This CD is the second volume by the guitarist Albare devoted to the legendary father of bossa nova, Antonio Carlos Jobim. Like the first volume, there are ten renditions of Jobim's signature songs along with the classic "Summer Samba." Albare co-produced this with Phil Turcio, who did the mixing and mastering. Like the first volume, Joe Chindamo is on piano. Chindamo also made all the arrangements and conducted the orchestra. Ricardo 'Ricky' Rodriguez is on bass again, while Pablo Bencid is on drums on most of this recording, and Luisito Quintero is on percussion. Antonio Sanchez plays drums on two songs, Nestor Torres plays the flute for two, and Randy Brecker plays trumpet on two selections.
Reviewing Albare's earlier volume of Jobim's music, I wrote, "Albare is a romanticist as a guitarist, with his guitar (whether electric or acoustic) in a melodic and lyrical mode. His single-note playing sings the lyrics while adding with genial embellishments to the melody while provided with a light, subtle backing." Like the earlier recording, strings provide a lush, breezy feel for "Dindi," "Summer Samba," "Girl From Ipanema," and "So Dança Samba." Nestor Torres' flute adds a nice touch to "Summer Samba," while Randy Brecker's bright trumpet adds some heat to "So Dança Samba," which also sports an appealing guitar solo. Torres' also adds color to Albare's treatment of "How Insensitive," as does Brecker' again enlivens's muted trumpet on "Favela." Albare's picking lends a poignant case to "A Felicidad" and a reflective interpretation of "Trieste." The album closes with the calming, relaxed "Meditation."
Like the prior Jobim tribute, these are relaxed performances where Albare plays with a deft touch. The resulting music is another easy to listen to recording full of charm that captures Jobim's music's beauty.
I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is "How Insensitive" from this album.
Antonio Adolfo BruMa (mist) Celebrating Milton Nascimento AAM Music
In his newest recording, Brazilian pianist, composer, and arranger, Antonio Adolfo salutes the singer-songwriter Milton Nascimento, who perhaps is Brazil's greatest living composer of popular music. Many jazz and pop luminaries, including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett, Stan Getz, Bjork, and Esperanza Spalding, have recorded Nascimento's songs. Antonio's appreciation of Nascimento goes back to the beginning of the latter's career. They initially met just before a major musical event in Brazil in 1967 at which Nascimento was a great sensation.
Chris McGowan's liner notes quote Adolfo, "For this album, I immersed myself in the music of Milton and his partners. I have been working on this project for six months, panning its rich repertoire and adding my Brazilian jazz vocabulary. After working with more than thirty songs to choose nine, I once again concluded that Milton Nascimento is the most modern and profound composer in Brazil. His compositions broke traditional harmonic and rhythmic patterns, with his modalism and natural rhythmic meters, all in a spontaneous, intuitive and natural way."
McGowan observes, "The album title BruMa, which means 'mist' in Portuguese, is also intended to bring to mind two environmental disasters that struck Minas Gerais [Nascimento's home state] in the last decade. BruMa is comprised of the initial syllables of two cities (Brumadinho and Mariana) that suffered similar tragedies. In 2015 and 2019, earthen dams collapsed and let forth floods of muddy waste materials that devastated the towns, killed hundreds of people and rendered the rivers downstream toxic and lifeless for years to come."
Joining Adolfo on this CD are Jess Sadoc on trumpet and flugelhorn; Marcelo Martins on alto flute, tenor sax; Danilo Sinna on alto sax; Rafael Rocha on trombone; Claudio Spiewak on guitar; Jorge Helder on double bass; and Rafael Barata on drums and percussion. Luis Galvao replaces Spiewak on guitar on two selections, Leo Amuedo adds guitar to one track, and Dada Costa plays percussion on five of the nine songs.
Adolfo's latest project continues with a tropical feel, fluid, and elegant piano, handsome arrangements, and stirring soloists. Marcelo Martins takes flight playing some vigorous tenor on the opening "Fé Cega Faca Amolada," which translates as "Blind Faith, Sharp Knight," Claudio Spiewak adds punchy guitar on this song as well. It is typical of the music here with the lively rhythms, strong ensemble playing, and atmospheric horns. Adolfo's deliberate, graceful piano is heard on "Nada Será Como Antes (Nothing Be As It Was)," along with Rocha's crusty trombone. Another standout song is an exuberant rendition of "Cançāo Do Sal (Salt Song)" with exhilarating rhythms that propel Rocha's graveling trombone and Sinna's fervent alto sax. Then there is a memorable performance of "Encontros E Despedidas (Encounters and Farewells)" that Nascimento first recorded with Hubert Laws. In addition to Adolfo's marvelous piano solo, Martins' plays exquisite alto flute. "Tres Pontas" refers to the city where Nascimento was raised, and again is a showcase for the leader's graceful, lyrical piano along with Sadoc's resonant trumpet. The sublime rendition of "Cais (Harbor)" places the spotlight on Sadoc's lovely muted trumpet. At the same time, "Caxangá" displays the skill with which Adolfo can layer the various instruments in the performance as they riff behind Sinna's alto sax solo and Lula Galvao's stinging electric guitar.
Antonio Adolfo's salute to the legacy of Milton Nascimento does justice to Nascimento's imposing body of music. "Bruma" is an exceptional, marvelously performed recording that will touch listeners' heads and hearts.
I received a review copy from a publicist. Here is"Outubro (October)" from the album.
John Pizzarelli Sinatra & Jobim at 50 Concord Jazz
John Pizzarelli cites Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim as major influences on his vocals and his latest release commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Grammy Winning collaboration between the two legends. He pays tribute to those recordings on this set with eight tracks being songs that Sinatra and Jobim recorded at a 1969 session along with two originals, and Michael Frank’s ode to Jobim. Among those with Pizzarelli on this recording are Jobim's grandson Daniel, and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca, bassist Mike Karn and piano player Helio Alves.
On this recording, both Pizzarelli and Jobim channel the elder Jobim more than Sinatra, who admittedly was understated compared to his usual style on the celebrated recordings. The musical tone on most of these selections is more like Getz-Gilberto than the Claus Ogerman or Eumir Deodato orchestrated sessions. The result is delightful performances in their own lightly swinging fashion including then marvelous "Agua De Beber," as well as the lovely medley of "Meditation / Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars," with Daniel singing the latter number in Portuguese before Pizzarelli sings softly in English along with his soft guitar chording, and the pretty "Dindi." There is also the delightful lightly swaying bossa nova medley of "I Concentrate On You / Wave," with Alves exquisite in his accompaniment and Pizzarelli taking a brief acoustic chordal break. Pizzarelli's father recorded "Two Kites" with the elder Jobim, with Daniel taking the vocal on this remake with a vocal chorus with its celebration of the kites flying in the sky. There is also a wonderful tenor saxophonist on a few selections including Michael Frank's "Antonio's Song."
As indicated this is a delightful recording, full of charm and elegance that might not quite reach the level of the legendary Sinatra-Jobim collaboration, but is enjoyable and laudable with its own considerable merits.
I received my review copy from Concord. Here is a video of "Baubles, Bangles & Beads," from this recording.
Guitarist Phill Fest, son of bossa nova pioneer Manfredo Fest, has issued Projeto B.F.C., which explores jazz and bossa from high energy samba and baiao rhythms, to subtle bossa gentleness. B.F.C. refers to the Brazilian-Florida connection (as Phill has been in South Florida for over a decade). He is backed by pianist Robert Prester, Brazilian drummer Ronie Martinez and bassist Russ Howard with Hendrik Meurkens adding his harmonica virtuosity to several selections. The material includes originals by Phill, pianist Robert Prester, drummer Martinez and genre defining compositions by Manfredo Fest.
A couple of short percussion features by Martinez open and close this lively album. Fest’s own Florianoplis was previously recorded by his father and is a brisk and lively number that displays his fleet guitar playing backed by the lively accented group. Kenny Drew Jr paid tribute to Manfredo with Samba De Cayo Hueso, and Meurkens adds his chromatic harp virtuosity to the scintillating solos by Prester and Fest. One also has to acknowledge the crisp and lively support of Howard and Martinez here (and he takes a short solo break on this selection) and throughout. On Baiao Da Amizade, there is much charm in the interplay between Fest and Prester (who overdubs on acoustic guitars and vocalizes) before Howard solos.
Meurkens is also present on Manfredo’s lovely Clearwater Sunset, with Phill adding lovely guitar against the light swaying rhythm. Prester’s Commonwealth Ave opens with Gershwin-esque piano prior to Fest taking it into another gear on another spirited performance. Manfredo’s “Dig This Samba” is another lively performance that has Meurkens once again joining the group for another marvelous performance on a recording of Brazilian jazz that consistently delights listeners.
I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Phill Fest and group perform Manfredo's Dig This Samba.
Posts
