Duduka da Fonseca Trio Plays Toninho Horta (Zoho Music – 2011)
One of the main reasons why Brazilian music has been preserved and, more importantly, kept alive through the generations has been the readiness of newer generations of musicians to create repertory albums in homage to that country’s master musicians. Over the years there have been a slew of beautiful tributes to classical masters such as Heitor Villa Lobos, from João Carlos Assis Brasil’s legendary album A Floresta do Amazonas with Ney Matogrosso and Wagner Tiso, (Kuarup Discos) to the myriad ones to contemporary maestros from Ana Caram’s The Other Side of Jobim (Chesky), the stunning albums by Mario Adnet honoring Moacir Santos and Baden Powell (Adventure Music). To add to that ever-growing list comes an exquisite album paying tribute to one of the lesser-known, but equally masterful composer and guitarist, Toninho Horta, from one of Brazil’s greatest drummers of his generation, Duduka Da Fonseca.
Plays Toninho Horta marks the arrival of Da Fonseca as a masterful interpreter of fine repertoire and inasmuch, as he has made Horta’s music his own, something of a “composer” as well. Da Fonseca is clearly one of the finest rhythm colorists around. He is one of several musicians who followed in the footsteps of fellow-Brazilians, Santos, Claudio Roditi and Nilson Matta in locating themselves in the United States. In bringing their artistry abroad, these musicians have become virtual ambassadors for Brazilian musical culture in that country. As is the case with this great cultural collision samba and maracatu are now virtually germane to the ever-expanding rhythmic patterns of modern music.
But Horta’s music also brings a certain elegance and graceful to the art of song as well. This is recognizable no matter whether Portuguese is spoken and or understood where his music is played. Da Fonseca proves this with his skillful handling of the repertoire here. Much of this has to do with the beautiful understatement with which he plays, whether he is driving the rhythm forward as he accompanies pianist David Feldman and bassist Wirti, or in his solos. As an accompanist, Da Fonseca creates fabulous whorls of color and shade with his melange of rolls, tickles and bombs on the drums which are offset by the joyous splashes and tinkles on his many cymbals. The Brazilian backbeat constantly reminds the body that it must keep on swerving, swaying and pirouetting to Horta’s sensuous, delicious melodies. Da Fonseca’s solos are few and when Feldman and Wirti quiet down to let him take one, he flies, unfettered as if he and his drums are floating on great gusts of wind. Bassist and pianist bring him down only to take off themselves in what is a continuous display of sublime artistry that never seems to end.
Wirti also shines as he opens con arco, the hushed, aching lyricism of “Moonstone,” a piece that is one of Horta’s most beautiful torch songs. This song also calls to mind the mastery of Toninho Horta as a melodist. Few musicians are as capable as he is of such sweet assaults on the soul. “Francisca,” “Waiting for Angela” and “Luisa” are other reminders of Horta’s genius that rank him among the sublime creators of song—with men such as Jobim and Santos themselves as well as with Americans like Green and Sour, who created such unforgettable charts as “Body and Soul”. Such is the beauty of Horta’s music and the world would have been the poorer had not Duduka Da Fonseca and his Trio brought its beauty to us with this memorable album.
Track Listing:
1. Aqui, Oh!
2. Bicycle Ride
3. Moonstone
4. Francisca
5. Aquelas Coisas Todas
6. De Ton Pra Tom
7. Waiting For Angela
8. Luisa
9. Retrato do Gato
Personnel:
David Feldman: piano; Guto Wirti: bass; Duduka Da Fonseca: drums.
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Duduka Da Fonseca on the web: www.dudukadafonseca.net
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Hendrik Meurkens – Live at Bird’s Eye (Zoho Music – 2011)
Hendrik Meurkens is, most certainly, one of the greatest musical adventurers from Europe. The harmonica wunderkind who also happens to be a fine vibraphone player seems to have almost singlehandedly rediscovered Brazil decades after Stan Getz and Joe Henderson did almost five decades ago. In doing so Meurkens along with the grandmaster of the harmonica, Toots Thielemans, has cast a refreshing light on Brazilian music, focussing on the angularity and aching beauty longing of its beloved choro. Not only has he brought a new instrument (the harmonica) to the traditional song form (the choro), he has recast the form in instrumental music by playing his instrument of choice as if he were “singing” the lyric lines of choro. And, as if this were not enough, he has added the vibraphone to choro as well. On this instrument as well he seems to dig into the depth of his soul as he creates dazzling harmonies around the melodies he plays.
Naturally, the breathless excitement of Brazil comes through in every aspect on Meurkens’ fourth Zoho release, Live at Bird’s Eye in Basel, Switzerland. Meurkens may not know it, but he has a penchant for the spectacular. This is evident from his sweeping, almost epic take on João Donato’s “Amazonas.” With his majestic runs and arpeggios on the vibraphone, Meurkens fills the heart and the mind with the breathtaking prospect of the world’s greatest, most mysterious and beautiful jungle. As a result, in one fell swoop he traverses a great landscape by creating an exquisite sound scape, urging his ensemble of pianist Misha Tsiganov, bassist Gustavo Amarante and drummer Adriano Santos to rediscover not just a memorable song, but a wonder of the world. Again, Meurkens pays an unforgettable tribute to Donato—this time on harmonica—in “Minha Saudade.” This is where Meurkens’ vocal side comes to the fore as he soars into the proverbial clouds with his “vocal” gymnastics on the harmonica.
But it is on his own composition—a choro, in fact—where Meurkens ingenuity on the harmonica shines. The composer is absolutely majestic as he is elementally sad and joyful on “Lingua de Mosquito.” Here his “vocalastics” on the harmonica are combined with his sense of aching beauty as he recreates a choro that even without vocals, recalls the great vocal choro of the likes of Nana Caymmi.
And what would a concert by Meurkens be without his classic, “Sambatropolis”? The quartet delivers this with refreshing style and aplomb, so that it sounds different from when Meurkens burst on the scene with it almost a decade ago. Moreover here, as elsewhere on this ever so memorable album, pianist Tsiganov gives a fine account of himself as he negotiates the rhythm of Brazil along with the young masters that Meurkens has brought along to Europe—bassist Gustavo Amarante and drummer Adriano Santos—in what is clearly one of the most exciting albums of 2011.
Track Listing:
1. Amazonas
2. Estate
3. Sambatropolis
4. Dindi
5. Lingua De Mosquito
6. Nôa Nôa
7. Body and Soul
8. Minha Saudade
9. Você Vai Ver.
Personnel:
Hendrik Meurkens: harmonica, vibraphone; Misha Tsiganov: piano; Gustavo Amarante: bass; Adriano Santos: drums, pandeiro (5).
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Hendrik Meurkens on the web: www.hendrikmeurkens.com
Review written by: Raul da Gama
New CDs – November 2011
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CD: Recordando Track: Inesperado 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. The Andrés Ortíz Trío is formed by Colombian pianist Andrés Ortiz, Italian double bass player Antonio Cervellino and Swiss drummer Brian Quinn. They are currently based in Switzerland. Musically, Andrés has a strong Latinamerican folkloric influence from his early years growing and learning in his native country. He’s a talented composer and arranger who has received several awards in Spain, where he was living before moving to Switzerland in 2008. |
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CD: El Cumbanchero Track: El Cumbanchero 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. Virtuoso flute player Mark Weinstein is joined this time by strings and percussion, revisiting and reinventing the classic charanga Cuban tradition. Weinstein and Cuban pianist Aruán Ortiz produced this album, and Ortiz also contributed brilliant arrangements for this project. Flutist Danilo Lozano writes in the liner notes: "For me, this recording has borne the musical and cultural challenges inherent in performing Latin jazz." |
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CD: Plays Toninho Horta Track: Retrato Do Gato 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. In this new album, superb Brazilian drummer Duduka Da Fonseca is joined by his musical partners, David Feldman on piano and Guto Wirtti on acoustic bass. They are the Rio de Janeiro-based Duduka Da Fonseca Trio, rendering hommage to Toninho Horta, another extraordinary Brazilian artist (singer-songwriter and guitarist). This project is a tremendous follow-up to Duduka’s 2009 Latin Grammy- nominated "Brazilian Trio Forests." |
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CD: Live at Bird’s Eye Track: Sambatropolis 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. The harmonica and the vibraphone take a new dimension on Hendrik Meurkens hands. This album, recorded live at the Bird’s Eye club, in Basel, Switzerland, is uplifting and refreshing. Meurkens is joined by Misha Tsiganov on piano, Gustavo Amarante on bass and Adriano Santos on drums (and pandeiro on track #5). This project showcases the most representative Brazilian rhythms: Samba, Bossa, Choro and some beautiful Jazz ballads. Truly enjoyable. |
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CD: David Murray Cuban Ens. Plays Nat King Cole en Español Track: Quizás, Quizás, Quizás 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. Based on the two recordings en español by Nat King Cole, released around 50 years ago, this is truly an innovative interpretation of those historic albums by saxophonist, conmposer and bandleader David Murray and his 10-piece Cuban ensemble. Some of the best Cuban musicians participate on this project, which is enhanced with a Portuguese string section (Sinfonieta of Sines), tango revivalist singer Daniel Melingo and bandoneón player Juanjo Mosalini, both from Argentina. The final result is magnificent. |
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Patty Ascher – Bossa, Jazz ‘n’ Samba (Zoho Music – 2011)
Patty Ascher’s exquisitely floating soprano literally takes flight on her ever so memorable English album, Bossa, Jazz ‘n’ Samba, a collection of mostly original songs from her pen. With a voice that sounds as if she were so beautifully vulnerable, Ascher navigates a myriad of emotions from longing and sadness to wonder and joy. Although she is exacting in her interpretation of emotions, her voice, almost devoid of any vibrato is so fey and delicate and beautiful that she sounds as if she might break down at any moment. Quite the contrary, however, she soars way above the concreteness of each song, seeming to develop angelic wings, as she flies in the face of conventional vocalastics and into the realm of fantasy; a glorious imaginarium that is almost too exquisite to behold.
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Ascher is the kind of interpretive singer who can handle almost any mood and almost any kind of song—from one that is narrative to one that springs from the depths of the soul. Moreover she has such an instinct for the exact nature of the song’s emotional centre that she hits the spot almost all the time. This is something like having perfect pitch; only in this instance it does not matter whether she does have perfect pitch, because her accent is on the key moment in the emotion; on the exact twist of the moment of pain or joy or whatever it is she is expressing. A marvellous example of this extraordinary ability is in the aching ballad, “How Much I Care”. So slowly do the moments pass throughout the song that it seems Ascher is caressing every word, almost making love to each beautiful twist and turn in the lyric of the song.
Appropriately Bossa, Jazz ‘n’ Samba boasts a stellar cast of musicians from Brasil, who have come together to arrange Ascher’s songs from this beloved adventure. Dori Caymmi turns Michel Legrand/Alan Bergman’s classic “The Summer Knows” into a slow-burner with a proverbial blue flame. The magnificent Gilson Peranzetta is responsible for the tortured sighs of “How Much I Care”. Cristovão Bastos conjures up a bleak desolation in “The Winter”. And there is much more breathtaking work in the arrangements throughout the album. Of course, the majesty of the arrangements comes to life with largely due to Patty Ascher’s brilliance in interpreting the songs themselves. Guitarist, Roberto Menescal is also there to make sure that it all comes to pass—every bit of music as unforgettable as the next.
It is never easy for a vocalist to translate emotions that are so deeply felt in the vernacular. An appropriate example would be “Saudade”. This is an emotion so unique to the Portuguese sensibility that it is next to impossible to render the word in another language—much less recreate the subtle hues of the palette of its emotions. While Ascher does make a brave attempt to do so, it might not have worked at all were it not for the extraordinary delicacy with which she renders the emotion. She appears to be on much firmer ground on the Portuguese of “Talvez”. “Pela Manhã” is another example. Although some of the subtlety of “Saudade” might be somewhat hidden in English, Ascher does make almost all of it work, thanks to a voice that soars with mysterious and magical beauty throughout.
Track Listing: Springtime; The Summer Knows; Girls Just Want to Kiss; Booking Time; How Much I Care; The Winter; Saudade; Sunrise; The Sun; Talvez; Pela Manhã.
Personnel: Patty Ascher: vocals; Marco Pontes: piano; Ronaldo Rayol: acoustic guitar; Roberto Menescal: guitar; Ubaldo Versolate: saxophone, flute; Eric Budney: bass; Nahame Casseb: drums. With Strings: Deni Rocha, Edmur Junior, Robson Rocha, Milton Pires, Guilherme Solero, and Aramis Rocha.
Patty Ascher on the web: www.pattyascher.com
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Charito – Heal The World (Zoho Music – 2011)
The question that must have been uppermost in the minds of many of those involved in this project, Heal The World a tribute to Michael Jackson, must surely have been: “How do you top the King of Pop…?” Or, at least: “How do we pull this one off without fawning?” As it happens, producer and drummer Harvey Mason need never have worried too much as he could not have picked a finer musician to front the project than the vocalist extraordinaire Charito. Moreover there are several other laudable aspects of this heartfelt homage. But first there is Charito…
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The Filipino-born, Japan-based singer has brought a slow, sensual, swing to the music that Michael Jackson first made famous. Charito has one of the most delicious contralto voices in the business. Having been blessed with a range that is given to a natural penchant for sensuality, the husky-voiced vocalist has turned her skills to interpretive singing. With her beckoning contralto and her ability to dally almost achingly on key words and phrases she creates mesmerising whorls of song, wrapped like glistening necklaces around the songs narratives. With occasional whoops and streaking dashes into a higher register, but mostly with just a soulful “Oooh” or an aching “Aaah” Charito can bring the most intense emotion to two simple words, “We remember…” for instance, in the song, “Remember The Time”. Of course there are numerous other examples of how Charito can wrench emotion out of words that might otherwise have sounded quite trite. It seems that Charito was born for this homage. With the passing of Michael Jackson and the heartbreaking facts of his life that have emerged since then, this is a most appropriate homage. Charito sings with feeling, phrasing exquisitely and telling what seems to be a seamless, unbroken story of pathos throughout the album. Also appropriately, the singer turns the project from sadness into joy with a triumphant version of Jackson’s torch song, “Heal The World”.
No less a reason for the artistic success of this album are the arrangements of songs already made classic by such luminaries as Quincy Jones, Steve Porcaro and Stevie Wonder. For this, much credit must go to Jeff Babko and Michael Ruff. In re-arranging such classics as the Quincy Jones arrangement of Rod Temperton’s beautiful “Rock With You,” Porcaro’s “Human Nature”, “Man In The Mirror”… slowing down these powerful charts and swinging them with a great deal of sexy swagger, Babko and Ruff together with Charito of course, have turned Jackson’s music into the rightful realm of elevation that it deserves. Moreover these arrangements shine a new light on the maturity of the music, as well as its enduring quality.
Finally there is the absolute mastery of Harvey Mason’s production that makes this a flagship recording. Mason has brought awesome talent together for a project that certainly deserved this level of importance. Bassist Brian Bromberg, trombonist Nils Langren and the uncredited tenor saxophonist Azar Lawrence as well as the duo of Babko and Ruff, and Mason’s own superbly crafted rhythms, have given this project a polished appeal. And this is truly in keeping of something to honour someone as worthy as Michael Jackson with—music that will surely go towards healing the world.
Track Listing: Rock with You; Man in the Mirror; Human Nature; Remember the Time; He’s Out of my Life; I Can’t Help It; I’ll Be There; Never Say Goodbye; Ease On Down The Road; Heal The World.
Personnel: Charito: vocals; Jeff Babko: keyboards (1, 9); Michael Ruff: keyboards, synths, synth and keyboard bass, background vocals (2 – 8, 10), clavinet (1); Hubert Laws: flute (6); Chuck Manning: tenor saxophone (2, 3); Nils Langren: trombone (6); Brian Bromberg: acoustic bass (1, 3, 7, 9); Jimmy Johnson: bass (2, 10); Abe Laboriel: bass (4, 6); Harvey Mason: drums, vibes (1), percussion (2, 4, 6, 8); background vocals (9); Walter Rodriguez (6); Jeff Caldwell: background vocals (3, 6).
Charito on the web: www.charito.com/
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Hector Martignon – Second Chance (Zoho Music – 2010)
In a literal world the music on Second Chance would simply represent “B” sides of music that pianist, Hector Martignon has played in the past. In reality they are anything but that. It is here that Martignon has provided wicked twists to all the music he has played before—he uses the term “devilish,” which in Spanish is a word fraught with meaning. The word diabólico might be infinitely more appropriate as it has fangs and breathes a fire. But then again the connotation that the gentleman south of the earth’s core has something to do with these wondrous renditions of Martignon’s fabulous compositions and others’ work seems to negate their “purifying” fire. This is something that can only come from something quite simply stellar; very possibly even celestial, when Martignon’s piano emerges from the ensemble to make singular statements.
Martignon’s virtuoso pianism often draws from—to use an Afro-Cuban term—a tumbao, a style commanded by a resonant 8th note of the bass line that pianists of South American origin often bring to that otherwise sweeping style of playing the piano. This is what makes pianists such as Chucho Valdés, Omar Sosa and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Roberto Fonseca and Hilario Durán so unique. Martignon occupies a similar space in the stellar regions of the piano. His style is more vocal and his choice of notes not only bounce and stomp with hidden and revealed tumbadora-like accents, they can also be heard to cry—almost weep on occasion. His phrases roll and gambol and frolic like shrill children and when he wants to sound all grown up, then they are silken and sensual.
The rhythmic Martignon unfolds with revelry throughout the album, from João Bosco’s “Bala Con Bala” a tune that is woven like a tapestry—warp or melody, quite straight until it hits a certain note, then it wobbles and bumps, but weft, always inside out and intricate as it builds a maddeningly twisting harmony. The joropo treatment of “Coqueteos” is quite simply spectacular and offers a rare chance, at least on this album, to observe breathlessly, the percussive skills of Samuel Torres and the harp of Edmar Castañeda. And while “Guaji-Rita” may be elegiac at times, it is nevertheless like that skipping return in a funeral in New Orleans. Even “Alone Together,” a chart that is normally played rather pensively is animated and keeps the heart pumped with expectation that things might change on a dime. It bears mention here that Martignon is wonderfully assisted in his rhythmic quest by his bassist, Armando Gola, drummer, Ludwig Afonso and the Colombian percussionist, Samuel Torres.
While Martignon can be wildly exciting with rhythm, he also displays a softer side, which is often coloured by wistfulness and a sense of longing that is so characteristic of artists—and certainly, highland folk—and sometimes with sensuality that is irresistibly South American. The elegiac tribute to his brother in “Andrea” and the wonderfully dreamy “Hatari,” where the full force extent of the talent of saxophonist, Xavier Perez, trumpet and flugelhorn player, John Walsh and Torres’ sensitive use of the percussion palette is heard are the true gems of this album.
The contemporary nature of this album should not go unnoticed. Despite the use of several traditional song forms, Martignon sounds modern and is indeed very forward-thinking in his approach to each and every one of them on this highly memorable album.
Tracks: Bala Con Bala; Second Chance; Coqueteos; Guaji-Rita; Andrea; She Said She Was From Sarajevo; Abre Los Ojos; Hatari; A Long Farewell; Alone Together.
Personnel: Hector Martignon: piano, accordion (7); Armando Gola: bass; Ludwig Afonso: drums; Samuel Torres: percussion; Xavier Perez: saxophones; Tim Collins: vibes (1, 2, 7, 8); Vinny Valentino: guitar (1); Edmar Castañeda: harp (3); John Walsh: trumpet, flugelhorn; Edward Perez: bass.
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Hector Martignon on the web: www.foreignaffair.com
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Pablo Aslan – Tango Grill (Zoho Music – 2010)
To the unsuspecting ear, Pablo Aslan may sometimes appear to be just a fabulous bassist, with sublime technique and a virtuoso of limitless possibility. But dig a little deeper, especially into this album, Tango Grill and the impossible will seem to appear. Aslan takes the relatively rigid structure of the written music and dance form, the Tango, into a stratospheric space where no one else has ever dared to venture. At least this is not since Astor Piazzolla reinvented the form as Nuevo Tango, over 60 years ago. To be precise, Aslan is taking the Tango, a form of music that is played as written into the realm of the idiom of Jazz, a music that is as elastic as an improviser can be. This is where Tango Grill purports to fit in: like playing tocar a la parrilla, without written arrangements, on the grill.
And what a spectacular program Aslan presents here, together with the masterful bandoneon playing of Nestor Marconi, but especially the trumpet of Gustavo Bergalli and the percussion inventions of Daniel Piazzolla, Astor Piazzolla’s son. The musical challenge was immense: Take eleven classic tangos and reinvent them with the feeling of jazz. Aslan presents these swirling pieces as wonderful dancing, pirouetting spectacles that appear before the mind’s eye as they sweep across gleaming floors with just the swish of dark gowns and leather brushing against the invisible wax. Pablo Aslan recreates this classic setting with sublime playing arco con brio. His ability to create the fire of the music at one time, and then dampen it with murky suggestions of elemental dark sadness and loneliness is unparalleled. Although Aslan appears never to stray from the melodies, in fact he turns these pieces into miniature vignettes in the stellar regions of jazz.
The 1920s classic, “El Amanecer,” for instance conjures aural recollections of early Third Stream as the bassist and bandoneonist dance around each other with graceful counterpoint. “Viejo Smocking,” although reverently read is actually quite avant, with a singing bass and harmonic lines from trumpeter, Gustavo Bergalli, who is spectacular throughout the program. By the time “La Trampera” comes around the ensemble breaks the mould completely, with a wonderful, staccato solo from percussionist Piazolla that breaks down the rhythm for the rest of the ensemble. Aslan then brings proceedings to a spectacular close.
Although there are many defining moments on the album, it is “La Trampera” that presents the sojourn in all its glory as the group led by a bassist and musician of singular vision and ability takes the Tango to the outer reaches of possibility. Tango Grill is a rare and memorable album played flawlessly by a bassist destined for great things in 21st Century music.
Tracks: 1. El Amanecer; 2. Viejo Smocking; 3. El Marne; 4. La Payanca; 5. Sin Palabras; 6. Rencor; 7. El Flete; 8. Dandy; 9. La Ultima Cita; 10. Divina; 11. La Trampera.
Personnel: Pablo Aslan: bass; Nestor Marconi: bandoneon: (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11); Nicolas Ledesma: piano (1, 3 – 5, 7 – 10); Abel Rogatini: piano (2, 6, 11); Ramiro Gallo: violin (1, 3 – 5, 7 – 11); Gustavo Bergalli: trumpet (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11); Daniel Piazolla: drums (2,3, 5, 6, 11).
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Pablo Aslan on the web: www.avantango.com
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Carlos Barbosa-Lima – Merengue (Zoho Music – 2009)
There is distinct nobility surrounding the virtuosity of the guitarist, Carlos Barbosa-Lima. His South American sojourn, Merengue presents sweeping vistas and myriad emotions described by such technical superiority as only a few musicians have achieved. Unfortunately Barbosa-Lima’s reputation has not kept pace with his magnificent musicianship.
This record offers a staggering array of music from under-exposed music that comes from relatively unexplored regions of Brazil. Classics from such composers as Heitor Villa-Lobos—who is represented by the dense vibrancy of “Veleiro,” a movement from his symphonic poem, A Floresta do Amazonica and “Prelude No. 2,” with its ever expanding dimensions of sonority. Redamés Gnattali, who composed several pieces especially for Barbosa-Lima, wrote the spectacularly performed “Invocation to Xango” that is carved out of Afro-Brazilian ritualistic celebration. Here it is given a fresh lease on life by Barbosa-Lima, who is accompanied by the percussion colorist, Duduka da Fonseca, bassist, George Anderson and the exquisite Guitar trio, comprising Barbosa-Lima, with Karin Schaupp and Christopher McGuire.
Nestling cheek by jowl with the classics from Brazil are two charmingly moody pieces by Tom Jobim—“Modinha” that features a heartfelt duet with the magnificent, Hendrik Meurkens, who returns to grace the guitarist’s splendid efforts on Jobim’s “Caminho de Pedra.” The Cuban composer, Leo Brouwer is also represented here by The vivacious “Danza del Altiplano” and “Guajira Criolla,” a marvelously performed piece in all its colorful glory. Of course, there is much more here to give cause for considerable celebration. The music of Ernesto Cordero, Uruguayan Isaias Savio, and another Brazilian legend, Jacob do Bandolim, whose “Implicante” highlights the dazzling mandolin skills of Marcillio Lopes. There are also works by Paraguayan, Agustin Barrios, Brazilians, Ernesto Nazareth and Laurindo Almeida, the Venezuelan, Rodrigo Reira. The great Venezuelan guitarist is honored by “Seis por Derecho.” The Columbian composer Gentil Montaña is represented by “Nunca te Olvido,” a rather lyrical piece.
Throughout the record, however, the music is given new life by the exquisite lyricism of Carlos Barbosa-Lima. The guitarist has technique that is staggering and uses dynamics that few guitarists are capable of today. With great mastery and unbridled genius, Carlos Barbosa-Lima has singlehandedly expanded the literature of the guitar. The Brazilian is a bold innovator and has blurred the lines between classical, folk and popular idioms. His ingenuity makes the word, “legendary” seem quite inappropriate in describing just how intelligently and gracefully he is able to create utterly enduring jewels in a musical language.
Carlos Barbosa-Lima has been a stellar concert guitarist for over five decades and has many recordings to his credit. This is his fifth for this Zoho label. Sadly many of his recordings are now lost as a large part of his catalogue existed in the vaults of Concord music and have since been deleted. This record is also significant as it has been carefully produced by Heiner Stadler, a remarkably knowledgeable aficionado whose work spans the classic and the modern, as in his wonderful A Tribute to Bird and Monk (Tomato Records, 1986).
Here, however, Mr. Stadler presides over sessions of glorious vibrancy. The magic of this music remains in the memory many moments after the exquisite last chords have been struck by Carlos Barbosa-Lima on the Hawaiian, Byron Yasui’s “Fantasy On A Hawaiian Lullaby.”
Tracks: 1. Invocation to Xango; 2. Merengue; 3. Veleiro; 4. Modinha; 5. Batuque; 6. Caminho de Pedra; 7. El Marabino; 8. Seis Por Derecho; 9. Prelude No. 2; 10. Seis Milonga; 11. Danza del Altiplano; 12. Guajira Criolla; 13. Cajita de Musica; 14. Canhoto; 15. Implicante; 16. Cancion Carorena; 17. Pais de Abanico; 18. Nunca te Olvido; 19. Escorregando; 20. Fantasy on a Hawaiian Lullaby.
Personnel: Carlos Barbosa-Lima: guitar; Gustavo Colina: cuatro (2, 7, 8); Hendrik Meurkens: harmonica (4, 8); Marcillio Lopes: mandolin (14, 15); Duduka da Fonseca: percussion (1, 14, 15, 19); George Anderson: bass (1); Guitar Trio (1, 3, 19): Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Karin Schaupp, Christopher McGuire.
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Carlos Barbosa-Lima on the web: www.zohomusic.com
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Nilson Matta’s Brazilian Voyage – Copacabana (Zoho Music – 2010)
How it is possible that Nilson Matta is allowed to fly so under the proverbial radar, with recognition mainly from his peers is one of those mysteries that music suffers its artists to bear even with the growth of the industry and media. Matta’s bass has been complementing the music of luminaries from Joao Gilberto, Johnny Alf, Hermeto Pascoal and Chico Buarque de Hollanda to Joe Henderson and the legendary Don Pullen with grace and majesty. His career has spanned decades and throughout he has been a musician of immense technical skill and a composer with daring, creative ideas. Copacabana, an album that brings together tenor saxophonist Harry Allen and flutist, Anne Drummond with pianist Klaus Mueller, and Matta’s radiant rhythm section of drummer Mauricio Zottarelli and percussionist Zé Mauricio, is a tour de force of composition and musicianship of the highest order.
Although the title of the album may give the impression that this is a carioca singing sensuously of the myth and reality of Brazil it is much more than that. With five of the nine tracks on this album written by him, Matta guides the ear and the heart gently on a journey of fluttering classicism and the almost mystical dancing that characterizes any expedition through Brazilian countryside. Throughout he has imbued his musical impressions with the sizzle of sun and surf, the sway of dense foliage and the sashaying of feet that samba even as they simply walk through everyday life.
Matta has also shown that he is a master of the craft of composition. His “Aguas Brasileiras,” a superbly crafted piece that ascends rarified air in much the same way as the Cuban classic “Drume Negrita” does. His pizzicato solo shows just how eloquent he can be while putting his technical wizardry through its paces. His elegiac offering to the legendary Brazilian guitarist, Baden Powell, simply entitled, “Baden” has the cry of a soulful ballad even as it elevates the guitarist to sainthood. On “Pantanal” he plays con arco, unaccompanied, as he gently guides the music through the splendor of the Brazil of Amazonia.
It bears mention here that Matta is ever graceful as he interprets Heitor Villa-Lobos’ “Trenzinho do Caipira,” a piece from that composer’s larger work, “Bachianas Brasileiras,” navigating its many twists and turns with a sublime air of sophistication. His version of that other Brazilian classic, Ary Barroso’s “Aquarela do Brasil,” unlike many versions of the piece, sparkles with glitter on the soft textures of Brazilian rhythm as it sways and dances. On Luis Gonzaga and Heitor Teixeira’s “Asa Branca/Baião Matta guides the ensemble—especially flutist Ann Drummond, who is outstanding here, and the percussionists as well—through the joyful, skipping twists of the eternal melody from one of Brazil’s most sophisticated folk musicians. Harry Allen also contributes a gem of a song, “I Can See Forever”. This is a chart that not only captures the grace and swagger of Brazil’s open vistas, but also shows the great sensitivity of Allen the composer. Predictably, the tenor saxophonist excels with the warmth and splendor of tone and manner on this track.
Nilson Matta has crafted a superb album from end to end. It is an album that ought to resonate, not just with lovers of Brazilian music, but quite simply every note of significant music. As far as celebrating the virtuosity and craftsmanship of one of music’s great bassists, this is another chapter in the ongoing testament of Nilson Matta.
Tracks: 1. Baden; 2. Trenzinho do Caipira; 3. Aguas Brasileiras; 4. Brazil (Aquarela Do Brasil); 5. Pantanal; 6. Copacabana; 7. Saci Pererê 8. I Can See Forever; 9. Asa Branca/Baião.
Personnel: Harry Allen: tenor saxophone; Anne Drummond: flute; Klaus Mueller: piano; Nilson Matta: bass, acoustic guitar (6); Mauricio Zottarelli: drums; Zé Mauricio: percussion.
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Nilson Matta on the web: www.nilsonmatta.com
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Gabriel Espinosa – From Yucatan To Rio (Zoho Music 2009)
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The journey from Yucatan to Rio was a really smooth one. It was brimful with samba and bossa nova, with a little baroque thrown in probably the happy memory of a childhood resplendent withy the music of Bach and Vivaldi. And there is plenty of everything in evidence on the record that Gabriel Espinosa has produced to commemorate his spirit journey from the place of his birth to the place he dreams of harmoniously.
From Yucatan to Rio is a mellifluous musical expedition led by this mature bassist, who crafts his music with utmost confidence and grace, surrounded by a galaxy of stellar acolytes. And they sparkle – each bringing a glow to this record teeming with musical gems. Claudio Roditi seems to occupy a pivotal place here, and bassist Espinosa has created room for the trumpet and flugelhorn player to not only solo with fluidity, but also bond tight with alto saxophonist, George Robert (on most songs) as well as with clarinetist, Anat Cohen on “Nuevos Horizontes.”
Bassists are rather rare as bandleaders and – baring a few exceptions – they have chosen to drop their bull-violins in favor another instrument (a piano perhaps?) to leading from the front of the ensemble. Often this necessitated by the harmonic position that a bassist is required to hold in the lower end of the harmonic spectrum. Of course Mingus is the most prominent exception that comes to mind, although he also soloed sometimes. Unusually, Espinosa chooses not to solo, but does yeoman work in the depths of the lower registers. His ostinato passage on his arrangement of Jobim’s “Agua de Beber” is superb.
Espinosa also creates special room for his percussionists – shared by Antonio Sanchez and Adriano Santos, each on five of the tracks, with Dende playing everything that the drummers do not. Antonio Sanchez shows why he is a percussionist of choice for so much of a cross-section of session work today. His sensibility as a colorist knows no boundaries and when he crosses over – with a timeless solo in a samba, the effect is stunning. On “Klavier Latino,” Sanchez displays a majestic command over shading and accents as he romps ahead and behind the song’s inner tempo, finally breaking out with a clatter and rumble into a sensational solo supported by voices and ensemble.
Adriano Santos continues the proud tradition for men like Milton Banana, Wilson Dos Neves and Paulo Braga and his backbeat on Jobim’s “Agua de Beber” is flawless and rolls off the skins with alacrity. This song also features a fine vocal interpretation by the fabulous New York Voices – Darmon Meader and Kim Nazarian. Pianist, Helio Alves another bright Brasilian voice on the New York scene steps out – as he does several times throughout the record trading licks with the indefatigable Romero Lubambo as well as Roditi and Robert – on “LP 07” an unforgettable travelogue.
Anat Cohen lights up the crepuscular, “Nuevos Horizontes” with a warm, woody glissandos as she breaks out of the music with a solo that melts like butter dappling the song with gold. Alison Wedding appears to be part of the star power on this record as well. Not only is her writing fascinating, as evidenced on “We’ve Come Undone” and “Remain” but her interpretations remain some of the high points of the record as well. Her phrasing is svelte as she leaps across the melody in heart-stopping breaths.
Espinosa, it appears here, is showcasing not his virtuoso side, but his composing ability and his fabulous arrangements. In this he appears to be quite simply a wonderful fit for the emotive music of Brasil and this is more than merely a superficial feeling. The depth of emotion of his music is truly touching and that is why the Brasilian theme works even though it is a relatively sedate rhythmic excursion.
Tracks: Agua De Beber; Klavier Latino; LP 07; We’ve Come Undone; Nuevos Horizontes; Morning Breeze; Azul Y Negro; Remain; Maria; Huracan.
Personnel: Gabriel Espinosa: bass, background vocals; Claudio Roditi: trumpet, flugelhorn; George Robert: alto saxophone; Helio Alves: piano, keyboards; Alison Wedding: lead vocals (4, 8), background vocals (2, 9), alto (1); Antonio Sanchez: drums (2, 5, 6, 8, 9); Adriano Santos: drums (1, 3, 4, 7, 10); Darmon Meader: (vocals (1); Kim Nazarian: vocals (1); Anat Cohen: clarinet (5); Romero Lubambo: guitar (3, 4, 6, 8, 9); Dende: percussion; Patricio Espinosa: background vocals (9).
Gabriel Espinosa on the web: www.myspace.com/gabrielespinosafromyucatantorio
Review written by: Raul da Gama
