Editor’s Picks – Best CDs of 2011
Some of my Favorite Recordings of 2011
by Danilo Navas – Editor
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Afro Bop Alliance – Una Más
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Poncho Sanchez & Terence Blanchard
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Chilcano – Madera Corazón
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Daniel López Infanzón Quinteto
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David Murray Cuban Ensemble Plays Nat King Cole en Español (Motéma Music – USA)Nat King Cole’s Latin influenced recordings of 1958 and 1962 were performed in both Spanish and Portuguese. Cole spoke neither, but sang the lyrics phonetically, maintaining his signature phrasing style. Although it sounded odd to native Spanish and Portuguese speakers, his obvious affection for the songs beloved world-wide by Latinos was accepted as it opened the door to a new audience. |
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Jovino Santos Neto – Currents
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Mario Adnet – More Jobim Jazz
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Miguel Zenón – Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook (Marsalis Music – USA)Being a recipient of the coveted MacArthur Fellowship has given Miguel Zenón the freedom to pursue great projects. Alma Adentro is an extraordinary exploration of the Puerto Rican Songbook. The true soul of a nation reflected in its musical creations. The result has invaluable quality. Variations on a theme that are rooted in the tradition, elevating the standards to new musical heights. |
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Paquito D’Rivera & The Madrid Big Band – Clazz, Continental Latin Jazz (WEA – Spain)Todo esto ocurría en Febrero de 2011 de forma simultánea en Madrid y Barcelona. En el escenario uno de los más grandes músicos del mundo. Paquito D’Rivera, un genial saxofonista y clarinetista que nos encandiló a todos con su impresionante directo acompañado por La Madrid Big Band de 18 músicos que sonó con la espectacularidad que requería el momento… chumanceralatinjazz.blogspot.com |
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Sebastian Schunke – Life and Death
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Grupo Falso Baiano – Simplicidade (Massaroca Records – 2011)
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Review written by: Wilbert Sostre -
Unlike Bossa Nova, a widely recognized style in the US, Brazilian choro is relatively unknown outside Brazil. The members of Falso Baiano with their refined and gorgeous sound are trying to change that.
Falso Baiano is a choro ensemble based in the United States. Their new release Simplicidade: Live at Yoshi’s was recorded live at Yoshi’s Club in Oakland, California in July 5, 2010, and captures vividly the richness and beauty of choro music. The album starts with the more familiar samba rhythms of Nelson Cavaquinho “Caminhando”, followed by the melancholic, delicate sound of the choro “Simplicidade”.
Jovino Santos Neto joins the group, playing piano and flute on three of his compositions. The classically tinged piano intro on “Feira Livre”, where Neto cleverly quotes lines from the ballet The Nutcracker, quickly turns into a contagious baião, a music style from the north of Brasil. Santos Neto masterfully plays the flute on “Kenny É Você” and engages in a superb dialogue with Zack Pitt-Smith on the soprano saxophone. Neto goes back to the piano on his beautiful composition “Rosa Cigana”.
Neto also plays the piano on Pixinguinha’s “Cheguei”, on the sublime interpretation of Jacob de Bandolim “Doce de Côco” and the accordion on Sivuca “Forró na Penha”.
The release also includes special guest Brian Rice on percussion in “Cheguei”, “Feira Livre”, Kenny É Você” and “Forró na Penha.”
Track Listing: 1. Caminhando; 2. Simplicidade; 3. Cheguei; 4. Feira Livre; 5. Kenny É Você; 6. Rosa Cigana; 7. Bem Brasil; 8. Deixa o Breque; 9. Doce de Côco; 10. Forró na Penha.
Personnel: Zack Pitt-Smith – saxophones, flute; Jesse Appelman – mandolin; Brian Moran – guitar; Ami Molinelli – percussion. Special guests: Jovino Santos Neto – piano, flute; Brian Rice – percussion
Related links: Grupo Falso Baiano on the web: www.grupofalsobaiano.com
Peter MacDonough – The Woo (Self produced – 2010)
Review written by: Wilbert Sostre -
The whole concept of Peter MacDonough’s album The Woo: A Latin Jazz Suite for Soprano Saxophone, from the cover art to the name of the songs is based on the movie The Wizard of Oz. Reinterpretations of movie songs is not something new in jazz, John Coltrane did it with My Favorite Things, a song from The Sound of Music. But what MacDonough did here is a Latin Jazz version of a complete movie soundtrack. And just as Coltrane did on My Favorite Things, MacDonough also plays the soprano sax.
MacDonough’s creative and refreshing arrangements bring new life to the music of this classic movie. The sublime sounds of the soprano sax on “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” serves as an intro to the samba rhythms of “We’re off to see the Wizard”. The short tango “Miss Gulch” gives way to the dark, kind of melancholic jazz ballad, “Come out, come out wherever you are Part I”. In “Come out, come out wherever you are Part II”, the same music sounds happier with a smooth jazz arrangement. After the 6/8 African rhythms of “Lions and Tigers and Bears”, the band goes once again into the contagious rhythms of Samba in “Optimistic Voices”.
The samba-reggae “Merry old land of Oz” and the Cuban danzon version of “If I only had” takes the listener to the sounds of the Caribbean. Listening to the nice tumbao and Michael Spiro’s conga solo at the end of the track, is hard to believe these guys (except for Jovino Santos Neto) are not from Latin America.
After the excellent vocals of Australian Adrian Payne over a clave rhythm on “March of the Winkies“, finally the song most people recognize from the Wizard of Oz, “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. With so many recordings of this classic it is hard to come up with an original and fresh arrangement. The odd time signatures on this version do the trick.
The album ends up with the gorgeous piano of Jovino Santos Neto in the light samba “If I were the king of the forest”, the soothing soprano sax sound of “The Lullaby League”, the danceable “Ding Dong” and a more intimate reprise of “Somewhere over the Rainbow”.
Track Listing:
1. Follow the yellow brick road
2. We’re off to see the wizard
3. Miss Gulch
4. Come out come wherever you are Part I
5. Come out come wherever you are Part II
6. Lions and tigers and bears
7. Optimistic voices
8. Merry old land of Oz
9. If I only had
10. March of the Winkies
11. Somewhere over the rainbow
12. If I were the king of the forrest
13. The lullaby league
14. Ding dong
15. Somewher over the rainbow (reprise)
Personnel:
Peter MacDonough – soprano saxophone
Jovino Santos Neto – piano
Mark Levine – piano
Michael Spiro – percussion
David Belove – bass
Paul Van Wageningen – drums
Review written by: Wilbert Sostre
Related links:
Peter MacDonough on the web: www.petermacdonough.com
Conversation with Guitarist Brian Moran
October 25, 2011 by danavas
Filed under Interviews
Grupo Falso Baiano is a choro group that offers a window into the history and diverse culture of Brazil. Choro is one of Brazil’s earliest popular musics, dating back to the late 1800s, and, similar to jazz, it reflects the melding of African rhythms with a melodic and harmonic structure closely resembling Baroque Classical music. G.F.B.’s exploration of choro spans nearly 100 years, including everything from the traditional to more contemporary versions and jazz influenced reinterpretations. In addition to performing and touring, Grupo Falso Baiano has worked in collaboration with the Pasadena Pops, Around the World Music Program, Young Audiences of Northern CA, and Youth in Arts, to bring choro and Brazilian music to students throughout California.
Grupo Falso Baiano takes its name from the famous Geraldo Pereira song “Falsa Baiana,” made famous by Joao Gilberto, among others. A “falsa baiana” (or falso baiano) is a fake Bahian: one who claims to come from the state of Bahia, named after its famous bay. Hence the play on words as it applies to Grupo Falso Baiano: since we hail from the San Francisco Bay Area, we are Bahians of North America, but are “fake Brazilians”. “We picked the name to honestly reflect our love and respect for the music we play. Our take on choro is to preserve the traditional sounds and instruments while incorporating our own influences and heritage.”
Grupo Falso Baiano is: Zack Pitt-Smith, reeds, Brian Moran, 7 string guitar, Jesse Appelman, mandolin (bandolim), and Ami Molinelli, percussion.
A Conversation with Guitarist Brian Moran
By Danilo Navas
LJN: Hello Brian, welcome to the pages of Latin Jazz Network. It’s a pleasure talking to you. Let’s get started with this interview by asking you about Grupo Falso Baiano’s newest recording (the second one) entitled “Simplicidade: Live at Yoshi’s.” But before, let’s go back to the beginnings of Grupo Falso Baiano. It started in the San Francisco Bay Area as a trio in 2003. It became a quartet in 2006. Your first CD Viajando Choro e Jazz came out in 2008. None of you are Brazilian. Why Choro music? What sparked your interest and made you take that direction?
BM: It’s hard to explain why and how someone gets bitten by the choro bug. For us – as musicians – I think it’s the special way that melody, harmony and rhythm come together in the form of choro. There’s nothing unique in traditional choro that isn’t found in jazz harmony, melody and rhythm, but the way it all comes together, with the particular instruments, and particular way of playing, is what makes it so addictive. Coming from a jazz background, my interest had a lot to do with the rootsy, acoustic quality – and the lack of a drum kit or bassist. It was fascinating to hear something that swung so hard that had no bass (only 7 string guitar), and instead of a drum kit, a single pandeiro (tambourine like instrument).
LJN: Your take on Choro music has a distinctive American flavor: Brazilian music with a Jazz accent…
BM: For us, it was simple: out of respect for the tradition, and those who grew up with it all their lives and play choro professionally in Brazil, we weren’t about to try to pass ourselves off as Brazilians, or try to emulate the Brazilian way at the expense of expressing ourselves – which is going to happen anyway. So sure, we transcribe Brazilian recordings, travel to Brazil and play with Brazilians and all of that, but in the end, any sincere musician is going to leave a part of them self in the music they play, so we recognized that and made it a plus.
LJN: Let’s talk about your collaboration with Jovino Santos Neto for this Live recording. Jovino is certainly one of the greatest Brazilian artists living in America.
BM: No doubt. I’m surprised how many people aren’t aware of him. He was Hermeto Pascoal’s right hand man for 20 years. And many jazz musicians forget about Hermeto. Miles Davis collaborated with him on Live Evil, and called him, “…the most impressive musician in the world”. To be in Hermeto’s band alone is no small feat. Jovino is an incredible spirit and inspiration, and an honor to work with.
LJN: How did this collaboration with Jovino happen?
BM: Jovino was a fixture at the California Brazil Camp for many years. We all met him there and got to know him over the years. As a result, we had him perform on our first record “Viajando: Choro e Jazz” in 2008. Around the time of the 2010 Yoshi’s concert, he was teaching at Jazz Camp West with our percussionist Ami Molinelli. So after the camp, we threw together a quick afternoon rehearsal and had him perform with us at the concert 2 days later.
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CD: Simplicidade: Live at Yoshi’s Track: Feira Livre 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. |
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Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Grupo Falso Baiano teams up with Brazilian master Jovino Santos Neto on this delightful Live in concert new release. A great follow-up to Viajando Choro e Jazz (their first recording), Simplicidade: Live at Yoshi’s showcases Grupo Falso Baiano’s original take on the classical Brazilian style, incorporating three compositions by special guest, Santos Neto. They have carved themselves a niche in an increasingly competitive musical environment with extraordinary results. Percussionist Brian Rice is also featured as a special guest.
LJN: Let’s talk about the compositions you included in “Simplicidade”.
BM: Aside from Jovino’s 3 compositions (Feira Livre, Rosa Cigana and Kenny É Você), they are all covers. It’s a mix of traditional choro tunes (Caminhando, Cheguei, Doce de Coco, Simplicidade), and a few lesser known tunes (Bem Brasil, Deixe o Breque) and a “forró” (Forró na Penha). Something we always do in shows and on records is to play tunes from different eras in choro, as well as material that isn’t considered pure choro (like the forró).
* Forró is a kind of Northeastern Brazilian dance that developed from European styles of folk music such as “Chula” and “Xotis” (term that originated the derivate “xote”), as well as a word used to denote the different genres of music which accompanies the dance. Both are much in evidence during the annual Festa Junina (June Festival), a part of Brazilian traditional culture which celebrates some Catholic saints. The most celebrated day of the festival is known as São João. (From Wikipedia)
* Choro, traditionally called chorinho (“little cry” or “little lament”), is a Brazilian popular music instrumental style. Its origins are in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. In spite of the name, the style often has a fast and happy rhythm, characterized by virtuosity, improvisation, subtile modulations and full of syncopation and counterpoint. Choro is considered the first urban popular music typical of Brazil. (From Wikipedia)
LJN: How has Grupo Falso Baiano and its music been received by the public? by your peers? how difficult has been to find a niche market in such a competitive environment?
BM: It’s been very well received. I think the public appreciates how different it sounds to their ears. When we do Latin festivals (like on the Latin Stage at the San Jose Jazz Fest), we often get sandwiched between big “latin jazz” groups, with piano, drum kit and congas, horn sections, etc etc. With all that volume and energy, our smaller tighter sound stands out, and I think people really enjoy the contrast. We’ve all dedicated a lot of time to this – learning to speak Portuguese, traveling and/or living in Brazil, studying and performing with Brazilian masters of these forms. So I think there’s a lot of appreciation among our peers. And as for finding a niche, it’s been a blessing. Frankly, with so few band performing choro (though that’s changing!), it’s much easier to book our group than say, another jazz quartet, of which there are many, and a limited audience.
LJN: So, we can say you have had a full immmersion in Brazilian music.
BM: I think we’re all just following our passion for the music, and down the rabbit hole we go! Everything has been a natural extension of that. You realize quickly that language can be a barrier, and through the desire to obtain as much knowledge as possible, it becomes evident that you need to speak the language. Then once you’re speaking, the next step seems to be to follow the river to the source, and go to Brazil. Being there, and seeing how the musicians perform the music, both formally and informally is invaluable and is something we try to bring back with us and present in our shows and workshops. For us, it’s all about channelling our love and respect for the music through our own experiences and musical personalities.
LJN: Congratulations Brian, “Simplicidade” is a terrific recording. Latin Jazz Network wishes you all the best on your coming projects.
More information about “Simplicidade: Live at Yoshi’s” at: www.grupofalsobaiano.com
Related links:
Brian Moran Music: www.brianmoranmusic.com
Grupo Falso Baiano: www.grupofalsobaiano.com
Best Recordings of 2010
1. Hilario Durán Trio – Motion (Alma Records)
One of the greatest Cuban pianists. No doubt about it. Either solo, on a duo, trio, quartet… or a big band (you get the idea), Hilario’s compositions and arrangements are outstanding.
2. Danilo Perez – Providencia (Mack Avenue Records)
A truly Pan-American and global masterpiece, Providencia is a beautiful ode to Danilo Perez’s country, to his Panamanian roots, and to his beloved Latin America by extension.
3. Roberto Fonseca – Akokan (Justin Time Records)
Roberto Fonseca belongs to a new generation of Cuban pianists. Incredibly talented, he’s taking the island’s pianistic tradition to new heights. Very spiritual CD. Almost a religious experience.
4. Jovino Santos Neto – Veja o Som/See the Sound (Adventure Music)
This double CD (CD 1 recorded in his adopted country, US and CD 2 recorded in his native Brazil) pairs Jovino Santos Neto with so many incredible artists. A true feast for the senses.
5. Alain Perez – Apetecible (GloboMedia Musica)
On his second recording as a band leader, Alain Perez presents a delightful mix of genres: world, jazz, flamenco, pop, all with a Cuban twist. As a singer, he sounds truly amazing.
6. Paquito D’Rivera with the Pablo Aslan Ensemble – Tango Jazz: Live at the Lincoln Center (Sunnyside Records)
Paquito’s love affair with the music of Gardel and Piazzola goes back in time. This live recording is an excellent homage to the Southern region of the Americas. Great musicianship.
7. Alex Brown – Pianist (Sunnyside Records)
Alex Brown is the youngest talent of the year. Growing under the wings of his Master/Mentor Paquito D’Rivera, Mr. Brown is surely finding his musical voice. An inspired recording.
8. Chicago Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble – Blueprints (Chicago Sessions)
As co-leaders, Nicaraguan pianist, Darwin Noguera and trumpet player Victor Garcia (Chicago native with a mexican heritage) share a common taste for the magnificence of big band compositions. A smoking performance.
9. Samuel Torres – Yaoundé (Self Produced)
The vibrancy and the rhythmic richness of his native Colombia run in Samuel Torres veins. Is the blood of Mother Africa, which nurtures his music, and his artistry.
10. Hector Martignon – Second Chance (Zoho Music)
A remarkable pianist and composer -also hailing from Colombia- Hector Martignon shines on this recording. His arrangements and execution are impecable.
Latin Jazz Network Radio – Jukebox – December 2010 Playlist
Click here to launch our audio player. See our playlist below.
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Jovino Santos Neto – Veja o Som/See the Sound (Adventure Music)
There comes a time in the life of a pianist, when the lure of a solo project is strong and he or she inevitably gives in. Having thus satisfied the yearning the musician is struck by an even more daunting task: the thought of a duo program, made even more alluring when there is an opportunity to duet with more than one musician and instrumentalist. Such an extravagance is rarely passed up so it is no surprise to find the wonderful world of pianist Jovino Santos Neto illuminated and festooned with duets with no less than twenty musicians as he makes this extraordinary album, Veja o Som (See the Sound), so named when the remarkable Airto Moreira let it slip after the spectacular duet take made it to the album. To be accorded the privilege of playing with practically anyone he wished to play with is rare indeed for any musician and says a lot about his or her relationship with the record label. And Adventure Music once again lived up to its name as well, by going the distance with Santos Neto this time. So what did the pianist do with this privilege?
First off, the program meanders into a maze of great music, with surprises at every turn. It is almost as if Santos Neto hopped onto a futuristic craft and began his journey through ether, suddenly encountering music and musicians with whom to play it. The surprises are breathtaking and the fact that it took two CDs to realize the dream is indicative of the fact that Jovino Santos Neto chose to choke the listening audience with gold in a bejewelled ornament of a double CD. The second remarkable aspect of the program is the outstanding playing of Santos Neto. His ability to switch from soloist to a supportive role is remarkable. That he is a fine soloist is beyond doubt. His palette is awash with the soft hues of many colors. He plays with great sensitivity, with phrases and lines that flow in whorls and ever widening circles. His approach to song is holistic, seemingly one that emerges from a beguiling place where he hears all music in the totality of the soundscape where it exists as if in an entirely fluid state.
Some of these turn the melodies inside out—Jobim’s “Insensatez,” a duet with the ethereal voice of Gretchen Parlato is one such. He can be puckish and play also with a wry, bouncy sense of humour: The breezy track, “Santa Morena,” played with mandolin wizard, Mike Marshall and Hermeto Pascoal’s spectacular; “February 1” with Anat Cohen is another. Frequently he reinvent melodies by diving in to a magical space and emerging with ideas that seemed impossible until now: Two fine examples of this are “Aquelas Coisas Todas,” with the deep brooding and yet sensuous tenor saxophone of David Sanchez and Moacir Santos’ classic, “April Child,” which is bravely and completely re-imagined with the impossibly brilliant sound of Vittor Santos’ trombone. But the most remarkable tracks of all are those that appear to be almost completely spontaneous inventions. “Veja o Som” with Airto Moreira’s remarkable volley of sounds of nature, including his primordial voice, the haunting “Sonora Garoa” with the magnificent voice of Mônica Salmaso and the ethereally beautiful “Cruzando o Sertão” with the percussionist, Luiz Guello are the crowning glory of the whole project.
Surely this must be one of Jovino Santos Neto’s most remarkable albums. It certainly is a wonderful follow-up to that spectacular piano duet album he did with Weber Iago for the same label, Live at Caramoor, where his pianism was just as spectacular. Here, however, Santos Neto is driven to invent with a remarkable array of musicians, especially voice artists, something Brasil has a surfeit of. Whatever will the pianist be up to next? Perhaps an album with the great Hermeto Pascoal, with whom Santos Neto spent time as Director of Music, would be the only thing that could cap this experience.
Tracks: CD1: Aquelas Coisas Todas (All of Those Things); Santa Morena (Dark-skinned Saint); Insensatez (How Insensitive); O Que Vier Eu Traço (Bring it On); Caminhos Cruzados (Crossed Paths); Veja o Som (See the Sound); Flor de Lis (Upside Down); February 1; Gloria; Nature Boy; CD2: Ahlê Sonora Garoa (Sonorous Drizzle); Morro Velho (Old Mountain); Cruzando o Sertão (Crossing the Hinterland); Feira de Mangaio (Street Bazaar); Canção do Amanhecer (The Dawn Song); April Child; Joana Francesa (Joana the Frenchwoman); Canto de Xangô (Xangô Chant); Alegre Menina (Gabriela’s Song).
Personnel: Jovino Santos Neto: piano, bamboo flute, flute, melodica; David Sanchez: tenor saxophone; Mike Marshall: mandocello, mandolin; Gretchen Parlato: voice; Paquito D’Rivera: C clarinet; Bill Frisell: electric guitar; Airto Moreira: voice, percussion; Tom Lellis: voice, shaker; Anat Cohen: soprano saxophone; Danilo Brito: mandolin; Joe Locke: vibraphone; João Donato: electric piano; Mônica Salmaso: voice; Ricardo Silveira: acoustic guitar; Luiz Guello: Pandeiro, effects, congas, djembe; Toninho Ferragutti: accordion; Joyce Moreno: voice; Vittor Santos: trombone; Paula Morelenbaum: voice; Gabriel Grossi: harmonica; Teco Cardoso: flutes.
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Jovino Santos Neto on the web: www.jovisan.net
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Mike Marshall – An Adventure 1999—2009 (Adventure Music – 2010)
Few musicians deserve a retrospective more richly than the mandolin player, Mike Marshall. The ground-breaking, genre defying instrumentalist and composer has melded his prodigious skills with musicians as far removed as David Grisman and Darol Anger, Bela Fleck and Caterina Lichtenberg… to where his heart lies most comfortably and gracefully, with Brasilian musicians such as Hamilton de Holanda and Hermeto Pascoal. Marshall’s career has spanned much more than a decade. However, this album, An Adventure 1999—2009 features his work in various contexts for just the years that he helped form the Adventure Music label with Richard Zirinsky, and recorded with that truly artist-oriented label.
Marshall’s work during this time was truly distinct. There is work here with artists such as the virtuoso violinist Alex Hargreaves and also the wondrous violinist, Darol Anger that was recorded just over a year or two ago—albums such as Big Trio and Woodshop that produced tracks such as “House Camp,” “Back to the Castle” and “Peter Pan” as well as “Borealis” that contain some of the finest work that has bluegrass inflected. Further back, in 2007 there is collaboration with the Scandinavian group Väsen, together with Darol Anger that explores more exotic avenues such as the ululations of Middle Eastern sounding melodies such as “Egypt” and the Nordic mythical elements brought delightfully to life with “Loke’s Troubles.” The violinist, Anger, is more than a casual collaborator with Marshall and he is featured again in an earlier Adventure album with Marshall. This one is 2005’s Psychograss, a voluptuous album that yields “Into the Lion’s Den” and “Stroll of the Mud Bug,” both of which are moveable feasts for Marshall fans and feature rich harmonies with Anger as well as banjo player, Tony Trischka and guitarist, David Grier.
Then there are the memorable Brasilian albums. The earliest is the 1996/2005 album, Brazil Duets from which the two duets—with Andy Narell on piano this time—“Um a Zero,” Pixinguinha’s wonderful choro, and “Indifference” with the great banjoist, Bela Fleck are culled. In 2004 Marshall recorded an album of some of the best-known choros, Choro Famoso and this album produced two of the finest tracks on this retrospective, “Sarau Para Redamés” and “Um Abraço Seu Domingos.”
But the most memorable of all the work represented here is on the 2003 album with fellow Adventure Music alumni, Jovino Santos Neto, the extraordinary Brasilian-born and raised multi instrumentalist, who was formally musical director of the legendary Hermeto Pascoal’s group before lighting out on his own. The album, Serenata also yields two tracks, “Serenata” with Santos Neto on piano and “Quando Mais Longe, Mais Perto” which also features Pascoal himself on bass flute. The other unforgettable album is “New Words” (2006) with magical duets featuring the new sensation, Brasilian bandolim player, Hamilton de Holanda. The traditional track and an extended medley with Ernesto Nazareth’s “Blackberry Blossom/Apenhei-te Cavaquinho” is a fascinating reminder of the unbridled genius of both de Holanda and Marshall. The crowning moment must surely be the Irish jig-inflected, “Brejeiro,” which features de Holanda on an Irish bouzouki, a lute that he has mastered and on which he waxes eloquently.
Significantly, Marshall also excels on the air, “Angels We Have Heard on High,” from the 1997/2008 album, Midnight Clear, but this time he is heard on acoustic guitar, an instrument he rarely plays. However this is one instrument that might be grist for his grinding in the near future—perhaps a pensive solo album from the ingenious fingers of Mike Marshall.
Tracks: House Camp; Back to the Castle; Peter Pan; Borealis; Egypt; Loke’s Troubles; Blackberry Blossom/Apenhei-te Cavaquinho; Brejeiro; Into the Lion’s Den; Stroll of the Mud Bug; Sarau Para Redamés; Um Abraço Seu Domingos; Serenata; Quando Mais Longe, Mais Perto; Angels We Have Heard on High; Um a Zero; Indifference.
Personnel: Mike Marshall: mandolin (1 – 7, 9 – 12, 14, 16, 17), 10-string mandolin (1), mandocello (2); nylon string guitar (13), acoustic guitar (15); Paul Kowert: bass (1, 2); Alex Hargreaves: violin (1, 2); Darol Anger: violins (3 – 5, 9, 10), baritone violin (5, 6); Phil Asberg: piano (3); Todd Sickaloose: bass (3); Aaron Johnston: shaker, cymbals (3); Olov Johansson: nykelharpa (5, 6); Mikael Mann: 5-string viola (5, 6); Roger Tallroth: 12-string guitar (5, 6); Hamilton de Holanda: 10-string mandolin (7), Irish bouzouki (8); David Grier: guitar (9, 10); Todd Phillips: acoustic bass (9, 10); Tony Trischka: banjo (9, 10); Carlos Oliveira: nylon string guitar (11, 12); Andy Connell: clarinet, soprano saxophone (11, 12); Michael Spiro: percussion (11, 12, 14); Brian Rice: percussion (11, 12); Jovino Santos Neto: piano (13, 14); Hermeto Pascoal: bass flute (14); John Santos: percussion (14); Andy Narell: piano (16); Béla Fleck: banjo (17).
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Mike Marshall on the web: http://mikemarshall.net
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Grupo Falso Baiano – Viajando Choro e Jazz (Independent 2008)
Of the many non-Brasilian ensembles in the United States besotted with “choro,” the music of Brasil and, not simply drawn to it, but actually performing it, Grupo Falso Baiano may very possibly be the finest. The quartet of Jesse Appelman (mandolin), Zack Pitt-Smith (woodwinds), Brian Moran (guitars and cavaquinho) and Ami Molinelli (pandeiro and percussion) focus their attention on Brasilian “choro,” on Viajando: Choro e Jazz, a record that consists of 13 tracks sweeping across a hundred years of “choro.”
What is remarkable about this record is the consistently fabulous and contemporary treatment of “choro”. Some of the older “choro,” in fact, such as “De Coração a Coração” and on “Carioquinho” and other Waldir Azevedo compositions, as on Bonfiglio de Oliveira’s “Alzira,” as on Jacob do Bandolim’s “Biruta” and others, the classical music played with bare feet and calloused hands truly comes to life. Remarkably the music also sounds fresh as the “choro” written by more recent masters -Hermeto, Baden Powell and Hamilton de Hollanda.
There is a wonderful synergy between Appelman, Moran, Pitt-Smith and Molinelli. This is what drives the music in the truest tradition of Brasilian lament. Not only are the string players virtuoso instrumentalists just as Zack Pitt-Smith is with his horns, but they appear to dance around each other in a fabulous interplay that is worthy of the best “choro” bands put together by Hermeto and de Hollanda. Molinelli can slap the pandeiro as well as the finest percussionists. On Baden Powell’s “Canto de Ossanha” she holds her own with Michael Spiro, who also guests on conga.
Here, too, the classic rondo form of the “choro” gets its finest showcase. This is true of all the tracks on the record, but Baden Powell’s composition, just as Hermeto’s “Viajando Pelo Brasil” before that are the highlights of the art of “choro” of today. The AABBACCA form and changing keys are superbly highlighted, as is the form on “Arrasta-Pé,” Azevedo’s offering with which Grupo Baiano close the set. But while the documentary nature of the record gives it considerable weight, the joie de vivre of the musicians and their virtuosity of the highest order is what makes this a first class record. If this were the group’s debut, the sophomore offering would be even more eagerly awaited.
Track Listing:
De Ben com e Vida; Carioquinha; Beliscando; Irmãos Super Mario; Samba de Lua; Biruta; De Coração a Coração; Aquarela na Quixaba; Alzira; Viajando pelo Brasil; Conversa de Baiana; Canto de Ossanha; Arrasta-Pé.
Personnel:
Zack Pitt-Smith: woodwinds; Jesse Appelman: mandolin (except tracks 9 & 10); Brian Moran: steel and nylon string guitars, cavaquinho; Ami Molinelli: pandeiro, zabumba, percussion. With Guests: Jovino Santos Neto: accordion (10, 13), melodica: (4); Mike Marshall: mandolin (7); Eva Scow: mandolin (7, 9, 10); Jorge Alabe: percussion (8); Michael Spiro: congas, percussion, birdcalls (4, 8, 12); Brian Rice: tamborim (4).
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Grupo Falso Baiano on the web: www.grupofalsobaiano.com
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Samba Meets Boogie Woogie (Adventure Music 2008)
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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
