivaldo Ornelas on several tracks. For the most part, this album feels like pretty wallpaper: nice to put on in the background while having a massage, but not much else to sink one’s teeth into. Amorim’s overdubbed lead solo guitar over the New Agey sonic beds ends up sounding like rhythm tracks in need of a lead vocal, and several solo guitar pieces completely disappear into the background; it seems the record button was on while Amorim was warming up. The most interesting track is “Sonhos Indianos (Indian Dreams),” a lovely world-fusion piece featuring Amorim’s steel-guitar lead overlapping his custom-made nylon-string instrument, punctuated by a mesmerizing moringa percussion instrument throughout. The largely improvisational nature of the piece makes for one of the more complete “tunes” in this otherwise meandering and melodically challenged album. A refreshing change comes by way of a jazz waltz in “Mr. Z,” which features a lyrical flute solo by Ornelas, and the album closes with a bright (and much-needed) samba entitled “Homenagiando Garoto (Garoto’s Homage),” which finally feels like the musicians were having some fun—and had awoken from their background-music slumber. true 312 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17170 104 200608 true 0 55 2006-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

Guitarist Marcos Amorim follows up his 2003 release, Cris on the Farm, with this offering of original pieces, featuring Brazilian flutist Nivaldo Ornelas on several tracks. For the most part, this album feels like pretty wallpaper: nice to put on in the background while having a massage, but not much else to sink one’s teeth into. Amorim’s overdubbed lead solo guitar over the New Agey sonic beds ends up sounding like rhythm tracks in need of a lead vocal, and several solo guitar pieces completely disappear into the background; it seems the record button was on while Amorim was warming up. The most interesting track is “Sonhos Indianos (Indian Dreams),” a lovely world-fusion piece featuring Amorim’s steel-guitar lead overlapping his custom-made nylon-string instrument, punctuated by a mesmerizing moringa percussion instrument throughout. The largely improvisational nature of the piece makes for one of the more complete “tunes” in this otherwise meandering and melodically challenged album. A refreshing change comes by way of a jazz waltz in “Mr. Z,” which features a lyrical flute solo by Ornelas, and the album closes with a bright (and much-needed) samba entitled “Homenagiando Garoto (Garoto’s Homage),” which finally feels like the musicians were having some fun—and had awoken from their background-music slumber.

2009-03-02T00:25:40-05:00

4 While the album notes credit vocalist-percussionist Corina Bartra as exploring her “Afro-Peruvian jazz roots,” there is not much in this CD that conjures those textures in this unfocused but well-intended effort. Bartra’s uneven, bilingual vocal performance is markedly amateurish amid several top-notch musicians, and her attempts at vocal scatting are less than capable. The musicians try to save the project, but they inevitably become overshadowed by Bartra’s painfully elementary abilities. Pianist Cliff Korman tries his best to make musical sense of Bartra’s “Enlightened Heart,” but his delicate touch is no match for the squawking saxophone and muddy, out-of-tune vocal. Virtuoso guest bassist Rufus Reid lends his warm and secure tone to “Magia y Ritmo Ancestral,” but we forget all about it the minute Bartra utters her first note. Honestly, this sounds like a demo of someone who, while full of positive spirit and sensibility, has no business making a vocal album. true 312 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17171 104 200608 true 0 55 2006-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

While the album notes credit vocalist-percussionist Corina Bartra as exploring her “Afro-Peruvian jazz roots,” there is not much in this CD that conjures those textures in this unfocused but well-intended effort. Bartra’s uneven, bilingual vocal performance is markedly amateurish amid several top-notch musicians, and her attempts at vocal scatting are less than capable. The musicians try to save the project, but they inevitably become overshadowed by Bartra’s painfully elementary abilities. Pianist Cliff Korman tries his best to make musical sense of Bartra’s “Enlightened Heart,” but his delicate touch is no match for the squawking saxophone and muddy, out-of-tune vocal. Virtuoso guest bassist Rufus Reid lends his warm and secure tone to “Magia y Ritmo Ancestral,” but we forget all about it the minute Bartra utters her first note. Honestly, this sounds like a demo of someone who, while full of positive spirit and sensibility, has no business making a vocal album.

2009-03-02T00:25:40-05:00

4 When Luiz Bonfá’s “Manha de Carnaval” and “Samba de Orfeo” (with lyrics by Antonio Maria) joined the legacy of bossa nova songs in the film Orfeu Negro, it was clear that the genre had found yet another “king.” This reissue of two of his recordings proves why Bonfá is heralded as one of bossa nova’s most important and prolific interpreters. Accompanied by an unidentified horn and rhythm section and recorded in Paris in 1962 and ’63, the album features original compositions, many of them coauthored by Maria Helena Toledo, and features Bonfá’s rhythmically charged guitar style and his extraordinary, expressive vocal. The fourth track, “Dor Que Faz Doer,” includes his percussive beating on the body of the guitar, and his probing vocal on the lilting “Teu Olhar Triste” makes for one of the more tender pieces in the collection. There are some very strange choices here, however, such as the swing-shuffle instrumental “Lila,” which includes one of the weirdest guitar effects I have ever heard—something like a cross between extreme reverb and underwater “bubbles.” Thankfully, it’s the only bad apple in the bunch! With 16 tracks, Le Roi de la Bossa Nova is a celebration of the brilliance of one of Brazil’s most beloved artists and should be a must for all avid collectors. true 312 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17172 104 200608 true 0 55 2006-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

When Luiz Bonfá’s “Manha de Carnaval” and “Samba de Orfeo” (with lyrics by Antonio Maria) joined the legacy of bossa nova songs in the film Orfeu Negro, it was clear that the genre had found yet another “king.” This reissue of two of his recordings proves why Bonfá is heralded as one of bossa nova’s most important and prolific interpreters. Accompanied by an unidentified horn and rhythm section and recorded in Paris in 1962 and ’63, the album features original compositions, many of them coauthored by Maria Helena Toledo, and features Bonfá’s rhythmically charged guitar style and his extraordinary, expressive vocal. The fourth track, “Dor Que Faz Doer,” includes his percussive beating on the body of the guitar, and his probing vocal on the lilting “Teu Olhar Triste” makes for one of the more tender pieces in the collection. There are some very strange choices here, however, such as the swing-shuffle instrumental “Lila,” which includes one of the weirdest guitar effects I have ever heard—something like a cross between extreme reverb and underwater “bubbles.” Thankfully, it’s the only bad apple in the bunch! With 16 tracks, Le Roi de la Bossa Nova is a celebration of the brilliance of one of Brazil’s most beloved artists and should be a must for all avid collectors.

2009-03-02T00:25:40-05:00

4 New York City is home to this Rio-born vocalist, who professes a great love for Brazilian music along with her eclectic group of accompanying musicians on this tribute to Jobim, among other songwriters. The stark recording is markedly flat and comes across rather dim despite some nice musical moments, rather like an unfinished mix, with the piano becoming increasingly out of tune and washed out in too much reverb. Charnet’s vocal is charming enough although loungey and slightly mumbling in places, singing in English, Portuguese and Spanish; nothing in her performance really grabs your attention, and her intonation is iffy in places. The best performance is “Por Causa de Você,” which features the singer accompanied by pianist David Kikoski and guitarist Enrique López in a lovely version of this Jobim ballad, although the balance between the two instruments is a bit off, with the rhythm guitar louder than the piano solo. The other musicians on the date include reedman and harmonica player Ross Schneider and percussionist Caco de Oliveira. Overall, this offering seems destined to join the ranks of wedding singer calling cards, with an uneven vocal performance that does not stand up to the challenge of the selected composers’ timeless melodies. true 312 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 false 17173 104 200608 true 0 55 2006-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

New York City is home to this Rio-born vocalist, who professes a great love for Brazilian music along with her eclectic group of accompanying musicians on this tribute to Jobim, among other songwriters. The stark recording is markedly flat and comes across rather dim despite some nice musical moments, rather like an unfinished mix, with the piano becoming increasingly out of tune and washed out in too much reverb. Charnet’s vocal is charming enough although loungey and slightly mumbling in places, singing in English, Portuguese and Spanish; nothing in her performance really grabs your attention, and her intonation is iffy in places. The best performance is “Por Causa de Você,” which features the singer accompanied by pianist David Kikoski and guitarist Enrique López in a lovely version of this Jobim ballad, although the balance between the two instruments is a bit off, with the rhythm guitar louder than the piano solo. The other musicians on the date include reedman and harmonica player Ross Schneider and percussionist Caco de Oliveira. Overall, this offering seems destined to join the ranks of wedding singer calling cards, with an uneven vocal performance that does not stand up to the challenge of the selected composers’ timeless melodies.

2009-03-02T00:25:40-05:00

4 Adopting her American-sounding stage name in 1935, vocal diva Leny Eversong was the epitome of South American glitz and glamour of 1940s and ’50s Brazil, known for her booming and semioperatic renditions of campy American show tunes mostly on radio and the hotel-casino circuit. Fortunately, this reissue of her 1958 Paris recording features the singer crooning her way in Portuguese in this collection of nostalgic, dramatic Brazilian pieces backed by the ensemble of pianist Paulinho, whose flowery arpeggios and cascading lines complement this extraordinarily visceral vocalist. Like a marvelous ghost (Eversong passed away in 1981), her voice returns to haunt us on “Porque Vivemos Assim,” and completely thrills on the exhilaratingly vibrant Ary Barroso classic, “Na Baixa do Sapateiro.” If there were ever a candidate for quirky film soundtrack, this is it, in particular the tunes featuring the syrupy violin of Fafa de Lemes and the soundstage arrangements of Paulinho. In listening to this album, it is clear that Brazilian music was ripe for the change that the bossa nova era would bring, but it sure is a fun ride. The Barclay Sessions is the perfect tribute to hopeless romantics everywhere, in particular those who long for the sounds of old in a modern world. true 312 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17174 104 200608 true 0 55 2006-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

Adopting her American-sounding stage name in 1935, vocal diva Leny Eversong was the epitome of South American glitz and glamour of 1940s and ’50s Brazil, known for her booming and semioperatic renditions of campy American show tunes mostly on radio and the hotel-casino circuit. Fortunately, this reissue of her 1958 Paris recording features the singer crooning her way in Portuguese in this collection of nostalgic, dramatic Brazilian pieces backed by the ensemble of pianist Paulinho, whose flowery arpeggios and cascading lines complement this extraordinarily visceral vocalist. Like a marvelous ghost (Eversong passed away in 1981), her voice returns to haunt us on “Porque Vivemos Assim,” and completely thrills on the exhilaratingly vibrant Ary Barroso classic, “Na Baixa do Sapateiro.” If there were ever a candidate for quirky film soundtrack, this is it, in particular the tunes featuring the syrupy violin of Fafa de Lemes and the soundstage arrangements of Paulinho. In listening to this album, it is clear that Brazilian music was ripe for the change that the bossa nova era would bring, but it sure is a fun ride. The Barclay Sessions is the perfect tribute to hopeless romantics everywhere, in particular those who long for the sounds of old in a modern world.

2009-03-02T00:25:40-05:00

4 Mandolin virtuoso and composer Hamilton de Holanda proves the limitless capabilities of the Brazilian bandolim as a solo instrument on his newest release Samba do Avião, and is joined on the last three tracks by accordionist-composer Richard Galliano for what are the highlights of the album. The only drawback here is the producer’s choice of song sequence; the old adage “save the best for last” just doesn’t bode well these days, proving you should always open with the strongest tracks. De Holanda’s polyrhythmic textures on the solo pieces show why he is credited with reviving the Brazilian chorinho as well as the mandolin itself, adding a fifth double course to the otherwise eight-string instrument. While the pensive and stark solo pieces display the brittle and harmonically rich qualities of the mandolin, it is the duet pieces that really shine. De Holanda and Galliano’s rapid-fire precision and exquisite soloing are riveting on their rendition of Hermeto Pascoal’s “Chorinho Pra Ele,” which in many ways is the “Giant Steps” of Brazilian choros. This exhilarating ninth cut is part of the closing three duets, which seems to give the album an unbalanced feeling, and may have enjoyed being spread out among the solo tracks. Regardless, De Holanda’s mesmerizing treatment of Jobim classics as well as his own soulful and sophisticated compositions give the listener a new-found appreciation for an often underappreciated instrument. true 312 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17175 104 200608 true 0 55 2006-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

Mandolin virtuoso and composer Hamilton de Holanda proves the limitless capabilities of the Brazilian bandolim as a solo instrument on his newest release Samba do Avião, and is joined on the last three tracks by accordionist-composer Richard Galliano for what are the highlights of the album. The only drawback here is the producer’s choice of song sequence; the old adage “save the best for last” just doesn’t bode well these days, proving you should always open with the strongest tracks. De Holanda’s polyrhythmic textures on the solo pieces show why he is credited with reviving the Brazilian chorinho as well as the mandolin itself, adding a fifth double course to the otherwise eight-string instrument. While the pensive and stark solo pieces display the brittle and harmonically rich qualities of the mandolin, it is the duet pieces that really shine. De Holanda and Galliano’s rapid-fire precision and exquisite soloing are riveting on their rendition of Hermeto Pascoal’s “Chorinho Pra Ele,” which in many ways is the “Giant Steps” of Brazilian choros. This exhilarating ninth cut is part of the closing three duets, which seems to give the album an unbalanced feeling, and may have enjoyed being spread out among the solo tracks. Regardless, De Holanda’s mesmerizing treatment of Jobim classics as well as his own soulful and sophisticated compositions give the listener a new-found appreciation for an often underappreciated instrument.

2009-03-02T00:25:40-05:00

4 Pianist and vocalist Tania Maria first got my attention in the ’80s with her live album recorded in San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall; this Brazilian dynamo effortlessly blended powerhouse piano chops with melodically rich scatting and whistling, and certainly became one of my heroines. This reissue of her 1975 Paris release features her rhythmically charged arrangements and vocals along with bassist Hélio and drummer-percussionist Boto, and showcases her extraordinary take on standards as well as modern pieces by such composers as Chico Buarque, Jobim, Jorge Ben and Dori Caymmi, to name a few. From the outset, Maria grabs the listener by the throat and gets you moving with her enthusiasm and in-your-face playing and singing, featuring monstrous left-hand syncopation and that blues-tinged right hand. Her tribute to Jorge Ben on track two alone is worth the price of admission, and her choice of tunes is spot on. She includes an overdubbed Rhodes on the Jobim classic “Aguas de Março,” and phrases the melody in entirely new way over the funky rhythm section. Maria can also croon her way through ballads and hip it up on the funkier tunes, but she clearly makes every song her own with her compelling presence and power. With Via Brasil, Vol. 1, Tania Maria graces us with a fabulously energetic and raw collection of exquisite tunes and gives her talented all to every one. true 312 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 17176 104 200608 true 0 55 2006-07-01T00:00:00-04:00

Pianist and vocalist Tania Maria first got my attention in the ’80s with her live album recorded in San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall; this Brazilian dynamo effortlessly blended powerhouse piano chops with melodically rich scatting and whistling, and certainly became one of my heroines. This reissue of her 1975 Paris release features her rhythmically charged arrangements and vocals along with bassist Hélio and drummer-percussionist Boto, and showcases her extraordinary take on standards as well as modern pieces by such composers as Chico Buarque, Jobim, Jorge Ben and Dori Caymmi, to name a few. From the outset, Maria grabs the listener by the throat and gets you moving with her enthusiasm and in-your-face playing and singing, featuring monstrous left-hand syncopation and that blues-tinged right hand. Her tribute to Jorge Ben on track two alone is worth the price of admission, and her choice of tunes is spot on. She includes an overdubbed Rhodes on the Jobim classic “Aguas de Março,” and phrases the melody in entirely new way over the funky rhythm section. Maria can also croon her way through ballads and hip it up on the funkier tunes, but she clearly makes every song her own with her compelling presence and power. With Via Brasil, Vol. 1, Tania Maria graces us with a fabulously energetic and raw collection of exquisite tunes and gives her talented all to every one.

2009-03-02T00:25:40-05:00

4 Consider Piazzolla Forever (Dreyfus) by Richard Galliano's Septet as a late addition to my top releases of last year. With string quartet, piano and double bass, Galliano is featured live-with a masterful acoustic reproduction and mix-at the 2002 Jazz Festival Willisau in Lucerne, Switzerland. The entire weather-season-inspired "Porteno" pieces, encasing the recording, have an awesome grandeur. Aleksandr Petrovsky, Mikhail Baryshnikov's character on HBO's Sex and the City, can be readily pictured in a video for "Milonga del Angel" playing piano with the septet in his ample New York bachelor pad for Sarah Jessica Parker's character. The "Concerto Pour Bandoneon et Orchestre Aconcagua: Final," on the other hand, is intensely dramatic and oozes virtuosi pathos. "Laura et Astor" is Galliano's only original and, in spite of its briefness and simplicity, it is quite powerful in tone, emotiveness and conception. "Escualo" has an Africanized backbeat, with one of several remarkable performances from violinist Jean Marc Phillips-Varjabedian. true 213 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 14571 79 200404 true 0 55 2004-04-01T00:00:00-05:00

Consider Piazzolla Forever (Dreyfus) by Richard Galliano's Septet as a late addition to my top releases of last year. With string quartet, piano and double bass, Galliano is featured live-with a masterful acoustic reproduction and mix-at the 2002 Jazz Festival Willisau in Lucerne, Switzerland. The entire weather-season-inspired "Porteno" pieces, encasing the recording, have an awesome grandeur. Aleksandr Petrovsky, Mikhail Baryshnikov's character on HBO's Sex and the City, can be readily pictured in a video for "Milonga del Angel" playing piano with the septet in his ample New York bachelor pad for Sarah Jessica Parker's character. The "Concerto Pour Bandoneon et Orchestre Aconcagua: Final," on the other hand, is intensely dramatic and oozes virtuosi pathos. "Laura et Astor" is Galliano's only original and, in spite of its briefness and simplicity, it is quite powerful in tone, emotiveness and conception. "Escualo" has an Africanized backbeat, with one of several remarkable performances from violinist Jean Marc Phillips-Varjabedian.

2009-03-02T00:23:40-05:00

4 Tudo de Bom: Music From Hermeto Pascoal's Calendario do Som (LKC) is based on the book of daily compositions that Pascoal wrote in 1996. The publication is only available in Portuguese, with limited distribution, and it doesn't include a recording of the published hand-written charts. Flutist (and trombonist) Mark Weinstein, guitarist and vocalist Richard Boukas, bassist Nilson Matta, drummer Paulo Braga and percussionist Vanderlei Pereira have recorded the first salvo from Pascoal's musical diary. Of the 366 original works, 13 were caressed by Boukas' vision-as well as his doubling on several instruments-and adapted for this recording as he conceived, produced and arranged the project. Its harmonic zip isn't understated by the reigning melodious splendor and rhythmic impetus. Various Brazilian genres, of varying notoriety, are interpreted with highly advanced performances featuring savory taste, grand musicality and enviable instrumental technique. "Song #29" is a jamming Baiao, closes with a bootilicious shuffling takedown, and on "Song #1," a valsa/marcha rancho in 3/4, Weinstein's elusive fluting segues into collective felicity. The sooner these cats delve into Pascoal again, the better. true 213 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 14572 79 200404 true 0 55 2004-04-01T00:00:00-05:00

Tudo de Bom: Music From Hermeto Pascoal's Calendario do Som (LKC) is based on the book of daily compositions that Pascoal wrote in 1996. The publication is only available in Portuguese, with limited distribution, and it doesn't include a recording of the published hand-written charts. Flutist (and trombonist) Mark Weinstein, guitarist and vocalist Richard Boukas, bassist Nilson Matta, drummer Paulo Braga and percussionist Vanderlei Pereira have recorded the first salvo from Pascoal's musical diary. Of the 366 original works, 13 were caressed by Boukas' vision-as well as his doubling on several instruments-and adapted for this recording as he conceived, produced and arranged the project. Its harmonic zip isn't understated by the reigning melodious splendor and rhythmic impetus. Various Brazilian genres, of varying notoriety, are interpreted with highly advanced performances featuring savory taste, grand musicality and enviable instrumental technique. "Song #29" is a jamming Baiao, closes with a bootilicious shuffling takedown, and on "Song #1," a valsa/marcha rancho in 3/4, Weinstein's elusive fluting segues into collective felicity. The sooner these cats delve into Pascoal again, the better.

2009-03-02T00:23:40-05:00

4 Take Five (Jazzmin), from Two for Brazil, is a guitar and tenor sax/flute duo, biggie-sized by the guitarist's vocals. Stringsman Paulinho Garcia and reedist Greg Fishman make Dizzy Gillespie, Toninho Horta, Luis Bonfa, Djavan Caetano Viana, Jobim, Paul Desmond, Chico Buarque and others, their sujets d'musique. Perhaps jazz's noblesse oblige led them to Brubeck and Desmond's jazz standard as their banner. Nevertheless, their brief version is close to the original recipe with some extra crispy bits as Fishman has quite an inviting and sure-footed tone, with agility characterizing his ideas and attack. Garcia, on the other hand, becomes drummer, vocal instrumentalist and chordal master of taste alongside his flutist partner. On "Anos Dourado"-originally conceived as a theme song for a TV show-and "O Grande Amor," Fishman ages most of his passages as one is soothed by the seducing pizzazz of Garcia's singing. Even so, "Januaria" rivals both in rhythmic and harmonic perky sexiness. Theirs is not so much a "Batida Diferente" as it is an admirable reassessment of it. true 213 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 14573 79 200404 true 0 55 2004-04-01T00:00:00-05:00

Take Five (Jazzmin), from Two for Brazil, is a guitar and tenor sax/flute duo, biggie-sized by the guitarist's vocals. Stringsman Paulinho Garcia and reedist Greg Fishman make Dizzy Gillespie, Toninho Horta, Luis Bonfa, Djavan Caetano Viana, Jobim, Paul Desmond, Chico Buarque and others, their sujets d'musique. Perhaps jazz's noblesse oblige led them to Brubeck and Desmond's jazz standard as their banner. Nevertheless, their brief version is close to the original recipe with some extra crispy bits as Fishman has quite an inviting and sure-footed tone, with agility characterizing his ideas and attack. Garcia, on the other hand, becomes drummer, vocal instrumentalist and chordal master of taste alongside his flutist partner. On "Anos Dourado"-originally conceived as a theme song for a TV show-and "O Grande Amor," Fishman ages most of his passages as one is soothed by the seducing pizzazz of Garcia's singing. Even so, "Januaria" rivals both in rhythmic and harmonic perky sexiness. Theirs is not so much a "Batida Diferente" as it is an admirable reassessment of it.

2009-03-02T00:23:40-05:00

4 Afrodysia's Deborah Aviles' singing on A Mi Tierra (Random Chance) indicates that she hopes for a successful musical melange. Aviles modulates sources such as trova, jazz's hipness, son and bolero in a seemingly adaptive manner, allocating them into her rather operatic Cuban filin style of singing. As a musical gene carrier of sorts, she has the obvious advantage of a well-trained voice and writing her own material. Curiously, however, Aviles isn't missed when not singing, and her brunt when doing so isn't quite lasting-her vocalizations on "Yatra-ta" being a notable exception. The instrumentals, comprising the bulk of the recording, are another issue altogether. Afrodysia's eager beaverin' on "Malevo" suggests a videogame set of cool adventurous characters with Tjader-ized and Seis del Solar weaponry jamming their way through musical obstacles toward hopeful recognition and success. In that cut, aside from the slammin' ensemble playing, pianist Mario Cazeneuve and altoist Mark Gatz shoot their way 'round quite lethally. The twosome also grenade a path through their rendition of Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas." There, a jazzy Braziliana street-beat-hoedown head ends in an oddly metered percussive coda crossfire. true 213 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 14574 79 200404 true 0 55 2004-04-01T00:00:00-05:00

Afrodysia's Deborah Aviles' singing on A Mi Tierra (Random Chance) indicates that she hopes for a successful musical melange. Aviles modulates sources such as trova, jazz's hipness, son and bolero in a seemingly adaptive manner, allocating them into her rather operatic Cuban filin style of singing. As a musical gene carrier of sorts, she has the obvious advantage of a well-trained voice and writing her own material. Curiously, however, Aviles isn't missed when not singing, and her brunt when doing so isn't quite lasting-her vocalizations on "Yatra-ta" being a notable exception. The instrumentals, comprising the bulk of the recording, are another issue altogether. Afrodysia's eager beaverin' on "Malevo" suggests a videogame set of cool adventurous characters with Tjader-ized and Seis del Solar weaponry jamming their way through musical obstacles toward hopeful recognition and success. In that cut, aside from the slammin' ensemble playing, pianist Mario Cazeneuve and altoist Mark Gatz shoot their way 'round quite lethally. The twosome also grenade a path through their rendition of Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas." There, a jazzy Braziliana street-beat-hoedown head ends in an oddly metered percussive coda crossfire.

2009-03-02T00:23:40-05:00

4 The Jinga Quintet's A Day Gone By (Fresh Sound World Jazz) is as tastefully intriguing and slyly hot as Japanese dried fish and red pepper otsumami. On "Africa's Cry," freewheeling, 6/8, Afro-Cuban bass bends by Fernando Huergo precede discordant mournful passages straight from an Africanized jazz version of Maxim Gorky's Chelkash. In it, unison discordances, with emotive alto moaning from Miguel Zenon, countered by Avishai E. Cohen's pussycatting trumpet zoological cries and flights, end up as sonic vestiges at the coda's tail end. Luis Perdomo exerts bracing pianistic chops through the entire recording, and his Pascoal-izing performance on "Hermeto" is chordal-licking good. At first, "Loud Pictures" is carried surreptitiously by Steve Langone's drumming, as he often does so swingingly well elsewhere on the record. Then, a heated montuno passage features him overtly as he parlays tempo finesse, with self-possessed abandon, in an off-kilter pocket. Cole Porter's "Night and Day" in a reengineered 7/4 rumba? Yes, and the harmonically advanced blowing-from the always-surprising Cohen-joined to Zenon's sonically mature edginess on alto, is one of many prime lessons afforded by this masterful Latin reinterpretation of the jazz canon. true 213 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 14575 79 200404 true 0 55 2004-04-01T00:00:00-05:00

The Jinga Quintet's A Day Gone By (Fresh Sound World Jazz) is as tastefully intriguing and slyly hot as Japanese dried fish and red pepper otsumami. On "Africa's Cry," freewheeling, 6/8, Afro-Cuban bass bends by Fernando Huergo precede discordant mournful passages straight from an Africanized jazz version of Maxim Gorky's Chelkash. In it, unison discordances, with emotive alto moaning from Miguel Zenon, countered by Avishai E. Cohen's pussycatting trumpet zoological cries and flights, end up as sonic vestiges at the coda's tail end. Luis Perdomo exerts bracing pianistic chops through the entire recording, and his Pascoal-izing performance on "Hermeto" is chordal-licking good. At first, "Loud Pictures" is carried surreptitiously by Steve Langone's drumming, as he often does so swingingly well elsewhere on the record. Then, a heated montuno passage features him overtly as he parlays tempo finesse, with self-possessed abandon, in an off-kilter pocket. Cole Porter's "Night and Day" in a reengineered 7/4 rumba? Yes, and the harmonically advanced blowing-from the always-surprising Cohen-joined to Zenon's sonically mature edginess on alto, is one of many prime lessons afforded by this masterful Latin reinterpretation of the jazz canon.

2009-03-02T00:23:40-05:00

4 Live: Skirball Cultural Center 8/7/03 (Kufala) is a double CD documenting an L.A. performance by Vinicius Cantuaria as guitarist, vocalist and percussionist, with percussionist Nanny Assis, drummer Paulo Braga, bassist Sergio Brandao and violinist Jenny Scheinman. On the first disc, "Ligia" has the leader splashing sustained guitar chords as a sensual trippy/funky groove ropes Cantuaria's mellifluous singing on this Jobim gem-with the exquisitely conceived, placed and toned sound of Scheinman around, underneath and in tow. "O Nome Dela" features thick percussive choruses of laid-back and bedrock backbeat bass groove, whereupon Sheinman's arresting and elusive harmonic angles-with bowing and intonation in their prime-highlight melodic nimbleness. The second disc is less experimental and features a few shorter performances. By then, Cantuaria's impressionistic, cymbal-like, sliding ethereality wears a bit thin as the material-as particularly driven by Braga and Brandao on "Rio"-calls for more precise malandreria. His guitaring, for example, fares stylistically better on the energetic riffed-groovedness of "Joia." Overall, there's no lack of energy in the in situ Masa Tsuzuki recording and mix. His midtempo guaguanco, "Cubanos Postizos (Prosthetic Cubans)" (referencing Marc Ribot?), is a midtempo suave cooker and Scheinman and the leader are just tight on. true 213 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 14576 79 200404 true 0 55 2004-04-01T00:00:00-05:00

Live: Skirball Cultural Center 8/7/03 (Kufala) is a double CD documenting an L.A. performance by Vinicius Cantuaria as guitarist, vocalist and percussionist, with percussionist Nanny Assis, drummer Paulo Braga, bassist Sergio Brandao and violinist Jenny Scheinman. On the first disc, "Ligia" has the leader splashing sustained guitar chords as a sensual trippy/funky groove ropes Cantuaria's mellifluous singing on this Jobim gem-with the exquisitely conceived, placed and toned sound of Scheinman around, underneath and in tow. "O Nome Dela" features thick percussive choruses of laid-back and bedrock backbeat bass groove, whereupon Sheinman's arresting and elusive harmonic angles-with bowing and intonation in their prime-highlight melodic nimbleness. The second disc is less experimental and features a few shorter performances. By then, Cantuaria's impressionistic, cymbal-like, sliding ethereality wears a bit thin as the material-as particularly driven by Braga and Brandao on "Rio"-calls for more precise malandreria. His guitaring, for example, fares stylistically better on the energetic riffed-groovedness of "Joia." Overall, there's no lack of energy in the in situ Masa Tsuzuki recording and mix. His midtempo guaguanco, "Cubanos Postizos (Prosthetic Cubans)" (referencing Marc Ribot?), is a midtempo suave cooker and Scheinman and the leader are just tight on.

2009-03-02T00:23:40-05:00

4 Oscar Castro-Neves is so much more than an old-school bossanoveiro of well established and documented repute. Playful Heart (Mack Avenue), reasserts that fact. Nary an aspect of the production was not enhanced by his musical prodigy. "Four Brothers" showcases Castro-Neves' excellent rearrangement, as well as his tightly swung single noted multi-instrumental relevance, as reedist and flutist Gary Meek follows the original's melodic swing with bounciness of his own and noteworthy candor in tone and expression. It's a cooking swinger. The celebrated guitarist's "Twenty Year Love Affair"-a melodic restructuring of the harmonic structure of Jobim's "Wave"-enamors one's listening with ease. Violinist Charlie Bisharat, whose intonation is crystalline as is his heartfelt playfulness, takes upon that one with quite a purpose. Later, paired with Don Grusin on acoustic piano, the leader's own ever-refreshingly smart guitar playing is featured in a restatement of "Wave" itself. A Grusin and Castro-Neves collaboration could hardly be expected not to work and, of course, it does. Both prove wisely economical and to the harmonic point, with melodic beauty to boot. Alas, this record features the Bill Evans-inspired guitarist as a singer. Given his phrasing in Jobim's "Waters of March," why did it take him so long to do so? true 213 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 14577 79 200404 true 0 55 2004-04-01T00:00:00-05:00

Oscar Castro-Neves is so much more than an old-school bossanoveiro of well established and documented repute. Playful Heart (Mack Avenue), reasserts that fact. Nary an aspect of the production was not enhanced by his musical prodigy. "Four Brothers" showcases Castro-Neves' excellent rearrangement, as well as his tightly swung single noted multi-instrumental relevance, as reedist and flutist Gary Meek follows the original's melodic swing with bounciness of his own and noteworthy candor in tone and expression. It's a cooking swinger. The celebrated guitarist's "Twenty Year Love Affair"-a melodic restructuring of the harmonic structure of Jobim's "Wave"-enamors one's listening with ease. Violinist Charlie Bisharat, whose intonation is crystalline as is his heartfelt playfulness, takes upon that one with quite a purpose. Later, paired with Don Grusin on acoustic piano, the leader's own ever-refreshingly smart guitar playing is featured in a restatement of "Wave" itself. A Grusin and Castro-Neves collaboration could hardly be expected not to work and, of course, it does. Both prove wisely economical and to the harmonic point, with melodic beauty to boot. Alas, this record features the Bill Evans-inspired guitarist as a singer. Given his phrasing in Jobim's "Waters of March," why did it take him so long to do so?

2009-03-02T00:23:40-05:00

4 "Caterete," the title cut of Nelson Angelo's U.S. debut on the Adventure label, with its core of aboriginal-tinged sampled alien-ness and its danceable tease at the coda, signals further Brazilian musical explorations of unknown destinations in this recording. Cartographically speaking, Caterete is an evolving map of future musical boundaries rather than a clear guide towards any particular point of Brazil's storied present and past. This proves true even when directly referencing lesser-known Brazilian dances such as frevo, maracatu and ciranda; which, inevitably, are reinterpreted with vestiges of mainstream Carioca music. Angelo's lively imagination as a writer and his sonic skills as a producer are peerless nonetheless. In many ways, it is uma outra cosa musical-or another thing-as is "Trombone." It features a flute and trombone quartet as a brassed front line for a percussion section with guitar, drums, bass and Angelo also on vocals. Edison Machado's counterpointing on drums, during the meaty trombone solo portions of this jeweled performance, is a study in good inventive taste. "Dona Maria" and "Vera's Frevo" have orchestral punch, while "Radio Universe Pedal" is experimental and freer on this likable release. true 213 2007-06-07T14:05:44-04:00 14578 79 200404 true 0 55 2004-04-01T00:00:00-05:00

"Caterete," the title cut of Nelson Angelo's U.S. debut on the Adventure label, with its core of aboriginal-tinged sampled alien-ness and its danceable tease at the coda, signals further Brazilian musical explorations of unknown destinations in this recording. Cartographically speaking, Caterete is an evolving map of future musical boundaries rather than a clear guide towards any particular point of Brazil's storied present and past. This proves true even when directly referencing lesser-known Brazilian dances such as frevo, maracatu and ciranda; which, inevitably, are reinterpreted with vestiges of mainstream Carioca music. Angelo's lively imagination as a writer and his sonic skills as a producer are peerless nonetheless. In many ways, it is uma outra cosa musical-or another thing-as is "Trombone." It features a flute and trombone quartet as a brassed front line for a percussion section with guitar, drums, bass and Angelo also on vocals. Edison Machado's counterpointing on drums, during the meaty trombone solo portions of this jeweled performance, is a study in good inventive taste. "Dona Maria" and "Vera's Frevo" have orchestral punch, while "Radio Universe Pedal" is experimental and freer on this likable release.

2009-03-02T00:23:40-05:00