EUMIR DEODATO TRIO

By Leonardo Barroso

EUMIR DEODATO TRIO -Brasília 28/01/2012 Teatro Nacional Sala Villa-Lobos.

Em poder do teclado Yamaha, acompanhado do baixista Marcelo Mariano e o baterista Renato Massa, o musico/arranjador/produtor Eumir Deodato mostrou seus grandes arranjos e sucessos de mais de 40 anos na estrada. Tocaram Jobim ( Sábia, Dindi ), Gershwin ( Summertime, Rhapsody In Blue ),  Also asprach Zarathustra de R. Strauss ( arranjo do filme 2001 de S.Kubrick ). Foi um prazer ver e ouvir musicos comprometidos com sua arte. Como Maestro Deodato mora em New York, aguardaremos nova visita deste ícone nacional.

CLARE FISCHER 1929 - 2012

By BBC News
US jazz composer, arranger and pianist Clare Fischer has died on Jan.26, aged 83.
The Grammy winner had been on life support earlier this month after suffering a cardiac arrest following minor surgery.
Fischer received his 11th Grammy nomination at this year's awards, for best instrumental arrangement for his track In the Beginning.
Starting out in jazz, he went on to create arrangements for pop stars including Prince and Michael Jackson.
Born on 22 October 1928 in Durand, Michigan, Fischer worked with jazz legends such as Donald Byrd and Dizzy Gillespie.
In 1975 he found a new direction in Latin-American music and started his own group, Salsa Picante.
The group's record 2+2 won Fischer his first Grammy in 1981, and again in 1986 for Free Fall.
He also took on orchestral arrangements for the Chaka Khan-led group Rufus, as his nephew was the drummer.
"Apparently the arrangements I made for their early records were appreciated, for in the following years I was hired almost exclusively by black artists," he told Artist Interviews.
A multi-instrumentalist, Fischer also received an honorary doctorate from Michigan State University in 1999 for his outstanding contributions to the field of jazz.
Once he was established as an arranger in the R&B field, Fischer became the "go-to-guy" for arranging pop albums and was hired by artists including Paul McCartney, Celine Dion and Robert Palmer.
He recorded more than 45 albums and has arranged, composed or played on more than 100 other artists' records.
He is survived by his wife Donna, and children Brent, Lee and Tahlia.

1 Sem 2012 - Part Six

Amanda Carr and The Kenny Hadley Big Band
Common Thread



By Nicholas F. Mondello
If vocalist Amanda Carr were a place, she would probably be Rodeo Drive, Chicago's Magnificent Mile, or New York's elegant 57th Street. With Common Thread, she validates the fact that she has the vocal elegance, phrasing sophistication, premier jazz chops, and the sheer class to back up that hypothesis.
Complemented beautifully here by Kenny Hadley's cooking Big Band (comprised of some of Boston's finest "beans"), Carr embarks on a savvy, swinging tour of some of the better and not-so-well-known tunes from the Great American Songbook. The result is simply classic.
What is interesting is that absolutely every element of this CD is superb, from the vocals and charts to the solos, ensembles and production. Not only does Carr mesh incredibly well with the big band behind her, but, the wonderful, intelligent arrangements from Bob Freedman, Adi Yeshaya, trumpeter Rick Hammett, and Rich Lowell provide a well-balanced landscape for Carr and the band to absolutely sparkle. Drummer Hadley drives and leads the effort throughout with taste and power.
The CD offers 15 selections, including two instrumentals which showcase Hadley and his crew—"Broadway," and the tasty "I Waited for You," featuring Hammett. There seems to be a very Frank Sinatra/Nelson Riddle/Billy May classic feel to this session from the get-go ("It's A Big Wide Wonderful World," "They All Laughed") and throughout. Vocalist and ensemble work perfectly together over appropriately inventive charts ("The Song Is Ended," "There's a Small Hotel") that add new flavors to these stellar standards. Everyone seems to get into the swinging act here, soloing impressively. Carr and Hadley give generously so everyone involved has a chance to shine. And shine they do as there is certainly enough talent to go around.
Carr's vocal chops run the gamut from silky seductive smooth ("Don'tcha Go 'Way Mad," "I Could Have Told You," "Time on My Hands"), to big band powerhouse ("No Moon At All" "There's a Small Hotel"). Her phrasing is pure jazz and her sense of pitch is perfect. She is well-balanced with her outstanding supporting cast here from both a musical and a pure recording session standpoint
Amanda Carr and Kenny Hadley deserve significant credit for pulling together a truly successful vocal-big band effort in the classic manner. There's nothing bland or boring here, only a chanteuse and a big band and absolutely first class musicianship.
A swinging, superb effort.
Track Listing:

It's a Big Wide Wonderful World; They All Laughed; Something Wonderful Happens in Summer; Don'tcha Go 'Way Mad; Time on My Hands; Broadway; I Understand; There's a Small Hotel; Just You, Just Me; I Could Have Told You; The Song is Ended; I Waited for You; How Am I to Know; No Moon at All; The End of a Love Affair.
Personnel:

Amanda Carr: vocals; Dave Chapman: soprano, alto sax, clarinet; Mark Pinto: alto sax, flute, clarinet (1, 3-5, 8-14); Jerry Vejmola: tenor sax, flute, clarinet; Arnie Krakowsky: tenor sax, clarinet; Ken Reid: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Jeff Galindo: trombone; Jon Garniss: trombone; George Murphy: trombone; Tim Kelly: trombone; Rick Hammett: trumpet and flugelhorn; Lin Biviano: trumpet and flugelhorn; Scott Degburn: trumpet and flugelhorn; Pat Stout: trumpet and flugelhorn; John Wilkins: guitar; Bronek Suchanek: bass; Kenny Hadley: drums.


Sophie Milman
In The Moonlight

by Jon O'Brien
Widely regarded as one of Canada's best jazz singers, Russian-born, Toronto-based vocalist Sophie Milman changes tact slightly for her fourth studio album, In the Moonlight. The twinkling piano chords, shuffling, brushed stroke rhythms, and gentle brass instrumentation which defined her previous output are still very much in evidence, but having traveled to New York to record with producer Matt Pierson (Jane Monheit, Michael Franks), the Juno Award winner has capitalized on the opportunity to expand her sound by inviting a string ensemble on board for the first time in her career. However, avoiding the temptation to smother the timeless, smoky, jazz bar arrangements in layers of bombastic layers of strings, the pair only use their newly recruited musicians sparingly and when needed, with only the Duke Ellington standards "Prelude to a Kiss" and "Day Dream," and the Umbrellas of Cherbourg number "Watch What Happens" offering anything more than the occasional orchestral flourish. It's an approach which entirely befits Milman's intimate and understated cabaret tones, whose seductive French-language delivery of Serge Gainsbourg's "Ces Petits Riens" and expressive, timeless performance of the Gershwin classic "Do It Again," belie her twenty-something years. The constant low-key, candlelight vibes inevitably begin to wear a little thin, but luckily, Milman occasionally shakes things up a little bit, whether it's the sensuous bossa nova reworking of the Billie Holiday favorite "Speak Low," the toe-tapping swing jazz rendition of Jon Hendricks' "No More Blues" or, in a rare concession to the modern music scene, the yearning and heartfelt torch song treatment of Feist's folk-pop album track "So Sorry." Indeed, it's the latter's convincing transition which makes you wish that Milman would tackle more contemporary material more often. Nevertheless, In the Moonlight is still a beautifully arranged selection of songs which, while nothing particularly revolutionary, unarguably provides one of the classiest Sunday morning soundtracks of the year.


Amy Cervini
Love Fool



by Michael G. Nastos
Canadian-born jazz vocalist Amy Cervini shows her youthful innocence or experience in love and regret on this set of tunes that displays a balance of wisdom and naïveté. She possesses a strong, girlish, fluid, and distinctive voice, avoiding the hazard of overemphasizing lyrics or acting far too cute. Attractive, bordering on a temptress, and open to new possibilities, Cervini sings songs on this, her second album, that are set apart from the traditional American popular stage show style, using source material from a variety of pop and rock songwriters, retaining a playful yet winsome emotional content. There are also times when she fully adopts the barroom chanteuse image effectively without the sleaze or loungey, loose-gal trappings. Her trio, led by keyboardist Michael Cabe and complemented by bassist Mark Lau and brother/drummer Ernesto Cervini, navigates these original tunes faithfully with nary a hint of pompousness or forced servitude. The opening song penned by Blossom Dearie, "Bye Bye Country Boy," depicts the end of a warm rural fling -- sweet, memorable, and as nice as an amicable waltz can be, with help from guest tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm. Where title track -- borrowed from the Cardigans -- takes this convoluted sentiment internally as a tango with the quartet String Nucleus and the rounded bass clarinet of Marty Ehrlich, vocalist Cervini's take on the standard "Comes Love" waits with quiet anticipation in typical come-hither fashion. Nellie McKay's "I Wanna Get Married" concludes the group of committal/noncommittal songs, sporting bluesy lyrics referring to domesticated references of Leave It to Beaver, a golden retriever, a white house, and packing lunches for my Brady bunches. "Good Riddance" is a modification of the familiar tune done by Green Day, flooded in a cascading 7/8 piano waterfall spirit song; "Quand Je Marche" is an older-sounding French number from the songbook of Camille Dalmais, updated with accordion by Ernesto Cervini and the deft bass of Lau; and Amy's demure singing on Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" is contrasted by energetic handclaps and the grooving Fender Rhodes electric piano of Cabe. Furthering the diversity of this set is the African drumming cum funk and joy heard on rocker Jack Johnson's "Upside Down," with some carefree scat and "la la las"; Ehrlich's deep bass clarinet signifying the ominous mood of the Cervini siblings' original "Lonely Highway" in tandem with Lau; and the cheating-heart cowboy blues three-step of Willie Nelson's "Sad Songs and Waltzes." As attractive as her voice is, Amy Cervini avoids all self-indulgences that more experienced vocalists tend to use as crutches. There's an honest, self-assured, and honey-dripping presence clearly heard, one that should bode well on her future projects -- and this is a good entry point for sure.

Kenny Werner With The Brussels Jazz Orchestra
Institute Of Higher Learning

 

By Thom Jurek
Kenny Werner is simply prolific. After releasing the stellar live Balloons set earlier this year, he's back in a studio setting, leading the Brussels Jazz Orchestra in a recording of four new compositions and a wonderfully inventive reading of a traditional number. In typical Werner fashion, Institute of Higher Learning is as diverse a big-band outing as you're likely to find. He had a great mentor: during his more formative years, Werner played piano with the Mel Lewis Orchestra, a progressive big-band powerhouse. Combine that experience with his compositional development, and his unusual manner of combining the strengths of individuals inside any size ensemble, and you have the makings for an album full of welcome surprises. The three-movement "Cantabilie" begins with a lithe, swinging groove played by reeds and brass in a breezy but restrained form, highlighting Werner's innovative sense of harmony and rhythm. It gets a bit knottier a few moments later when Peter Hertmans' electric guitar just slices his way in -- while introducing Werner -- for a tough solo accented by the pianist's contrapuntal chord voicings and shifting time signatures. The second movement is a sparse, melodic ballad with a trumpet solo by Pierre Drevet. The piano is the only instrument we hear in the intro. As the band enters, carefully, slowly, things become more spacious and slightly dissonant but that taut harmonic sense never ceases, uniting all the disparate elements seamlessly. The final movement is a post-bop, modern jazz tune that swings like mad with hot soloing from Werner followed by trumpeter Nico Schepers. In the backdrop, gorgeous colors and tones take shape, filling the space with an expansive, joyous delight by brass, reeds, and rhythm section. "Second Love Song" is a balladic, restrained, but texturally brilliant tribute to Bob Brookmeyer's "First Love Song," with a wonderful 'bone solo by Marc Godfroid. Werner's arrangement of "House of the Rising Sun" is utterly unique, bold, and challenging; always propulsive, always swinging, no matter how far the melodic frame gets pushed. "Compensation" begins as a midtempo ballad introduced by Werner's tender engagement with melody that gives way to a fingerpopping groove in the orchestral section. The title track closes a moodier, more speculative piece with fine work by Werner, bassist Jos Machtel, and drummer Martijn Vink. The orchestra doesn't enter until midway, elaborating on the two prevalent lyric themes presented by the trio. Institute of Higher Learning is a thoroughly satisfying -- and in places visionary -- big-band date, offering a fine showcase for Werner's seemingly limitless gifts as a pianist, bandleader, and a composer who is now in a league of his own.

Silvano Monasterios
Unconditional

by Alex Henderson
Although Miami attracts an abundance of Latino musicians and has long had a huge Latin music scene, the South Florida city is hardly the first place one thinks of upon hearing the phrase "Latin jazz." Miami, for all its salsa/Afro-Cuban and Latin pop action, has never been identified with Latin jazz the way that New York City and San Francisco have. But Miami does, in fact, have some Latino musicians who play jazz, and one of them is Venezuela native Silvano Monasterios. Unconditional is not Latin jazz in the familiar Tito Puente/Poncho Sanchez/Mongo Santamaria sense; acoustic pianist/electric keyboardist Monasterios isn't taking hard bop standards by Sonny Rollins or Clifford Brown and adding Afro-Cuban rhythms. Rather, Unconditional is a post-bop album that sometimes hints at Venezuelan rhythms, but Monasterios (who is joined by saxman Troy Roberts, bassist Jon Dadurka, drummer Rodolfo Zuñiga, and percussionist José Gregorio Hernández) incorporates them in such a subtle fashion that listeners may not think of this 2010 recording as especially Latin-flavored. Listening to "Farmacia del Angel," "Forgotten Gods," and other Monasterios originals, one can easily hear the influence of Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrett; the influences jump right out at the listener. But the South American element is so understated that one has to be listening closely and attentively in order to notice it; nonetheless, it's there. Unconditional is, for the most part, an acoustic recording. The acoustic piano is Monasterios' main instrument on this 46-minute CD, and he pretty much keeps things straight-ahead. However, the venezolano does play electric keyboards on the mildly funky "Black Saint," which might frustrate post-bop purists, but is nonetheless an enjoyable demonstration of what he has to offer on that instrument. If anything, Monasterios should play electric keyboards more often. But the acoustic piano definitely serves him well on the pleasing Unconditional.


Deborah Winters
Lovers After All



By Dan Bilawsky
Placing vocalists under a specific, descriptive heading can be limiting in some ways, but it also shines a light on their greatest strengths. Singer Joe Williams—of Count Basie fame—resented being labeled as a "blues singer," since he possessed great range and felt that this tag had suggestions of racism behind it; few would argue, however, that his strongest body of work falls into that category.
Vocalist Deborah Winters—like Williams and any singer worth their weight in sound—is no one-trick pony, but she also has one special talent that overshadows her other gifts. On Lovers After All, the Bay Area-based vocalist establishes herself as a ballad singer with which to be reckoned. She can sing over swing with confidence ("Get Out Of Town") and sway to the subtle sounds of the bossa nova ("Haunted Heart"), but her ballad work eclipses all else. Her voice has depth and warmth that instantly soothes and seduces; her use of vibrato is rare and judicious, and her pacing, clarity and diction are perfectly suited to this particular style of song.
While plenty of singers that thrive in softer environments perform romantic fare with minimalistic backing, Winters' winning performances are a bit more dressed up. TrumpeterPeter Welker provides the band arrangements on this project, and his ability to cushion Winters' voice, while still creating music of interest, is key to the album's success. He fleshes out some rich chords with five horns ("Lovers After All"), paints silken saxophone sounds into the body of a classic ("Body And Soul"), and steps into the spotlight with horn-in-hand on an intimate vocal-piano-flugelhorn take on "I'll Close My Eyes." Notable instrumental solos from the likes of trombonist Scott Whitfield, tenor saxophonist Rob Roth, and several others adds weight to these performances, and several tracks also benefit from the addition of Pete Levin's synthesized string work, which sounds remarkably real, adding substance in subtle ways.
The Achilles heel on this album comes in the form of a blues-leaning take on "I Love Being Here With You"—with a less-than-comfortable Winters working over a stiff and mechanical-sounding band that includes an organ which doesn't blend well—but the other ten tracks suffer no such weaknesses. On Lovers After All, Deborah Winters proves to be an adept singer of songs, teller of timeless tales, and craftswoman of classy musical concoctions.
Track Listing:

Lovers After All; How Am I To Know; Get Out Of Town; Body And Soul; i Love Being Here With You; For All We Know; Haunted Heart; The End Of A Love Affair; Come Sunday; How Deep Is The Ocean; I'll Close My Eyes.
Personnel:

Deborah Winters: vocals; Doug Morton: trumpet (1-5, 9, 10); Peter Welker: trumpet (1-5, 9, 10), flugelhorn (11); Charlie McCarthy: alto saxophone (1, 4, 7, 9, 10); Rob Roth: tenor saxophone (1-5, 8-10); Scott Petersen: baritone saxophone (1-5, 9, 10); Mark Levine: piano (1, 4, 8, 9, 10); Chris Amberger: bass (1-4, 6-10); Kevin Dillon: drums (1, 4, 8-10); Andrew Speight: alto saxophone (2, 3, 5); Fred Lipsius: alto saxophone (2, 6); Scott Whitfield: trombone (2, 3, 6, 7); Dave Mathews: pianos (2, 3, 6, 11), Hammond B3 organ (5); Celso Alberti: drums (2, 7); Randy Vincent: guitar (2, 3, 7); Pete Levin: string synth (2, 4, 6); Kendrick Freeman: drums (3, 6); Garth Webber: guitar (5); Tim Haggerty: bass (5); James Preston: drums (5).


Lauren Sevian
Blueprint



By Jeff Stockton
In 2009 there aren't too many jobs that can't be held down by a woman. One that comes to mind might be the baritone saxophone chair in the Mingus Big Band. But that's exactly where Lauren Sevian cut her teeth and earned the accolades that led to Blueprint, her debut recording on Greg Osby's label. Sevian's tone is full and authoritative on the big horn. Her straight-ahead compositions (ten originals; one co-written with guest altoist Mike DiRubbo) are rendered with graceful precision by her working quartet (particularly pianist George Colligan). Sevian's long, fluid lines run counter to most contemporary baritone styles, which tend to lean toward the avant-garde, supplementing and sometimes replacing lyricism with overblowing or other flashy effects. On Blueprint Sevian is no-nonsense and establishes herself as a fresh and important new voice on an underappreciated often intimidating instrument.
Tracks:

Blueprint; Elusive Illusion; Not So Softly; One for C. Payne; Gesture of No Fear; True; For Mr. Stubb; Outline; Intrepid Traveler; The Free Effect.
Personnel:

Lauren Sevian: baritone saxophone; George Colligan: piano; Boris Kozlov: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums; Mike DiRubbo: alto saxophone.

1 Sem 2012 - Part Five

Atsuko Hashimoto
...Until The Sun Comes Up



by Rick Anderson
Jazz organists often have a tendency to gravitate toward the funkier side of things, and have done so since the glory days of Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff. Organist Atsuko Hashimoto, on the other hand, seems to have focused more tightly on developing her sense of swing, and it pays off mightily on this, her first album for the venerable Capri label. The program is a mix of originals and truly well-worn standards, and what may be most impressive about the album is her ability to bring freshness and energy to some of these chestnuts through sheer energy and the elephantine power of her swing; listen, for example, to her renditions of both "Cherry" and "Yours Is My Heart Alone." Not only are her solos amazing for their joyful inventiveness, but the rhythmic power she generates along with her sidemen Graham Dechter (guitar) and Jeff Hamilton (drums) is like a force of nature. Elsewhere she takes brisk, no-nonsense midtempo renditions of "So in Love" and "Moon River" and turns them into something brand new. The group's arrangement of "It's a Wonderful World" is the album's sole disappointment, a predictably sappy rendition that is just barely redeemed by yet another brilliantly constructed organ solo. The album ends on a very high note, with the joyfully gospel-flavored "Hallelujah I Love Her So." This is a brilliant and thrilling album.

Maria Pia De Vito

Nel Respiro

1. Raffish (Towner) - 5:44
2. Nel respiro (De Vito) - 3:10
3. Some Echoes (Swallow/Creeley) - 4:47
4. Sounding Solitude (De Vito/Taylor) - 7:55
5. Lengue (De Rosa/Kongo) - 5:24
6. Yearning (De Vito/Jormin) - 5:53
7. Now and Zen (De Vito/Héral) - 8:38
8. Pure and Simple (Taylor) - 10:09
9. Miguilim (Marcotulli) - 4:31
10. Int' 'o rispiro (De Vito/Towner) - 5:07

Maria Pia De Vito - voce, phrase sampler
John Taylor - piano
Ralph Towner - chitarra acustica; chitarra a 12 corde; chitarra-synth
Steve Swallow - basso elettrico
Patrice Héral - batteria; percussioni; phrase sampler

By AllAboutJazz Italy
Already appreciated well beyond national borders - her name appears in the category "Beyond Artist" of the prestigious American magazine's 2001 Critics Pool Down Beat, along with those of famous personalities such as Caetano Veloso, Joni Mitchell, Cesaria Evora, Carlos Santana - Maria Pia De Vito is again the protagonist of an album for the British label Provocateur, released in 2000 after "To" with two fellow adventurers like the great English pianist John Taylor and the American guitarist Ralph Towner, one of the founders of Oregon.
The same Taylor and Towner are present, along with Steve Swallow, electric bass virtuoso, and the fancy French drummer Patrice Heral, even in the last effort of the Neapolitan singer, from the suggestive title of "breathing in", an album of great intensity that represents a decisive step forward in the evolution of art among the most versatile female voice that today one can hear.Just the 10 tracks of "In the breath" offer the opportunity to fully capture the many nuances that Maria Pia De Vito can draw from that extraordinary instrument that nature has given her.
Emblematic of this are that the song's title track, Now and Zen, authentic pieces of skill - as is Pure and Simple - during which the voice of De Vito is multiplied through the intelligent use of technology . But it is all over the arc of the album that the singer has in place all of their sensitivity and vivacity of expression, even in the role of author. Be framed in this regard is the sweet melody of Int '' or Rispiro, signed with Towner and sung by De Vito in unmistakable language of his city.
Jazz, Neapolitan songs, oriental influences and more live in harmony in the universe sound of a singer who always escapes to classifications of convenience. From this extensive experience alongside musicians as diverse as Joe Zawinul, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, Miroslav Vitous, Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Gianluigi Trovesi, and of course the partners of "breathing in" and the pianist Rita Marcotulli, with the Maria Pia De Vito who has forged a fruitful partnership testified, among other things, from the album "Nauplia" and "Triboh" (the last in a trio with the addition of percussionist Arto Tunçboyaciyan of Armenian origin).
Maria Pia De Vito is in the catalog of recordings with other Provocateur: "Heaven and Nowhere" and "Dreaming Man With Blue Suede Shoes," the saxophonist Colin Towns and "Life Styles" Mask of the Quintet.

Quincy Jones

Q:Soul Bossa Nostra

by Thom Jurek
Other than a handful of one-offs, producer, composer, and arranger Quincy Jones has been busy outside of the music world, acting as a film producer and a cultural ambassador. Q: Soul Bossa Nostra is his first proper "new" album in 15 years, though it revisits tracks he either composed, recorded, or produced previously with a host of the current era's most popular artists from the R&B, pop, and hip-hop worlds. Given his rep, the star power here is not surprising, but re-recording classic songs with new singers -- or in some cases adding vocals to a track that never had them at all -- is risky. Soul Boss Nostra feels like a tribute exercise -- assembled more for radio play and to attract the holiday and single-track download markets -- than a creative one. One need only go to the remake of Shuggie Otis' classic "Strawberry Letter 23," which Jones produced for the Brothers Johnson in 1977. The vocal and production by Akon employ shimmering, slippery hip-hop rhythms, Auto-Tune, and layers of programmed keyboards and backing vocals, without the tune's signature bassline! It's thin and hollow. The oft-sampled hit "Soul Bossa Nova" appears here as a collaboration between Naturally 7 and Ludacris (who has sampled it himself). Jones' new arrangement is streamlined; it lacks the dynamic punch and humor of the hit. Q composed "Ironside" for the '70s television series; he uses the original orchestral and vocal tracks with a rap by Talib Kweli on top. It's better, but still feels disconnected. Why Jones re-arranged and re-corded "Tomorrow" with John Legend is a mystery; this version is void of the warmth of Tevin Campbell's from 1990. Campbell is here on a remake of Al B. Sure/Barry White track "Secret Garden" that keeps White's original vocal, and adds Campbell's with Robin Thicke, LL Cool J, Usher, and Tyrese. It is utter lacking in finesse or emotion. "Get the Funk Out of My Face," with Snoop Dogg, at least retains the Brothers Johnson feel; his rap almost works. "P.Y.T." is remade here by T-Pain and Thicke with so much Auto-Tune, it sounds like a cartoon soundtrack. Amy Winehouse's remake of "It's My Party" (which Jones produced for Lesley Gore in 1962), is tepid. Bebe Winans' reading of "Everything Must Change" is easily the set's classiest, most soulful track; it stands out beautifully from the dross. Given Jones' legendary stature and reputation for taste, this set feels unnecessary at best, and downright cynical at worst.

Nancy LaMott

What's Good About Goodbye ?

By Jason Ankeny
The music of the late pop vocalist Nancy LaMott ( 1951 - 1995 ) is recalled in this posthumously-compiled collection of studio recordings, demos and unreleased songs. Included are "Too Late Now," "The Promise," "Another Mr. Right," "Your Love," "We Live on Borrowed Time" and the title cut.

Katie Bull

Freak Miracle

By Florance Wetzel
Katie Bull is a highly original talent, a vocalist steeped in tradition who fearlessly rocks the boundaries of the known. Freak Miracle is a wonderfully expressive and free-flowing CD, a fresh and unpredictable mix that highlights Bull's gift for approaching music and songwriting from her own unique angle.
Eleven of the fourteen tracks on Freak Miracle are Bull originals, and no two songs are alike, whether it's an homage to mentor Sheila Jordan on "Back to Square One," a tribute to her mother on "Anniversary," or extraterrestrial vocalizations on "Road Trip." It always helps to have a great band, and Bull's group—which she utilizes in different combinations, from spare to full-on—are able to follow her in all directions. Special mention goes to bassist Joe Fonda, who is excellent wherever one finds him, and Landon Knoblock, who creates tasteful voicings on electric piano.
Another notable aspect of Bull's music is the way she dives headfirst into emotion, unafraid of the heart's awkward sides. Many of the songs on Freak Miracle concern lost and retreating love, as well as the poignancy of longing: "Oh the night can slice your / Heart out like a steel knife / It can drain your love at / the wrists." But the magic of music is the way it transforms sadness into something beautiful, and as Bull says in her lovely song "Blue Light": "Here's what we are gonna / Have to do: / Spin some light out of / Something blue."
Bull also has a great time turning the Great American Songbook on its head, infusing traditional forms with her distinctive vision. "I Thought About You" is a beautiful example of free exploration weaving with the straight-ahead, and Bull's take on the bossa nova classic "How Insensitive" includes heavy breathing and marvelously weaving phrasing. "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is simply fabulous, with Bull juxtaposing George and Ira Gershwin's lighthearted lyrics with her own darker words, which speak plainly of love gone wrong.
What's refreshing about Bull is her fluidity and continual ability to think outside conventional structures. Her songs are also highly personal, and in that wonderful inversion of art, the more personal Bull is, the more universal her music. Freak Miracle is a treat for the ears, something to perk up the heart and the soul.
Track Listing:

Back to Square One; Labyrinth; I Thought About You; Road Trip; Alight; You Were There; One Moment; How Insensitive; Blue Light; Anniversary; Let's Call the Whole Thing Off; Removed; An Opportunity; The Gifts.
Personnel:

Katie Bull: vocals; Landon Knoblock: piano, Fender Rhodes, accordion; Jeff Lederer: saxophones, clarinet; Joe Fonda: bass; Frank Kimbrough: piano; Harvey Sorgen: drums; Ayelet Rose Gottlieb: vocals (6).

1 Sem 2012 - Part Four

Herb Alpert & Lani Hall
I Feel You



by Thom Jurek
Trumpeter Herb Alpert and vocalist and wife Lani Hall teamed as a duo for the critically acclaimed live recording Anything Goes in 2009. I Feel You is the studio follow-up to that fine recording, and the contrasts between the two are marked. While the former album reflected new takes on the jazz canon, this one delves into rock, pop, jazz, and Brazilian tunes and interprets them with a contemporary international feel, without leaving jazz behind. Backed by their touring group -- pianist/keyboardist Bill Cantos, drummer/percussionist Michael Shapiro, and bassist Hussain Jiffry -- Alpert and Hall commence with a reading of Van Morrison's "Moondance" that is as influenced by Arabic modalism as it is the nocturnal bop-noir inherent in its melody. Led by a fretless bassline and shakers, Alpert runs through the lyric on muted trumpet. The pair begins singing together, over a minute in as the piano enters the fray and shakers are complemented by hand drums. "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" is a showcase for Hall's trademark phrasing and Alpert's jazz-wise improvisation on a Caribbean-based rhythm. It's languid, lovely, and, in its gentle way, it pops thanks to the rhythm section. Other highlights here include the Brazilian-flavored tunes: "There Will Never Be Another You" (even with Alpert's reedy vocals), "Berimbau," "The Corner (Clube' de Esquina)," and "Viola." Hall's vocals -- which are still in top form -- and Alpert's playing complement one another symbiotically (especially on the latter tune). The reading of "Here Comes the Sun" is radical. It's double-timed by Shapiro's snare and painted by Cantos' Rhodes piano with an alternate melody played by Jiffry's electric bass while Alpert and Hall hold down the original melody (trumpet and vocal) in the quiet storm. Likewise, "Blackbird" is performed as a funky modern jazz number with smooth samba overtones. The African drumming on "What Now My Love," with Alpert's clipped (and slightly reverbed) phrasing on the melody transforms the tune. The reading of "Call Me" (which he produced for Chris Montez in 1965) is reinvented here as a lithe, syncopated romantic groover. Less successful is "Fever," because its center isn't in the vocal or trumpet but in the rhythm section's interplay. That quibble aside, I Feel You is an excellent contemporary jazz recording by a veteran duo whose intuition is nearly flawless.


Alex Pangman
33

by Justin Time Rec
In Alex's own words, "as a longtime devotee of music from the classic genre I find something of a kinship with the music that buoyed nations through the "dirty thirties"... The initial concept of this record was to honor that kind of spirit with songs popular in 1933, recorded while I was 33." Along with her longtime band the 'Alleycats' - the music is presented with all the love, fun and respect it deserves. The late, great Jeff Healey (who produced her first two recordings) called Alex "the greatest current exponent of the classic American Song." Pangman makes music of the past captivatingly present with her persuasive and infectious charm.

Claire Martin
A Modern Art



By Bruce Lindsay
Is jazz still a modern art? It's a hundred years old, after all, and some performers and fans seem to ignore everything written after 1940. But as far as the work of Claire Martin is concerned the question has only one answer. Apart from being one of the finest singers on the current scene, Martin is constantly searching for new writers and new ways to interpret them, ensuring that her own approach to music stays resolutely in the present. A Modern Art, her thrteenth album, is an eclectic recording that showcases her talents and those of a superb collection of backing musicians—it's possibly the best album of her career to date, which is saying something.
The musicians are some of the best around and all play with skill and empathy. Mark Nightingale's trombone adds a funky edge to the album, guitarist Phil Robson once again displays his ability as an accompanist—his duet with Martin on David Cantor's "Nirvana" is exquisite—and long-term collaborator, arranger and producer Laurence Cottle, who also plays bass, is recognizably crucial to the overall feel of these songs.
Martin's singing is exceptional—distinctive, expressive and stylish. She can be smoky and sensual—on Michael Franks' "Sunday Morning Here With You," for example—or playful and funny. On "Edge Ways," written by Martin and Cottle, the singer is sensual and playful—satirizing an egotistical and overly-talkative old friend or rival over a suitably upbeat and cheery backing. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's "Things I Miss the Most" is given a Latin groove which, added to Martin's light-hearted vocal, gives the song a warmer, more positive feel than the original. Martin is not averse to making a small lyrical adjustment here—she goes to bed with a copy of a celebrity gossip magazine, rather than the more dubious literature favored by the protagonist in the Steely Dan version.
The album highlight is undoubtedly "Love is Real." This is a gorgeous ballad, co-written by pianist Esbjörn Svensson, bassist Dan Berglund and drummer Magnus Öström (collectively known as e.s.t.), with lyrics by bassist Charlie Haden's son, Josh. Svensson died in a diving accident in 2008 and Martin sings this as a tribute to the pianist. Her vocal performance is heartbreaking, adding even more emotional intensity to an already powerful song. This is a song that stays in the memory. Given the quality of the album as a whole this is high praise indeed—A Modern Art is a gem.
Track Listing:

Everything I've Got Belongs to You; So Twentieth Century; Love is Real; Lowercase; A Modern Art; Edge Ways; Love of Another; Totally; Everybody Today is Turning On; Sunday Morning Here With You; Promises; Things I Miss the Most; As We Live and Breathe; Nirvana.
Personnel:

Claire Martin: vocals; Gareth Williams: piano; Laurence Cottle: bass; Nigel Hitchcock: alto sax; Mark Nightingale: trombone; Phil Robson: guitar; James Maddren: drums; Chris Dagley: drums; Sola Akingbola: percussion.


Holli Ross
You´ll See



by Chris Nickson
She may not be a household name in jazz, but New York native Holli Ross has been around quite a while, mostly as a member of the vocal trio String of Pearls. That might change with this exceptional solo release, which sees her singing in fine style on a range of jazz standards, classy pop music, and some originals. Her slow, gorgeous take on Laura Nyro's "Wedding Bell Blues" kicks things off, taking the jaunty song into new territory. She injects a certain sexuality into "Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me," and goes lightly Brazilian on her own "Forty Three After." Accompanied by a small group, with pianist Ted Rosenthal a standout, she's perfectly capable of casting a melodic and rhythmic spell, and is an excellent scat singer in the Ella Fitzgerald tradition. "If I Only Had a Heart" recasts the standard with an ache of loneliness, while "Tricotism" offers the best vehicle for her wordless vocal talents, something that really does help her stand apart from the pack. Ross arrives as a fully mature, complete solo artist, and one who deserves success for the depth of her talent.


Veronica Nunn
Standard Delivery

By Christopher Loudon at JazzTimes
Though Standard Delivery is only Arkansan Veronica Nunn’s second album as a leader, she has been working steadily with the disc’s trio of intelligent players—pianist Travis Shook (who is also Nunn’s husband), drummer Jaz Sawyer and bassist Jennifer Vincent—since 1993, and the tightness that only time and mutual respect can achieve shows on all 13 tracks. Plumbing the standards catalog, Nunn sticks to the tried-and-true with such oft-recorded chestnuts as “Surrey With the Fringe on Top,” “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love,” “That’s All,” “More Than You Know” and such.
But Nunn, whose warm, slightly husky sound sometimes suggests the overt seductiveness of Marilyn Monroe (most notably on her mink-lined “If I Had You”), other times hint at the breathy coziness of Julie London, yet also echoes the crystalline purity of Dianne Reeves, can make the stale sound fresh, the familiar sound arresting. Particularly enticing are her “I’m Old Fashioned,” cheery as a country fair, a percolating, bongo-driven “Thou Swell” that, for the first time in ages, makes that tired Rodgers and Hart tune appealing and, on another dip into the Rodgers and Hart songbook, a satiny “Where or When” that oozes with pent-up desire.

ENRICO NICOLA MANCINI

By Claudio Botelho
During the sixties, by the time he’d done the musical tracks of “Moon River”, “Charade”, “Hatari” and “The Pink Panther”, he had already kinda turned this art upside down, establishing a notable departure from the likes of Alfred Newman, Max Steiner, Bernard Herman, Dimitri Tiomkin and others. (Definitely, the sixties were Henry golden years…)
He’d done it for the first time when he wrote the score for Orson Welles “A Touch of Evil”. The year was 1958 and, until then, screen music was heavily classically influenced. Henry (or “Hank”, as called him his close friends) was one of the very firsts to introduce Jazz soundtracks in the movies, enhancing, in this particular case, that drama “noirness”.
From then on, others followed his path, although none ever departed like he did from the old school of movie soundtracks. I could name Lalo Schifrin, Jerry Goldsmith and, most notably, the recent deceased John Barry. These creators introduced some pop music elements in their music, but I’d say the cannons of their antecessors of the first fifty years of the last century were still much present in their scores.
To the best of my knowledge, Mancini was the only one who could do, in the same movie score, compositions and arrangements as disparate as, say: ”Flutter’s Ball”, “The Good Old Days” and “Experiment in Terror” which he did for the picture “Experiment in Terror”, in 1962, or “Hatari Theme”, “Baby Elephant Walk” and “Crocodile Go Home” in Hatari’s soundtrack.
If you choose to pick, as an alternate, the motion picture “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, you’ll find “Moon River”, “Sally’s Tomato” and “Mr. Yunioshi”; each one entirely different from the two others. So, he easily fluctuated between the upbeat, comical, languid, solemn and terrifying songs, in straight accordance to each movie’s plot.
As a flute (piccolo) player in his early childhood, Mancini took it with him for the rest of his life. Ordinarily, he used it as a very tasteful substitute for strings (violins, cellos and the like) in a way unique, sometimes very gravely as demanded by the mood of the song or most cheerfully by contrast. Another trademark of his: the use of the bass registers of the vibes to stress a scene of great tension. Very simple and effective: no more than one vibrato touch was needed… Check it in the picture “Charade”, for example.
For many, his renderings should be regarded as “easy listening”. I wouldn’t contradict them, but I’d say that, in its “easiness”, it was most sophisticated, supremely in tune and variegated and, when he wanted, very jazzy. Listen, for instance, his “Uniquely Mancini” and you’ll know what I mean: a textbook of mainstream jazz arrangements in which solos of flute, saxophone, muted trumpet, piano and drums were sported to great effect. For me, this is one of his most memorable records and it still sends chills through my spine every time I listen to it. It is a timeless piece of superb arrangements, done on well known standards of other composers, performed by truly great musicians!
As much as possible, he preferred the light side of life and his music was the proof of this. Humor was always present in his renderings which, many times, was introduced in parallel, in clearly contrast to the main course of the song he was performing… Something such as this, perhaps, contributed to the whole of his work to be taken as inferior to the production of some others: he didn’t take his tasks for serious, did he? Was that the reason? He was just aware there’s nothing 100% sad or funny and he wanted his music to be a proof of this. As a rule, solemnity was almost always absent from his work and maybe responded to his long teaming with movie director Blake Edwards, who surely directed a kind of pictures more akin to his music. But, hey, he could be serious when necessary!
It always seemed to me his greatness was underrated - vastly underrated -, irrespective of the fact that his performances were very difficult to improve upon.
For many years, I was bothered by the indifference jazz musicians felt for his songs. Shouldn’t “Two for the Road”, “Breakfast at Tiffani’s”(more to my liking than “Moon River”, both from the same movie), “Dear Heart”, “Days of Wine and Roses”, “Mr. Lucky”, “Just for Tonight”, “Whistling Away in the Dark”, “Charade”, “Experiment in Terror”, “Just for Tonight”, “Snow Fall”, “A Shot in the Dark”, “Soldier in the Rain” and many others deserve their attention? Or were them difficult to improve on, as I always thought?
I had a very serious hunch, for many years, that his music was presented in such a definitive way that other musicians (jazz musicians also) had no room to make their arrangements on. A sole exception was Mr. Quincy Jones and his “Explores (exploration) the Music of Henry Mancini”, but that was a genius reworking the music of another one… (It seems to me that, lately, this trend is changing a bit.)
I’ve been a hard music listener for all my life, since the early sixties, (I think I know the work of the great masters of this art); have been listening everything, from Tatum to Mehldau (just to quote jazz piano players); heard many movie scores through all this time, from Steiner to Williams, and, hence, had the chance to evaluate the work of many… So I feel Mancini belongs to the top echelon of screen music composers and should so be praised. On second thought: he belongs to the top echelon of music composers, period!…
I agree that his late years weren’t that memorable, and that commercialism took his career in those times, but what he did, mainly in the sixties and seventies, was a work of great expetise and should always be so praised and, consequently, never be taken for granted. Thus, his work shouldn’t be regarded as shallow hits of that season; something to be forgotten before the arrival of the next one. It has a long lasting value and so must be deemed.
Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Richard Rogers were giants of their arts and have all got the acknowledgments they deserve, but Mancini also belongs to the top list of the great American composers, and his musical production should be better entitled.
If you’ve decided not to do this, don’t count on me…

WorldJazz Friends TOP 10 JAZZ CD's 2011

Marcilio Adjafre's TOP 10

1) Yarom Herman Trio - Follow the White Rabbit

2) Mirko Guerrini - Italian Lessons

3) Max de Aloe - Bradipo

4) Luigi Martinale Trio - Le Sue Ali

5) Claudio Filippini - The Enchanted Garden

6) Enrico Zanisi Trio - Quasi Troppo Serio

7) Antonio Principe - New and Old Swing

8) Markelian Kapedani Trio - Balkan Bop

9) Danny Grisset - Stride

10) Dario Carnovale Trio - Exit for Three

Ficaram de fora desta lista trabalhos incríveis como:

Faithful(Marcin Wasilewski)

Forever(Chick Corea)

Orvieto(Corea/Bollani)

Five Pedals Deep(Dan Tepfer Trio)

There's a Rhythm(Gregg Kallor)

Errante(Stefano Cantini)

Live at The Blue Note,Tokyo(Giovani Mirabassi Trio).

Marcio Tavora's TOP 10

Como estava de férias desde 20 de dezembro de 2011 e só retornei dia 10 deste janeiro de 2012, somente agora tive tempo hábil para apresentar os CDs e DVDs mais marcantes do ano e 2011. Ordem alfabética.

CDs

ANTHONY PRINCIPE TRIO – NEW AND OLD SWING – 2006

BOB FLORENCE BIG BAND – ETERNAL LICKS & GROOVES – 2007

FRED HERSCH TRIO – EVERYBODY’S SONG BUT MY OWN – 2010

FRIEDRICH GULDA TRIO – AS YOU LIKE IT – 1970

JOÃO BOSCO & NDR BIG BAND – SENHORAS DO AMAZONAS – 2010

MARK MURPHY & CLARKE-BOLAND BIG BAND – MIDNIGHT MOOD – 1967

PATRICK WILLIAMS BIG BAND – AURORA – 2010

RICCARDO ARRIGHINI SEXTET – ARRIGHINI SUONA VERDI – 2010

TESSA SOUTER & STEVE KUHN SEXTET – BEYOND THE BLUE {CHOPIN’S PRELUDE IN E MINOR, OPUS 28, N.4 - 2011

THE HI-LO’S & ROB McCONNELL BIG BAND – TWO ORIGINALS {BACK AGAIN! & NOW} – 1978-1980

DVDs

ANITA O’DAY – JAZZ ICONS – LIVE IN ’63 & ‘70

JOÃO BOSCO – OBRIGADO, GENTE! AO VIVO – 2006

MICHEL LEGRAND & FRIENDS – 50 YEARS OF MUSIC & MOVIES – 2010

PETER CINCOTTI – LIVE IN NEW YORK – 2005

Espero que todos conheçam os nomes apresentados.

Feliz Ano Novo Para todos.

Márcio

Augusto Cesar Costa's Top 10 at Travessias

http://accosta.posterous.com/

ENRICO ZANISI TRIO - Quasi Troppo Serio

Enrico Zanisi: pianoforte /Pietro Ciancaglini: contrabbasso/ Ettore Fioravanti:  batteria/NUCCIA - 2009

KENNY WERNER with the BRUSSELS JAZZ ORCHESTRA - Institute of Higher Learning

Kenny Werner: piano, arrangements / Brussels Jazz Orchestra directed by Frank Vaganée / Half Note - 2011

JESSICA WILLIAMS - Freedom Trane

Jessica Williams: piano / Dave Captein: bass / Mel Brown: drums / ORIGIN RECORDS - 2011

CLAUDIO FILIPPINI TRIO - The Enchanted Garden

Claudio Filippini: piano & keyboards / Luca Bulgarelli: bass / Marcello Di   Leonardo: drums / CamJazz - 2011

ANTONIO FARAÒ - Domi

Antonio Faraò - piano / Darryl Hall - bass / André Ceccarelli - drums / Cristal Records  - 2011

DAN TEPFER TRIO - Five Pedals Deep

Dan Tepfer: piano / Thomas Morgan: bass / Ted Poor: drums / Sunnyside Records - SSC 1265 – 2010

ANTHONY PRINCIPE TRIO - New and Old Swing

Anthony Principe: piano / Mauro Sereno: bass / Sergio Mazzei: drums / TRJ Records - 2011

BRAD MEHLDAU - Live in Marciac

Brad Mehldau: solo piano / Nonesuch Records - 2011

MARC COPLAND & JOHN ABERCROMBIE - Speak To Me

Marc Copland: piano / John Abercrombie: guitar / Pirouet Records - 2011

KENNY WHEELER - One of Many

Kenny Wheeler: flugelhorn / John Taylor: piano / Steve Swallow: electric bass / CamJazz - 2011

GIOVANNI MIRABASSI TRIO - Live at Blue Note Tokyo

Giovanni Mirabassi: piano/Gianluca Renzi: bass /Leon Parker: drums/Discograph -

2010

Leszek Możdżer - KOMEDA

Leszek Możdżer: piano /ACT Music  - 2011

MARCIN WASILEWSKI TRIO - Faithful

Marcin Wasilewski piano / Slawomir Kurkiewicz double-bass / Michal Miskiewicz drums / ECM Records - 2011

THE IMPOSSIBLE GENTLEMEN - The Impossible Gentlemen

Gwilym Simcock: piano / Mike Walker: guitar / Steve Swallow: bass / Adam Nussbaum: drums / Basho Records - 2011

ARI HOENIG - Lines of Oppression

Ari Hoenig   drums, vocals / Tigran Hamasyan  piano, vocals, beat box / Gilad Hekselman   guitar, vocals / Orlando Le Fleming   bass (tracks 1,3,5,8) / Chris Tordini  bass, vocals (tracks 2,9,10) / Naïve Records - 2011

MARKELIAN KAPEDANI TRIO - Balkan Bop

Markelian Kapedani: piano / Yury Goloubev: bass / Asaf Sirkis: drums / RED RECORDS - 2011

STEFANO BATTAGLIA TRIO - The River of Anyder

Stefano Battaglia: piano / Salvatore Maiore: double-bass / Roberto Dani: drums / ECM Records - 2011

CHICK COREA & STEFANO BOLLANI - Orvieto

Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani: pianos / ECM Records - 2011

DENNY ZEITLIN - Labyrinth

Denny Zeitlin: Steinway Grand Piano /  Sunnyside - 2011

ERIC REED - The Dancing Monk

Eric Reed - piano / Ben Wolfe - bass / McClenty Hunter - drums /  SAVANT RECORDS - 2011

Leandro L Rocha's Top 10

1.Senhoras do Amazonas- João Bosco (o melhor)

2.Mais Jobim Jazz- Mario Adnet

3.Chico- Chico Buarque

4.Pra que chorar-Celso Sim e Arthur Nestrovski

5.Volume 2- Trio Corrente

6.Mafuá- Yamandu Costa

7.Trilhos e terra firme- Casuarina

8.Junte tudo que é seu- Carlos Navas

9.Almamúsica- Olívia Hime e Francis Hime

10.-Vinícius e os maestros- Mario Adnet

11.GismontiPascoal-A música de Egberto e Hermeto-

André Mehmari e Hamilton de Holanda

12. Words for Evans- Luca Lapenna

13.To Billie Holiday with love- Dee Dee Bridgewater

14.Chora baião- Antonio Adolfo

15.Entre amigos- Johnny Alf

16.Live in Marciac- Brad Mehldau

17.Poesia musicada- Dori Caymmi

18.Bossarenova- Paula Morelenbaum/ SWR Band

19.Inteira- Tatiana Parra (a nova grande cantora brasileira)

20.Indivisível- Zé Miguel Wisnik

Carlos Couto de Castelo Branco's Top 10

OS MELHORES DE 2011

Estes foram os CD’s que mais chamaram minha atenção musical no ano de 2011.

Embora, dois deles, sejam lançamentos de anos anteriores, tomei conhecimento

recentemente.( 5 e 6 ).

Com muita dificuldade selecionei estes.

Ei-los:

Tributo Ai Sextetti Ani 60 - Luca Manutzza Sextetti

Suite Verdi - Ricardo Arrighini

Jobim Jazz - Mario Adnet Orquestra

Vinicius & Os Maestros - Mario Adnet Orquestra

Chopin in Jazz - Rosano Sportiello trio

To Chopin With Love - Victor Feldman trio

New And Old Swing - Anthony Prince Trio

Tropo Serio - Enrico Zanizzi Trio

Senhoras do Amazonas - João Bosco

Chora Baião - Antonio Adolfo

Recomendo a audição dos DVD's:

1. CHOPIN - Valentina Igoshina

2. OBRIGADO GENTE - João Bosco

Fortaleza, 7 de janeiro de 2012 - Ano com 366 dias - Bissexto

# 123º ano da Proclamação da República

# 190º ano da Independência do Brasil

# 512º ano do descobrimento do Brasil

# 520º do descobrimento da América

Fco.Claudio Barroso Botelhos's Top 10

O QUE DE MELHOR OUVI EM 2011

DENNY ZEITLIN – LABIRINTH. Um trabalho de quem se basta, ou seja:

dispensa o auxílio de baixistas e bateristas. Não há, aqui, espaço para eles.

Extraordinário comando, firmeza total. Grandiloquência (da boa, claro),

grandes  contrastes, drama, movimento,

bom gosto, repertório, gravação esplendorosa. Que mais posso querer?

ANTHONY (ANTONIO?) PRINCIPE TRIO– NEW AND OLD SWING. O

nome dá bem o mote do CD. Nova é a garra com que os oldies são tocados. Se esse pianista é italiano, segue uma escola própria. Seria uma espécie de Yamandu Costa polido do piano.Virtuose a serviço da inspiração. Grande entrega.

STÉPHANE KERECKI & JOHN TAYLOR – PATIENCE. Sólida

conjunção de intenções. Nunca haviam se visto, mas parecem tocar juntos por anos

a fio. Composições de tessitura uniforme que faz com que, sem jamais se tornar

chato, seja possível chegar facilmente ao final da caminhada. JT é um músico de

altos e baixos, às veze estéril, quando, então, me desagrada. Mas aqui

apresenta um trabalho no nível de seu “Angels of Presence”.

JOÃO BOSCO – SENHORAS DO AMAZONAS. Já tive chance de me

reportar sobre este que é o melhor do ano. Felicíssima combinação de

repertório, cantor de jazz, orquestra na ponta dos cascos, percussão que só nós

fazemos e arranjos (talvez o maior mérito do trabalho) na mosca. Nunca tais ingredientes

se complementaram tão bem. Para arrematar, gravação esplendorosa. Nota mil!

GEORGES PACZYSKI TRIO – PRÈSENCES. Mais do que um excelente baterista, Paczynski

é um administrador musical. Estilo Art Blakey, tem conseguido (pelo menos nos

três trabalhos seus que já ouvi) manter o mesmo altíssimo nível, embora com

grupo diferentes e, também como Blakey, com alguns músicos de gerações mais

novas. Pode ser explosivo, mas, também, comedido, como atesta sua faixa-solo

deste CD. Nesta, o silêncio talvez seja seu componente mais expressivo.

ELDAR DJANGIROV – THREE STORIES. Difícil acreditar que tanta solidez e

maturidade provenha de um menino como este. Nesta empreitada, navegou por

composições clássicas, populares, de jazzistas, além de temas próprios. São

quatro departamentos distintos que foram tratados como requerido. Me arriscaria

dizer que só pode fazer isso que vem de uma sólida formação clássica. Para mim,

sua melhor incursão no jazz até hoje.

GONZALO RUBALCABA – FE. Resultante de uma grande maturação,

Rubalcaba trocou o excesso de notas (até com um certo acavalamento dos dedos,

por vezes) por um tocar mais expressivo, no qual cada nota encerra uma intenção

completa. Este é o resultado de lenta uma evolução; uma maturação feita longe

de casa, nos toneis de carvalho americanos do Kentucky. Não se observa mais, em

seu trabalho, os aromas dos runs cubanos. No meu caso, não sendo lá muito

chegado em “cubanismos” (falo de música...), achei ótimo. Este drinque deve ser

calmamente sipped. Nada de pressa...

ANTÔNIO FARAÒ – DOMI. Bela homenagem recebeu Dominique! Em seus

fraseados longos, sem jamais estragar notas, Faraò nos apresentou um trabalho

digno de um dos mais consistente pianistas da cena jazzística. Muita

expressividade e grande emoção permeiam seus solos. Sempre. Não grava por

gravar; não vai pela cabeça de ninguém; tem marca própria.

CLAUDIO FILLIPINI – THE ENCHANTED GARDEN. Encantado

fiquei eu! Como apresentação inaugural (pelo menos para mim,) este CD não

poderia ser melhor: grandes composições; perfeita integração entre os músicos;

sequência de moods bem conduzida e muita raça! A grande surpresa do ano que nos caiu nas nossas mãos por obra e graça de uma decisão alencarina, pela qual devemos agradecer. Sem dúvida, merece o pódio. Não é de admirar o descabelamento do meu xará! Gravação refinada e, ao mesmo tempo, visceral, coisa que os italianos parecem ter aprendido com os franceses e, diria eu, até levando um passo à frente, exatamente pelo encorpamento que aprenderam a fazer.

TED ROSENTHAL – OUT OF THIS WORLD. O estado da arte do refinamento a serviço de batidíssimos estandardes americanos. Os compositores – vivos e mortos – que agradeçam: raramente suas obras foram tão bem embaladas!  Ainda não ouvi este com calma, pois chegou no ruge-ruge natalino e, logo depois, viajei, mas, só por isso, merece estar aqui.

Rosenthal parece ter encontrado sua almas-irmãs nos companheiros desta jornada,

o que nos permite esperar que outros trabalhos do mesmo naipe venham por aí.

Menções especiais:

GERALD WILSON – LEGACY. Seu mais consistente trabalho, pelo menos de

recente memória. Aos 92 anos, conseguiu fazer, verdadeiramente, algo que

justificasse o concurso de tantos músicos; conseguiu adensar seus normalmente

esparsos arranjos e, assim, agregou solidez. Não sei se e até que ponto o dedo

de seu filho Anthony Wilson contribuiu para isso. De qualquer modo, se este

vier a ser o canto do cisne (musical) de GW, não poderia ser melhor.

MIKKO GUERRINI/STEFANO BOLLANI – O que de melhor vi de Bollani, no ano

passado, representando notável contraste com os outros dois que fez com

orquestras, preço que teve mesmo que pagar por ser tão camaleônico. Mesmo

assim, Bollani, nunca abra mão disso!

GIOVANNI MIRABASSI TRIO – LIVE AT BLUE NOTE TOKYO. O

clima nipônico fez bem a GM. A calma e meticulosidade dos orientais deixou-o

relaxado, fazendo-o soltar-se mais. Com isso, soube fazer uma apresentação com

maiores contrastes, mais movimentada, com maior dinâmica. Em minha opinião, do

pouco que ouvi dele, este é o seu melhor.

Em tempo: já em clima de2012, o novo do Eric Reed (“SomethingBeautiful”) bate seu anterior, do ano passado. Recomendo. Bem, amigos, esta é mais uma lista injusta, mas todas são... Feliz 2.012!

Sds,

Claudio.

Renato Medeiros Barroso's TOP 10

JOÃO BOSCO - SENHORAS DO AMAZONAS

Abraço a todos,

 

Renato