Mario Adnet – More Jobim Jazz (Adventure Music – 2011)

Review written by: Raul da Gama -

Of all the musicians who have contributed to keeping the repertoire of great Brazilian composers alive, Mario Adnet may be making the greatest contribution here. Like trombonist Roswell Rudd, soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy and pianist Misha Mengleberg who gone to great lengths to keep the music of the great pianist and composer Herbie Nichols’ and (to a certain extent) Thelonious Monk’s repertoire alive, the guitarist Adnet has created some of the finest repertory albums of Brazilian music. His work to preserve and spread the music of Moacir Santos, ranks among the finest albums of Brazilian music to have been released as is his album of Baden Powell music and of course his Jobim Jazz album. To these he has now added More Jobim Jazz, another exquisite album produced by the Adventure label of Richard Zirinsky Jr. and Mike Marshall.

Mario Adnet may well be one of the finest living orchestrators in contemporary musical idioms outside what is still catalogued as classical music. He combines the skill of Gil Evans in his use of woodwinds and brass, with a stylish use of strings and percussion and although he has not written much for truly large ensembles he is easily the peer of the Duke, or at least the Duke Ellington of small and medium sized Brazilian ensembles. His elegant taste and his marvelous sense of colours and shades puts him in a secure place where the only other reigning musicians are The Duke, Gil Evans and George Russell. He has a sensibility that makes him to small ensembles what Respighi is to the large world of classical music. Such is his extraordinarily sharp ear for timbre and for the tonal spectrum of the instruments in the brass, woodwinds and certainly strings as well and it seems only a matter of time before he uses the larger family of strings—violins, violoncellos and multiple basses.

On More Jobim Jazz Adnet seems to have tapped into the soul of Jobim, just as he did before. Here, however he is more assured than ever before. This is evident from the sure-footed manner in which he has paced the music, using tempi that are marginally quicker than the Master himself. “Wave” is a wonderful example. On lesser-known Jobim charts such as “Samba de Maria Luiza” “Marina Del Ray” he uses sixteenth notes to colour his harmonies with the most subtle hues. And in “Deus e o Diabo Do Sol” his masterful use of color and nuanced shades turns the melodic narrative into something of a masterful and visually exciting medieval battle. This he repeats in his re-creation of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” as he introduces Jobim’s beautiful “Samba do Avião”. The superb work of the trombones has much to do with this and it bodes well for the earthy energy of new Brazilian masters of the instrument, Everson Moraes and Vittor Santos.

Mario Adnet says he discovered the link between Gerry Mulligan’s Tentet and Quartet from 1953. If he goes on listening to the cool surfing sounds of the 50s West Coast, heaven knows what he will come up with next!

Track Listing: 1. Takatanga; 2. Mojave; 3. Boto (Porpoise); 4. Bonita; 5. Antigua; 6. O Homem (The Man); 7. Ai Quem Me Dera (I Wish); 8. O Barbinha Branca (The Little White Bearded Man); 9. Samba de Maria Luiza (Maria Luiza’s Samba); 10. Wave; 11. Marina Del Ray; 12. Deau e o Diabo Na Terra Do Sol (God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun); 13. Samba do Avião (Song of the Jet) (intro: Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin).

Personnel: Andrea Ernest Dias: flute (4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13); Joana Adnet: clarinet (2, 8, 9 – 11, 13); Zé Canuto: alto saxophone (1, 3 – 9, 11, 12); Marcelo Martins: tenor saxophone (1 – 5, 8 – 13); Henrique Band: baritone saxophone (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13); Philip Doyle: French horn (1, 3, 5, 6, 10 – 13); Jessé Sadoc: trumpet (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12), flugelhorn (2, 10); Aquiles Moraes: trumpet (9), flugelhorn (11, 13); Everson Moraes: trombone (1 – 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 – 13); Vittor Santos: trombone (6, 9, 10 – 13); Mario Adnet: acoustic guitar (1 – 6, 10, 11, 13); Antonia Adnet: acoustic guitar (7 – 9); Ricardo Silveira: electric guitar: 4, 5, 8, 10, 12); Marcos Nimrichter: piano (1, 2, 4 – 10, 12, 13), accordion (3, 7, 8); Jorge Helder: acoustic bass (1 – 10, 12, 13); Jurim Moreira: drums (1 – 3, 6, 12); Raphael Barata: drums (4, 5, 7 – 10, 13), Armando Marçal: percussion (1 – 3, 6, 12).

Related links: Mario Adnet on the web: www.marioadnet.com

Conversation with Brazilian artist Antonio Adolfo – Chora Baião

Antonio Adolfo grew up in a musical family in Rio de Janeiro (his mother was a violinist in the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra), and began his studies at the age of seven. At seventeen he was already a professional musician. His teachers include Eumir Deodato and the great Nadia Boulanger in Paris. During the 60′s he led his own trio and toured with singers Elis Regina and Milton Nascimento. Adolfo wrote tunes that gained great success and have been recorded by such artists as Sérgio Mendes, Stevie Wonder, Herb Alpert, Earl Klugh, Dionne Warwick, and others. He won International Song Contests on two occasions. As a musician and arranger he has worked with some of the most representative Brazilian names, besides having released more than 25 albums under his name. In 1985 Mr. Adolfo created his own school in Rio, Brazil. His most recent studio recording, Chora Baião, follows in the footsteps of his previous CDs, Lá e Cá/Here and There (released in 2010), and the 2007 live recording Antonio Adolfo e Carol Saboya Ao Vivo/ Live. Antonio Adolfo is currently conducting a music school in Hollywood, FL (USA) where, along with other instructors, he teaches Brazilian Music, Jazz, and Pop.

A Conversation with Pianist, Composer, Educator Antonio Adolfo

By Danilo Navas

Hello Antonio, it’s my pleasure talking to you in light of the release of your new recording entitled Chora Baião. Our readers will be delighted with your insightful answers and commentaries to my questions. Let’s start the conversation.

LJN: Choro and Baião are among the most popular two-beat Brazilian music styles. Choro originated in Rio, Baião in the northeast of Brazil. What are the commonalities and differences between them (if any)? Where do they cross? Where do they separate?

AA: Both are two-beat musical styles, both have African influences as, in general, other Brazilian two-beat styles have, but Choro carries more influences from the traditional European dances, such as Polka, Mazurkas, etc., Baião carries the Moorish-flavored musical atmosphere of the Iberian Peninsula. As you know Brazil was colonized by the Portuguese, whose music, as well as the one from Spain has lots of the characteristics from the Moors culture, who at certain moment in history, invaded and left their influence in the Iberian Peninsula’s countries, such as Spain and Portugal. And when Baião started to be developed in Brazil it incorporated some typical modalism that could be considered as influences from that Iberian music. The typical musical scale found in Baião shows an hybridism of both, tonal and modal (Lydian flat seven and mixolydian scales) – I think it is not necessary to go so deep in that analysis. Anyway, Choro’s scale carries more of the influences from classical music with its tonal system. What also occurs is that, in Brazil, Choro, Baião, Samba and their derivatives can be found in the Brazilian Maracatu that somewhat synthesizes all of them. Maracatu combines the African culture and the Roman Catholic religion adopted by the rich farmers from the period of Brazil’s colonization by the Portuguese, when the African slaves were brought to work for them. Nowadays, however, Brazilian Jazz musicians adopted all those styles and that mixture to their interpretations. Sometimes you go from one style to another without even noticing how much they can fuse themselves.

LJN: Is there an instrument (or more than one) that we can identify with those two music styles?

AA: Traditionally the two styles used different instrumentation. For example, Choro could use guitars, flute, piano, violin and other common instruments found in the classical music instrumentation. Pandeiro (Brazilian tambourine) was not yet used at that time, which we call Belle Epoque, but later when African descendants started to join the typical Choro groups, then pandeiro was totally absorbed by such groups. Baião used the typical Trio Nordestino (Northeastern Trio) formed by accordion, zabumba (a flat bass drum) and triangle. Sometimes you could find the “pifano” flute -a small hand made wood flute. Very characteristical for the Baião was also the melancholic chants sung by the “cantadores” with their sad melodies, combining the different scales used in Baião. It is interesting to notice here that, in both styles, despite some sadness found in the melodies, both (Baião, Choro and, even, Samba) are very rhythmic and danceable. Maybe that is one of Brazilian Music characteristics as well. Some (and more) of the explained can be found on my book Brazilian Music Workshop (Advance Music)

LJN: Carlos Althier de Souza Lemos Escobar (better known as Guinga) and Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (better known as Chico Buarque) are two giants of Brazilian music. What made you choose their musical works as inspiration for your new CD Chora Baião?

AA: As you say, they truly are two giants, but unfortunately not cultivated by Jazz oriented musicians due to several musical factors, as, for example, the harmonic styles found in their music are not the ones generally found in Jazz typical chords and/or chord sequences, I would even say that to build a Jazz solo based on, for example, some Guinga’s (or Chico’s) tunes can be a real challenge, since he (them) go through very different sequences of chords if compared to the II ­ V ­ I, or, even, through the modal ways adopted by Jazz music till nowadays. And even when they use typical harmonic sequences found in Jazz, they use different bass lines, which by itself create different colors. So, I thought it would be interesting to build that bridge that I’ve tried on the new CD and, then, bringing different colors to Brazilian Jazz than the ones normally used, for example, colors found in the music of another giant (Antonio Carlos Jobim) and few others. To achieve that goal it required a deep work and I went through all their songbooks searching which songs (among more than 300) I would feel more affinity and, therefore, could combine with my musical style. Then, I’ve decided recording three of my songs as well.

		CD: Chora Baião Artist: Antonio Adolfo Label: AAM Music Country: USA/Brazil Track: Dá O Pé, Loro (Hey Parrot! Give Me Your Foot) Author: Guinga Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

LJN: What can you tell us about the modern revival of Choro music?

AA: Its revival started to come to scene during the 80′s, by musicians in Brazil. First by Choro musicians, mainly in Rio and, then, by Jazz oriented ones. And I can include myself among these, since the recording of my album “Os Pianeiros” (1981), where I payed tribute to the great Ernesto Nazareth, one of the most important Brazilian composers of all times, and the subsequent ones: “João Pernambuco – 100 Anos”, a tribute to the guitarist and great Brazilian Choro composer and “Chiquinha Com Jazz” (another very important and influential Brazilian composer and conductor). Nowadays you can see a countless number of great musicians writing and playing very nice Choros and, among them, people like Guinga that, in my opinion, could be considered the one that reinvented that style.

LJN: Is there any difference between Choro and Chorinho?

AA: Chorinho is an affectionate form of calling Choro. In addition, we could say that Choro embodies several subgenres and similar styles as, for example, maxixe, lundu, polka (Brazilian Polka), tango brasileiro, etc, and even waltzes (Valsa Brasileira).

LJN: Let’s talk about the songs that you included on Chora Baião, starting with your own compositions, which by the way, fit perfectly and embody the spirit of this new project.

AA: There is a brand new one, “Chora, Baião” (Cry, Baião). I had written that song two years ago and it was in the “waiting list” to be recorded. And this was the perfect time to do that. There is another one that I’ve created for a composition class, when I was studying with master Guerra-Peixe, in Brazil, in 1975, “Chicote” (Whip), It was included in my 1977 “Feito em casa’ album, but as I’ve been playing that song in some shows and Concerts, it started to take different forms and for the new album I thought it fitted perfectly. Besides the type of chords used I have inserted a section with 24 measures, sort of Blues form but with typical Baião chord sequences, and one that I’ve written totally inspired by the songs of Chico and Guinga, “Chorosa Blues”, a piano solo, that I’ve decided to play just once for the track, simply the tune. In the album it has 1:24 length.

Note from the Editor: more information about Chora Baião at: www.antonioadolfo.info

LJN: Let’s talk about the musicians that joined you on this recording.

AA: Oh yeah, these are the guys, all GREAT musicians: Leo Amuedo (guitarist), born in Uruguay, worked in Holland for sometime and then went to Brazil to join Brazilian composer and singer Ivan Lins’ group. Leo is an incredible musician and peforms very inspired solos during the whole album. Jorge Helder, actually playing with Chico Buarque, represents what a bass player has to be: besides, his harmony knowledge, Jorge has a sense of the whole in a musical group, comes up with nice suggestions, he is very precise and well tuned: a real great bass player! Rafael Barata is one of the best Brazilian drummers I’ve ever met. He reminds me of Edson Machado, the inventor of playing samba using the cymbals ­that was in the 60′s. Back to Rafael, I am very impressed by his musicianship, his precision and, besides all that, he makes me feel very comfortable to express myself musically. Marcos Suzano, one of the most influential and precise percussionists from Brazil. The way he approaches and plays the pandeiro (Brazilian tambourine) has completely changed the function and possibilities of that instrument in popular music, not just Choro, but any style. He can play any style of music on pandeiro. Besides that, his musicianship adds much to any group of musicians. The way he chooses the percussion instruments to fit every song. I loved the experience of having him in the album. And, there is also Carol in two songs, singing “Você, você”, by Guinga and Chico, and vocalizes on “A Ostra e o Vento” (The Oyster and the Wind). Carol is great and I feel always very gifted having her with me in my recent albums. The most recent ones: Antonio Adolfo – Lá e Cá/Here and There, and Antonio Adolfo and Carol Saboya – Ao Vivo/Live are examples of the nice combination of our styles.

LJN: You credit Oscar Peterson as one of your major jazz influences. Being myself from Canada, I had to ask you how this came to be.

AA: When I started to listen to Jazz, Oscar Peterson became one of my favorites and biggest influences. He was (is) GREAT!!! I was very impressed by his musicianship and his way of playing Jazz. It is hard to describe.

LJN: Can you tell us about your intensive educational work (in both countries, Brazil and United States)?

AA: Since I’ve studied with all my masters, including Brazilian Guerra-Peixe, my dear French teacher Nadia Boulanger and all others, I could notice the importance of transmitting our musical knowledge to others. Besides that, teaching is another way for you to keep practicing. You have to be ready to answer to any question, you have to practice chords in any key, etc., and you learn a lot from the students. So, since 1975 I became a music teacher and, in 1985, created my school in Rio, Centro Musical Antonio Adolfo, which is very active, with a big number of nice teachers and students. Actually, besides, the school in Rio, which is more under the direction of my two daughters Carol and Luisa ­I go to Rio and work at the school four or five times a year. ­ I am also conducting an experimental school in Hollywood , FL (USA), Antonio Adolfo School Of Music, where I teach music, mainly Brazilian music for adults and children. It has been a nice experience as well. Once in a while I go to other places to teach Brazilian music clinics as well.

LJN: I quote the following from an online source: “…the legendary Brazilian composer Antonio Adolfo, the first Brazilian musician to play the Fender Rhodes”. What can you tell us about this?

AA: Yes, that was in 1969, when I created my group Antonio Adolfo e a Brazuca, a sort of Sergio Mendes’ influenced band. ­Sergio had recorded my song “Sa Marina” (Pretty World) in that year and I was a big fan of him and his group. The Fender Rhodes was a new possibility in terms of sound for pianists and I wanted to try that. I still like its sound, but, to tell the truth, for the music I’ve been playing lately, I prefer the acoustic piano.

LJN: Besides promoting your new CD Chora Baião, and continuing your dedicated educational work, what’s next for Antonio Adolfo? Any project(s) that you’re already planning to pursue? Any project(s) you still haven’t been able to acomplish?

AA: I enjoy what I’ve been doing. I enjoy recording (my albums and being guest of other artists as well), performing (I’ve been performing mostly in Brazil, but also in the US). There are no projects right now, since I am dedicating much time to my new “baby”, the CD “Chora Baião” and cannot forget my students as well. Of course, ideas always come to my mind all the time, so, at anytime a new project can become reality.

LJN: Congratulations on another magnificent project. Latin Jazz Network wishes you all the best on this and future endeavors. Is there anything else you would like to add to close this conversation?

AA: Thank you. I’ve enjoyed your questions. It has been a pleasure answering to them.

Related links:

Antonio Adolfo – Chora Baião: www.antonioadolfo.info
Centro Musical Antonio Adolfo – Brazil: www.antonioadolfo.mus.br
Antonio Adolfo School Of Music – USA: www.antonioadolfo.net

Antonio Adolfo & Carol Saboya – Lá e Cá (Self Produced – 2010)

Although Antonio Adolfo makes a point to explain his singular style as an amalgam of a very personal style with a distinct infusion of Brazilian phrasing, this may not be necessary at all. Adolfo’s sweeping, symphonic pianistic style and the immaculate sense of swagger is highly recognizable. His virtuoso piano playing echoes with the offbeat of the samba, the irreverent rattle of maracatu and flights of fanciful capoeira. These he incorporates into his often delayed notes and shuffling rhythm and every time he plays there is more than enough to characterize his wonderful music. This album, Lá e Cá/Here and There that he shares with his daughter Carol Saboya is stylish, heart-warming and memorable.

The elements of style come from Adolfo’s immaculate sense of melody in his writing itself. Then comes his uniquely inflected harmony, appointed, no doubt by his deep sense of “Brazilian-ness.” Then there is his pianism itself. Adolfo can summon legions of harmonic overtones as he annunciates his phrases that are rich in covert voicing. His solos are infrequent and short, when he does solo. But with classic understatement he brings visions of Brazilian renaissance to the inner ear with his rhythmic manner of repeating notes with subtle differences in strength and time. He varies the volume of his notes using exquisite dynamics and often shadows another instrument—the guitar in “Cascavel,” a roguish melody characterized by triads and the hissing of Rafael Barata’s cymbals and the trombone of Sergio Trombone in “A Night in Tunisia.”

The other reason this album is so stylish is Carol Saboya. The vocalist, not as well known as she should be—both from the Brazilian musical standpoint as well as purely on the strength of her own repertoire—is quite extraordinary. As she sings she opens her lines with a slight tremolo in the first few words, and then settles into a husky contralto, sounds like the line she sings in “All the Things You Are,” a breathless rush of emotion. Saboya has perfect pitch and can land exactly on the centre of the note she is called upon to sing, or chooses to sing. Then she bends and twists the sound of the note at will, creating spectacular changes in emotion. Her style is not so much narrative as it is emotional, of course, being Brazilian. But in this regard she affects the imagery of a chorinho as she almost cries the lyrics of “Sabiá” for instance.

The other vocal repertoire is varied and showcases Saboya’s sensitivity as a vocalist. She bares raw emotion when she vocalizes. She woos the lunar sky in “A Night in Tunisia” as she scats and sings along with Trombone using vivid crepuscular tones. On “Time After Time” Saboya is almost elementally sad, as she is on “All the Things You Are” and “Sabiá.” Much of the rest of the repertoire on the album is a lesson in piano playing as well as a lesson in melding two cultures together to create a third. In this regard, few pianists can match the skill of Adolfo, who melts the swing of the jazz idiom into the dusty swagger of Brazilian rhythms.

The ensemble of Leo Amuedo on guitar, Jorge Helder on bass and Rafael Barata on drums is a perfect setting for Antonio Adolfo, who appears to find a perfect foil in his musicians. But it is Sergio Trombone that provides the most unique and memorable moments on the album. With his vivid, talking style, Trombone creates some unforgettable harmonics on songs that will stick in the mind as unique renderings of familiar tunes—such as Cole Porter’s “So in Love” and “A Night in Tunisia,” from the pen of Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli and Jon Hendricks. Once again, the excitement of Adolfo’s music lingers on long after the music stops.

Tracks: Cascavel; All The Things You Are; Minor Chord; A Night in Tunisia; Time After Time; Easy To Love; Sabiá Lullaby of Birdland/Garoto; So In Love; ‘Round Midnight; Every time We Say Goodbye/Nuvens Douradas; Toada Jazz (O Retirante)/Night And Day.

Personnel: Antonio Adolfo: piano; Carol Saboya: vocals (2 – 4, 7, 9); Leo Amuedo: guitar; Jorge Helder: double bass; Rafael Barata: drums; Sergio Trombone: trombone.

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Antonio Adolfo & Carol Saboya on the web: www.antonioadolfo.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama

Mario Adnet & Phillippe Baden Powell – AfroSambaJazz

Truth is told: Had the great Billy Strayhorn been even mildly interested in courting recognition for his contribution to Duke Ellington’s music, he would have occupied a much more rarified place in the pantheon of composers and arrangers – and even pianists – in the modern history of music. His reticence, even diffidence, was all encompasing. Mario Adnet could very possibly be the same kind of personality. AfroSambaJazz (Adventure Music 2009) is just another example of this. Adnet has made a magnificent record musically honoring Tom Jobim, shepherded three spectacular projects in homage of the great Moacir Santos – not to mention a superb period piece, Samba Meets Boogie Woogie… Now he’s at the center of this highly polished revue of the music of legendary guitarist, Baden Powell. The fact that he is joined by Phillippe Baden Powell, son of the late master, who provides great insights into his father’s music and sensative arrangements on many tracks and spectacular piano, when called for, puts the proverbial cherry on the cake.

Baden Powell was a sublime artist, who took his instrument well beyond the possibilities of the guitar. He played with complete command of every idiom in classical music and Afro-Brasilian music – whether it was folk or popular music. He was associated with the legendary Moacir Santos as a student of advanced harmony. Santos also taught him Greek modes, but must surely above all else, opened his mind to further loving the music and poetry of the earth, and expressing himself without restraint, even if it meant colliding with multiple sources of cultural stimulii. There is a track on this record – “Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday)” that speaks to this aspect of Baden Powell’s music. It is a piece through which the soul of God flows, bringing with it the music of Heitor Villa Lobos, Redamés Gnattali, not to mention primal fervor and transcendent spirituality in the warmth and reverence of the song. Moreover, in less than 4 minutes of music Baden Powell is elevated to beatification as he praises the scantity of Palm Sunday.

Mario Adnet may now have much to do with this elevation to beatification. Nothing must be, nor is anything being taken away from the sublime nature of the original music composed by Baden Powell. However, Adnet has recreated the soundscape with memorable shape shifting. To begin at the beginning, Adnet is a musician of unbridled genius. As he composed and arranged for larger groups his palette came to be one from which he was able to extract a myriad shades of tonal color and timbral textures. His use of reeds and woodwinds and brass has the hallmark of a master–one with an ear so astute that he can – with but the insertion of a note on alto flute – alter the mood of a piece from bright to sombre. He arranges great leaps of a whole orchestra from a minor mode of a chord sequence to a major mode in another chord sequence and brings celebratory resolution to a lament. His work on Baden Powell’s “Lamento de Exú″ bears this testimony out.

Adnet writes, arranges and conducts from a proverbial majesterium. He knows when to employ Teco Cardoso’s baritone saxophone and how forcefully it should be played just for “Canto de Ossanha,” but then how softly and sad it should sound on “Lamento de Preto Velho.” His clarinets and bass clarinets; his saxophones and flutes and trumpets and flugelhorns are so perfectly scored that it appears he knows just the right amount of breath that Eduardo Neves may require to use for a particular phrase, or how Jesse Sadoc manipulates his embouchure, or when Cristiano Alves will employ a breaking glissando. He writes a cello part to be mournful on “Nhem Nhem Nhem,” authoritative on “Sermão” and jubiliant on “Domingo de Ramos.”

That is how Mario Adnet has transformed the music of Baden Powell. Now with the assistance of the maestro’s son, Phillippe Baden Powell as well. The younger Baden Powell embodies the spirit of his father and has that same dynamic touch for interpreting the tonal values of all sound when he sits down to play the piano. He has also learned well how to score for larger ensembles and his apprenticeship on this unforgettable record would no doubt complete his tutelage under the majesterial Adnet, who, it seems, was chosen as teacher to the young boy in much the same way that the elder Baden Powell was akin to Moacir Santos.

Santos’ ghost is all over this music here. Because not only Baden Powell and Santos were kindred spirits after all, but because Mario Adnet knew that, the umbilical connection had to be kept sacred. Employing the full riches of his ensemble – especially drummer Jurim Moreira, percussion colorist, Armando Marçal and bassist, Jorge Helder – Adnet has also revitalized Baden Powell’s penchant for synthesizing Afro-Brasilian forms such as candomble, umbanda and capoeira with the urban samba of Rio de Janeiro. “Canto de Yemanjá″ and “Yansan Suite” are sublime examples of this synthesis.

There may be many more tributes to the Brasilian icon, Baden Powell and some may already be in the can, so to speak. It will be a tall order for anyone following in the wake of this one by Mario Adnet and Phillippe Baden Powell to make one with as much reverence and love and affinity for the maestro who passed away almost nine years ago.

Tracks: 1. Canto de Xangô (Song for Xangô); 2. Ritmo Afro (Afro Rhythm); 3. Caxangá de Oxalá (Oxalá’s Game); 4. Nhem Nhem Nhem; 5. Lamento de Exú (Lament for Exú); 6. Canto de Ossanha (Song for Ossanha); 7. Lamento de Preto Velho (Lament for an Old Man); 8. Sermão (Sermon); 9. Canto de Yemanjá (Song for Yemanjá); 10. Pai (Father); 11. Alodé (Mermaid’s Lament); 12. Berimbau; 13. Yansan Suite; 14. Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday).

Personnel: Mario Adnet: guitar (1-3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13); Antonia Adnet: seven-string guitar (4); Marcel Powell: guitar (14); Marcos Nimrichter: piano (1-3, 67, 9, 10, 13), accordion (7, 9, 14); Phillippe Baden Powell: piano (4, 5, 8, 11, 12); Jorge Helder: bass; Jurim Moreira: drums (1-13); Armando Marçal: percussion (1-13); Ricardo Silveira: electric guitar (1, 2, 5, 11); Cristiano Alves: clarinet 3, 4, 7, 8, 14), bass clarinet (4, 5, 8, 14); Joana Adnet: clarinet (5); Henrique Band: alto saxophone (1, 5, 6, 10); Eduardo Neves: tenor saxophone (1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 11-13), flute (3, 7, 14); Teco Cardoso: baritone saxophone (1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13), alto flute (9); Andrea Ernest Dias: alto flute (2, 7, 14), flute (8); Jessé Sadoc: trumpet (1, 6, 10), flugelhorn (2); Aquiles Moraes: trumpet (5); Everson Moraes: trombone (1 -6, 8); Vittor Santos: trombone (2, 9, 13); Philip Doyle: French Horn (1, 6, 9, 10); Hugo Pilger: cello (3, 4, 8, 14); Mônica Salmaso: vocal (9), vocal for Litany (13); Carlos Negreiros (7); Maucha Adnet : vocal song (13); Joana Adnet, Mario Adnet, Antonia Adnet, Phillippe Baden Powell, Janaina Linhares: hand clapping (3).

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Mario Adnet on the web: www.myspace.com/marioadnet

Review written by: Raul da Gama

Samba Meets Boogie Woogie (Adventure Music 2008)

This is a truly remarkable recording and features fifteen tracks that make for a stellar tribute bossa nova, before it became the Bossa Nova. These fifteen tracks were all written and most of them were performed during the 1940s and 1950s. There have been many recordings that purport to pay tribute to various historic periods in music, but none have been so exquisitely rendered in the modern context and performed with such panache. Although credit for this Samba Meets Boogie Woogie must go largely to Mario Adnet for the arrangements and musical direction, and also to Alfredo del-Penho for the repertoire research, every performer here also deserves to be credited for his or her contributions. For in the end it is not just this remarkable music that is the highlight of this record, but also the musicians who have pulled it off.

The title of the recording suggests a collision of cultures. This is an explosion between the musical folk art of Brazil and American – and by inference, European – popular song and dance music. But this suggestion is only ironic, even misleading. What is more acceptable is to hear how the music of Brazil reacted and responded to the “invasion” of the popular music of the United States and Europe. Here is the evidence: A roistering extravaganza of the music of Haroldo Barbosa, Denis Brean, Janet de Almeida, Heitor dos Prazeres, Gordurinha, Jackson do Pandeiro and others tongues firmly in cheek as they reacted with typical Brazilian “alegria” to American song.

It is a sort of gentle cutting contest where musicians of the 40s and 50s between the samba that infused all of Brazilian life and the affectations of rock and roll. In “Chiclete com Banana,” for instance, Almira Castilho wrote, “I’ll only put bebop in my samba/when I see Uncle Sam playing the tamborim/If he picks up a pandeiro and a drum…” The irony contained in this song is something that echoes throughout the record. It is a gentle sort of irony that sets the record straight. It is almost as if the musicians of the Brazilian 1940s and 1950s were saying that this bossa nova begat the boogie woogie. The gentle irony of Castilho’s song is echoed in the words – not to mention the music – of the other tracks as well. “Baiana no Harlem,” and “Boogie Woogie na Favela” are other fine examples of the music that will certainly go a long way into making this record one of the most significant documents of Latin American music in 2008.

It is impossible to single out any specific performances on the record, or any one or two musicians who make this record stand out from the many that were released in that year. This is because the record is an ensemble cast recording. Everyone contributes in some way shape or form – whether it is vocally or instrumentally. But deserving of special mention are Rodrigo Campello, who plays seven-string guitar, Marcos Nimrichter, on accordion, trombonist Vittor Santos, Hamilton de Holanda on mandolin and Nicolas Krassik on violin. They keep the instrumental voices fresh. And their brief soloing is imaginative yet all too brief. Also Mario Adnet and Alfredo del-Penho have undertaken a task that is not based on a well-known period in Brazil’s musical history and turned it into a spectacular affair. They have succeeded in bringing to life a rare and little-known period in Latin American music one that may actually grow to become a very popular one, the more this record is played. And for this they deserve a huge round of applause.

Tracks: Adeus America (Farewell America); Boogie Woogie do Rate (The Rat Boogie Woogie); Eu Sambo Mesmo (I Samba); Baiana no Harlem (Baiana in Harlem); Conversa de Samba (Samba Talk); Tintim por Tintim (Bit by Bit); Boogie Woogie na Favela (Shanty Town Boogie Woogie); Eu Quero um Samba (I Want a Samba); Morena Faceira (Naughty Brunette); Nada de Rock Rock (No More Rock Rock); Pra que Discutir com Madame (Why Argue with a Madam); Malandro em Paris (Rascal in Paris); O Trombone do Tribuza (Tribuza’s Trombone); Chiclete com Banana (Chewing Gum with Banana); Brasil Pandeiro (Brazilian Pandeiro).

Personnel: Monica Salmaso; Roberta Sa; Maucha Adnet; Mario Adnet; Alfredo Del-Penho; Ze Renato
Featuring: Hamilton de Holanda; Cristovao Bastos; Jovino Santos Neto; Armando Marcal; Vittor Santos; Jesse Sadoc; Jorge Helder, Ze Luis Maia; and many others.

Samba Meets Boogie Woogie on the web: www.adventure-music.com

Review written by: Raul da Gama