Horizontes Farpados
By Tratore
Integrante de dois clássicos trios, Nelson Ayres Trio e Nenê Trio, o renomado contrabaixista Alberto Luccas lança seu 2º album “Horizontes Farpados”, onde explora a formação contrabaixo, sax e bateria. Com composições próprias, Alberto divide a execução com Vitor Alcântara e Rodrigo Digão Braz, formação elogiada pelo grande contrabaixista Sizão Machado em texto presente na obra.
Sari Kessler
Do Right
By Dan Bilawsky
In just under five minutes—the running time for producer/percussionist James Shipp's album-opening arrangement of "Walk On By"—Sari Kessler successfully makes the case that jazz singing is her real métier. That particular truth may not have materialized until recent times, as Kessler walked away from a career as a clinical psychologist to pursue a life in music only a short while ago, but it's as clear as day now. And with no less an authority on the art of vocal jazz than the great Kate McGarry singing her praises and co-producing this album, it's obvious that those on the inside agree.
Do Right does right in so many ways. For starters there's the playlist, containing a classics-dominated assortment of shrewdly arranged numbers that perfectly balance intelligence and modesty. Then there are the musicians to admire. Kessler works with a crew of top-notch players here—veteran saxophonist Houston Person, rising star trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis, ace piano accompanist John di Martino, and sophisticated drummer Willard Dyson among them—and they all manage to complement her. By keeping such heavy company Kessler risks being overshadowed, but that risk never becomes reality. Instead, she simply thrives, carrying the program without issue. Whether due to her background in psychology, her work ethic, her God-given talents and intuition, or a combination of all of it, she proves to be a first-rate interpreter and dissector of songs. Her previous career likely contributes to her ability to tap into the marrow of a lyric and bring its essence into the foreground, her intonation is spot-on and her diction is something that other newcomers should take note of, and her phrasing is oh-so-natural and flexible. In short, she's the real deal.
While the large majority of this material will be familiar to listeners, these aren't the same old, same old versions. The aforementioned "Walk On By," for example, exists in a much different space than Dionne Warwick's take, built on an attractively laid-back framework and colored with vibrant cobalt commentary from Noordhuis' muted trumpet. Then there's Randy Porter's arrangement of "Sunny," which may just be the best version of the song to emerge in years. It's incredibly impressive without being showy, what with the sly metric twists, clever riffs, hip feel, and post-solo modulation there to lure the ears in. Other highlights include a haunting and hazy take on Duke Ellington's infrequently performed "The Gal From Joe's," a swinging "Why Don't You Do Right" that pairs Kessler's controlled sass with the bluesy tenor work of Person, a semi-swampy taste of "The Frim Fram Sauce" that becomes more flavorful as it plays on, and an all-too-brief goodbye in the form of an intimate "Moonglow." But to be fair and truthful, it should be noted that every performance on this album could really be classified as a highlight. There's not a weak track in the bunch on Do Right.
Track Listing:
By Dan Bilawsky
In just under five minutes—the running time for producer/percussionist James Shipp's album-opening arrangement of "Walk On By"—Sari Kessler successfully makes the case that jazz singing is her real métier. That particular truth may not have materialized until recent times, as Kessler walked away from a career as a clinical psychologist to pursue a life in music only a short while ago, but it's as clear as day now. And with no less an authority on the art of vocal jazz than the great Kate McGarry singing her praises and co-producing this album, it's obvious that those on the inside agree.
Do Right does right in so many ways. For starters there's the playlist, containing a classics-dominated assortment of shrewdly arranged numbers that perfectly balance intelligence and modesty. Then there are the musicians to admire. Kessler works with a crew of top-notch players here—veteran saxophonist Houston Person, rising star trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis, ace piano accompanist John di Martino, and sophisticated drummer Willard Dyson among them—and they all manage to complement her. By keeping such heavy company Kessler risks being overshadowed, but that risk never becomes reality. Instead, she simply thrives, carrying the program without issue. Whether due to her background in psychology, her work ethic, her God-given talents and intuition, or a combination of all of it, she proves to be a first-rate interpreter and dissector of songs. Her previous career likely contributes to her ability to tap into the marrow of a lyric and bring its essence into the foreground, her intonation is spot-on and her diction is something that other newcomers should take note of, and her phrasing is oh-so-natural and flexible. In short, she's the real deal.
While the large majority of this material will be familiar to listeners, these aren't the same old, same old versions. The aforementioned "Walk On By," for example, exists in a much different space than Dionne Warwick's take, built on an attractively laid-back framework and colored with vibrant cobalt commentary from Noordhuis' muted trumpet. Then there's Randy Porter's arrangement of "Sunny," which may just be the best version of the song to emerge in years. It's incredibly impressive without being showy, what with the sly metric twists, clever riffs, hip feel, and post-solo modulation there to lure the ears in. Other highlights include a haunting and hazy take on Duke Ellington's infrequently performed "The Gal From Joe's," a swinging "Why Don't You Do Right" that pairs Kessler's controlled sass with the bluesy tenor work of Person, a semi-swampy taste of "The Frim Fram Sauce" that becomes more flavorful as it plays on, and an all-too-brief goodbye in the form of an intimate "Moonglow." But to be fair and truthful, it should be noted that every performance on this album could really be classified as a highlight. There's not a weak track in the bunch on Do Right.
Track Listing:
Walk On By; After You've Gone; Why Don't You Do Right; The Gal From Joe's; Sunny; It's A Wonderful World; I Thought About You; The Frim Fram Sauce; Feeling Good; My Empty Bed Blues; Too Close For Comfort; Moonglow.
Personnel:
Personnel:
Sari Kessler: vocals; John di Martino: piano; Ron Affif: guitar; Steve Whipple: bass; Willard Dyson: drums; James Shipp: percussion (1, 5, 7, 9); Houston Person: tenor saxophone (2, 3, 10); Nadje Noordhuis: trumpet, flugelhorn (1, 5, 7).
Vitor Gonçalves Quartet
By BirdIsTheWorm
The debut from pianist Vitor Gonçalves keeps to a nice chatter. It’s talkative music. There is a strong sense of dialog directed from musician to listener, and the tone is frequently one of a sunny disposition. But the arresting quality of Vitor Gonçalves Quartet is how the pianist plants little pockets of introspection throughout the upbeat tunes. It’s not so apparent on opening track “Sem Nome,” which is plenty contemplative, but there are moments on tracks like “Cortelyou Road” and “Samba Do Perdão” that enter a quieter state in between passages when the quartet lights a fire under things. Those shifts in tone, though subtle, change the atmosphere dramatically, and it’s what gives enjoyable tunes a touch of intrigue.
A Brazilian expat now living in NYC, Gonçalves brings some influences from both home turfs, old and new. Renditions of “Samba Do Perdão” and “Se É Por Falta De Adeus” fall nicely into line with modern straight-ahead originals like “Winter Landscapes” and “De Cazadero Ao Recife,” and all of it radiates the charm and warmth of an enjoyable jazz piano session.
You really can’t go wrong with this one.
Personnel:
Vitor Gonçalves (piano), Todd Neufeld (guitar), Thomas Morgan (bass) and Dan Weiss (drums).
Sara Gazarek & Josh Nelson
Sara Gazarek & Josh Nelson
Dream In The Blue
By Dan Bilawsky
The success of a story often hinges on the art of the telling. Listen to vocalist Sara Gazarek with pianist Josh Nelson and you immediately see that to be true. These two use ripples of inflection to elicit tidal waves of emotion, uncover new wrinkles in the oldest of thematic fabrics, paint scenes and/or inhabit characters so deeply and convincingly that they blur or erase the lines separating true self from role, and willingly reveal all that this world has to offer—blessings, drama, and slings and arrows included. On Dream In The Blue, Gazarek and Nelson alternately elicit tears of joy and sorrow by moving from escape to reality, heaven to earth, and mirth to melancholy, reaffirming their collective position as one of the most arresting voice-and-piano pairings out there in the process.
While their musical relationship is at the heart of all four of Gazarek's previous albums, it's never been highlighted to this degree before. Through duo work these two have discovered an even deeper bond than those formed over their many years of collaboration; it's a bond built on the mutual acceptance of art as a reflection of life.
There's certainly more darkness and woe here than usual for Gazarek and Nelson, but there's no lack of light. The triptych that introduces the album makes that clear. First up is their signature marriage of "Blackbird" and "Bye Bye Blackbird," a beautiful medley filled with hopefulness and reflection. A perky performance of "O Pato" follows. Gazarek moves effortlessly from Portuguese to English, shades of "Take The 'A' Train" materialize in the harmonic framework of the song, and effervescence rules the day. Then optimism continues to shine through with a version of "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" that finds Gazarek matching moves with Nelson on some daring, wordless, well-choreographed maneuvers.
Everything is looking up at this point in the album, but then the realization that nobody rides life's highs forever is swiftly set upon the listener. With "All Again," a radio-worthy Nelson original, a balance point is achieved between darkness and hope; a poignant and nuanced performance of the Bonnie Raitt-associated "I Can't Make You Love Me" tears the heart apart; and a highly personalized rendition of "Mood Indigo," harmonically tweaked and rooted to sixteenth notes, brings out the dark blue meaning in the title better than most.
The second half of the album is no less intriguing in its emotional and musical blend. The seductive "No Moon At All" swings and sings just as it should, demonstrating a straightforward approach that still offers a few surprises. An amalgamation of musical lightness and subject heaviness appears with "Petit Papillon," a Gazarek-Nelson work that uses the plight of a captured and damaged butterfly as an analogue for a woman snared in love, wounded by its daggers, and left in the dust. Then there's "I Don't Love You Anymore," a collaboration between these two and songwriter Cliff Goldmacher that's built around an emotional wallop of a post-breakup encounter. It comes softly but hits hard. This is the point where heartbreak is piled upon heartbreak.
The album then moves toward its conclusion with Laura Mvula's hymn-like "Father Father," Nelson's "Behind Me" (with new lyrics from Gazarek), and a medley of Nick Drake's "Cello Song" and "Without A Song." That last entry, bridging two distinctly different forms of popular music from different eras, conceptually complements the album's opening number and brings things to an ideal conclusion.
Convincingly selling this wide variety of material in such an intimate setting is no easy feat, but Sara Gazarek and Josh Nelson are uncommonly gifted communicators who have no problem getting these stories across in just the right way(s). Dream In The Blue is a testament to the strength of their relationship. It's an album that's likely to endure in hearts and minds.
Track Listing:
By Dan Bilawsky
The success of a story often hinges on the art of the telling. Listen to vocalist Sara Gazarek with pianist Josh Nelson and you immediately see that to be true. These two use ripples of inflection to elicit tidal waves of emotion, uncover new wrinkles in the oldest of thematic fabrics, paint scenes and/or inhabit characters so deeply and convincingly that they blur or erase the lines separating true self from role, and willingly reveal all that this world has to offer—blessings, drama, and slings and arrows included. On Dream In The Blue, Gazarek and Nelson alternately elicit tears of joy and sorrow by moving from escape to reality, heaven to earth, and mirth to melancholy, reaffirming their collective position as one of the most arresting voice-and-piano pairings out there in the process.
While their musical relationship is at the heart of all four of Gazarek's previous albums, it's never been highlighted to this degree before. Through duo work these two have discovered an even deeper bond than those formed over their many years of collaboration; it's a bond built on the mutual acceptance of art as a reflection of life.
There's certainly more darkness and woe here than usual for Gazarek and Nelson, but there's no lack of light. The triptych that introduces the album makes that clear. First up is their signature marriage of "Blackbird" and "Bye Bye Blackbird," a beautiful medley filled with hopefulness and reflection. A perky performance of "O Pato" follows. Gazarek moves effortlessly from Portuguese to English, shades of "Take The 'A' Train" materialize in the harmonic framework of the song, and effervescence rules the day. Then optimism continues to shine through with a version of "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" that finds Gazarek matching moves with Nelson on some daring, wordless, well-choreographed maneuvers.
Everything is looking up at this point in the album, but then the realization that nobody rides life's highs forever is swiftly set upon the listener. With "All Again," a radio-worthy Nelson original, a balance point is achieved between darkness and hope; a poignant and nuanced performance of the Bonnie Raitt-associated "I Can't Make You Love Me" tears the heart apart; and a highly personalized rendition of "Mood Indigo," harmonically tweaked and rooted to sixteenth notes, brings out the dark blue meaning in the title better than most.
The second half of the album is no less intriguing in its emotional and musical blend. The seductive "No Moon At All" swings and sings just as it should, demonstrating a straightforward approach that still offers a few surprises. An amalgamation of musical lightness and subject heaviness appears with "Petit Papillon," a Gazarek-Nelson work that uses the plight of a captured and damaged butterfly as an analogue for a woman snared in love, wounded by its daggers, and left in the dust. Then there's "I Don't Love You Anymore," a collaboration between these two and songwriter Cliff Goldmacher that's built around an emotional wallop of a post-breakup encounter. It comes softly but hits hard. This is the point where heartbreak is piled upon heartbreak.
The album then moves toward its conclusion with Laura Mvula's hymn-like "Father Father," Nelson's "Behind Me" (with new lyrics from Gazarek), and a medley of Nick Drake's "Cello Song" and "Without A Song." That last entry, bridging two distinctly different forms of popular music from different eras, conceptually complements the album's opening number and brings things to an ideal conclusion.
Convincingly selling this wide variety of material in such an intimate setting is no easy feat, but Sara Gazarek and Josh Nelson are uncommonly gifted communicators who have no problem getting these stories across in just the right way(s). Dream In The Blue is a testament to the strength of their relationship. It's an album that's likely to endure in hearts and minds.
Track Listing:
Blackbird/Bye Bye Blackbird; O Pato; Sunny Side Of The Street; All Again; I Can't Make You Love Me; Mood Indigo; No Moon At All; Petit Papillon; I Don't Love You Anymore; Father Father; Behind Me; Cello Song/Without A Song.
Personnel:
Personnel:
Sara Gazarek: vocals; Josh Nelson: piano.
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