CD Review: Antonio Adolfo "BruMa: Celebrating Milton Nascimento"

Pianist, Composer and Arranger Antonio Adolfo has released a terrific new CD, "BruMa: Celebrating Milton Nascimento".  The CD is dedicated to the compostions of talented Milton Nascimento who is  renown as one of Brazil's foremost singers-songwriters.  Adolfo has been friends with Nascimento for over 50 years and has worked with him many times over the years  He has always had the highest admiration for Nascimento's composing and singing.  Adolfo finally decided it was time to record and dedicate an album of Nascimento songs.   Adolfo had this to say about Nascimento's music, "his compositions broke traditional harmonic and rhythmic patterns, with his modalism and some odd rhythmic meters, all in a spontaneous, intuitive and natural way".  

When I first played this CD, I was intending to skip through the playlist and hear a little of each tune. However, my plan never worked out.  From the moment I started playing "BruMa" I just sat back and enjoyed every note of these great songs.  This album is so comforting, the listener can just lay back and enjoy all the songs the first time.  The compostions are remarkable thanks to Nascimento but the arrangements are just as remarkable, thanks to Antonio Adolfo.  Adolfo's approach to these wonderful songs will bring magic to the listener's ears!  The arrangements are lush, soulful and understandable.  No hidden message in this music, just beautifully arranged melodies together with interesting harmonies.

Adolfo has gathered some of Brazil's most talented musicians to assist him in recording this CD. Many of them have performed with him for years.  The CD opens with the song, "Fe Cega, Faca Amolada" which translates to "Blind Faith, Sharp Knife".  It features a fine tenor Sax solo by Marcelo Martins followed by an explosive Drum Solo by Rafael Barata.  I know you will love this  performance and I have attached a "YouTube" so you can hear it for yourself.

I have also attached a "YouTube" of one of the ballads on this CD, "Outubro" (October) that is wonderful piece of listening music.  This great Nascimento song was recorded by Wayne Shorter on his super album, "Native Dancer".  I can only say again that the music on this new CD is very special and you will enjoy every one of the nine songs.  I know it's only July but this CD would make a great present for any of your friends who love exceptional Brazilian music.  Antonio Adolfo is a remarkably multi-talented Pianist and Composer!

Players:
Antonio Adolfo- Piano, Arranging
Jesse Sodoc-Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Marcelo Martins- Alto Flute, Tenor Sax
Danilo Sinna- Alto Sax
Rafael Rocha- Trombone
Claudio Spiewak- Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion
Lula Galvao-Guitar
Leo Amuedo- Guitar
Jorge Helder- Double Bass
Rafael Barata- Drums and Percussion
Dada Costa- Percussion 

Playlist:
1. FE, CEGA, FACA, AMOLADA
2. NADA SERA COMO ANTES
3. OUTUBRO
4. CANCAO DO SAL
5. ENCONTROS E DESPEDIDAS
6. TRES PONTAS
7. CAIS
8. CAXANGA
9. TRISTESSE

CD Review: John Fedchock NY Sextet, "Into The Shadows"

Brilliant Trombonist John Fedchock will be releasing his tenth album as a leader with an all-star group of musicians who make up the John Fedchock NY Sextet.  John has written 5 of the 8 songs on his new CD, "Into The Shadows", solos on many of them and did all the arranging.  Talk about multi-talented musicians, John excells at anything he touches and this CD is no exception.  John has already had many Grammy nominations for his work with his New York Big Band but wanted to do somethhing in a  smaller format.  According to Fedchock, "Working with the sextet is the best of both worlds.  While still giving plenty of space for individual soloists, the configuration offers unique, creative writing options and maintains a sleek and mobile blend."  I totally agree!

Fedchock began his career in 1980 as Jazz Trombonist with the legendary Woody Herman Orchestra, serving as featured soloist, musical director and chief arranger for Herman's last two Grammy nominated CDs.  Herman said of Fedcock, "He's my right hand man.  Everything I ask of John he accomplishes, and I ask a lot".  Herman was noted for being a tough taskmaster and accepted nothing less than perfection from his band mates.  So this quote should be very impressive to any Jazz listener!

Take a look at the players participating on this CD.  Every one of them is a star in their own right.

Players:
John Fedchock- Trombone, Composer, Arranger
Scott Wendholt- Trumpet & Flugeorn
Walt Weiskopf- Tenor Sax
Allen Farnham- Piano
David Finck- Bass
Eric Halvorson- Drums  


Playlist:
1. "RSVP"
2. "Alpha Dog"
3. "Manaus"
4. "I Should Care"
5.  "Nature Boy"
6. "Into The Shadows"
7.  "Star Eyes"
8. "On The Edge"

This CD has 5 orginal songs composed by John Fedchock that are fresh and terrific Jazz tunes.  I have attached the first cut on the album, "RSVP" so you can hear the magical composing from John Fedchock.

The second cut is the band's take on the old chestnut, "I Should Care".  I love this recording because I think it has the feel of one of my favorite bands, The Kenton Band,   I am sure you will enjoy both selections!

CD Review: Vanderlei Pereira, and Blindfold Test, "Vision For Rhythm"

I have not published many Brazilian music reviews lately but that ends today with review a of the CD "Vision For Rhythm" from Drummer, Composer and Arranger Vanderlei Pereira.  This CD will be released on May 22, 2020 but I have attached a couple of cuts for your listening enjoyment.  Pereira has been in the U.S. for over 30 years and is considered a master of rhythms and technique.   Born in Macae Brazil, Pereira began playing Drums when he was 15.  He had an excellent high-level musical education earning a degree from the "Academia de Musica Lorenzo" in Rio de Janeiro and then performing with the prestigious "Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira".   Sadly, Pereira inherited retinitis pigmentos aand became blind in his early thirties.  Happily, the loss of his sight did not stop Pereira's musical career.  While he could no longer work as a classical musician he concentrated on his work as a top Jazz and Samba Drummer going on to appear and record with many musical greats including Toots Thielemans, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim and Tito Puente just to name a few.

There are three Pereira originals on this CD and they clearly show Pereira's composing and playing abilities.  He is joined by a wonderful cast of players that I have listed below.  Of particular note is the vocal contribution to most of the tracks by Susan Pereira.  Her wordless vocals and scat-singing abilities add greatly to the overall sound of this CD.

Playlist:

Players:

I have attached two "YouTube" videos below, both Vanderlei Pereira originals that will give you the full favor of this terrific CD.  The first is "Ponto de Partida", (Point of Departure) and the second is "De Volta a Festa",  (Back to the Party).  If you love Brizilian music and who doesn't,  you will love the music of Vanderlei Pereira and his Band "The Blindfold Test!

                                                            "Ponto de Partida"

                                                           "De Volta a Festa"

CD Review: Anson Wright, "Only Love"

Anson Wright has just released his new CD  "Only Love" and it's a perfect selection for the tough emotional times we are all going through.  Anson Wright has had an unusual life and educational  background that allows him to create music that projects the emotion of love with great understanding and sensibility.  Anson is a graduate of Princeton and did post-graduate studies at Columbia in New York City.   He lived in the East Village and was able to hear live performances at many New York City Jazz clubs.  These experiences moved him to compose and perform music for the finger-style Guitar in addition to immersing himself in the New York literary and alternative education scene.  This represented a 100 percent change of life from the more formal and structured educational environment where he spent much of his early life.  In addition, during this period in his life Anson worked and completed his first novel "Jericho", taught Guitar and creative writing, ran a trucking company and built cabinets.  How's that for a balanced life background!

I like Anson Wright's composing and Guitar playing because it's very sensitive music that is clear with strong melodies.  It's just beautiful music!  Anson wrote seven of the 9 songs on this CD and two were written by his piano partner,  Jasnam Daya Singh.

Playlist:
1. "Rahway Blues"
2. "Maddie In New York"
3. "Solstice"
4. "Chelsea"
5. "Inner Motion"
6. "Merci Mon Frère"
7. "Warrior"
8. "All Shall Rise To Thee"
9. "Only Love"

Players:   
Anson Wright-Guitar, Composer
Jasnam Daya Singh- Piano, Composer
Brian Casey- Bass
Todd Scott Bishop- Drums

I have attached two "YouTube" videos for your listening enjoyment.  The first one is a an Anson Wright original "Rahway Blues" and the second one is a Jasnam Daya Singh original "Merci Mon Free".

                                                                   Rahway Blues

                                                                 Merci Mon Frère

CD Review: The Seth Weaver Big Band, "Truth"

Trombonist, Vocalist, Composer, Arranger and Educator Seth Weaver is a new powerhouse Jazz musician who now can add Bandleader to his resume.  Seth has already received many awards including the "Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Vocal Jazz Soloist" and was the winner of the "Texas State Jazz Trombone Competition".  He was also one of three finalists in the "International Trombone Association's J.J. Johnson Jazz Competition" two years in a row.   Seth is a sought-after Composer and Arranger and his music has been performed all over the world.

On his new CD "Truth" Seth has put together a seventeen-piece orchestra comprised of some of the most exciting new players in the New York Jazz Scene today.  Take some time reviewing the members of Seth's band and I am sure you will recognize some of the up and coming young Jazz talents performing today.

The sound and quality of the Arrangements and Compositions on this CD are pure magic for any Jazz lover.  Seth's Compostions are original,  understandable and contain clarity.  The members of the Band perform at the highest level, and their performance is pure joy for anyone who loves the Big Band sound.  I found the playlist Seth selected interesting in that it contains five Seth Weaver orginals and three classic american standards.  Two of the standards were composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke and one by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner.  These two composing duo teams are on everyone's top 10 list of all-time composers.  It's refresing to see someone relatively young who is breaking new musical ground in Composing, singing and playing remember and acknowledge the great talents that paved the way for American Jazz Music.

The Seth Weaver Big Band performs in many Jazz venues throughout New York, and if you can catch one of their performances, you will be rewarded by hearing some of the best big band sounds and compositions available today.  Seth Weaver is a winner and this CD is also a winner!

I have attached two "YouTube" videos so you can hear and enjoy this wonderfully sounding big band.  The first is a Seth Weaver original composition "The Hudson" featuring Seth Weaver on Trombone and Aleksi Glick on Guitar.  The second one is "It Could Happen to You" featuring Seth Weaver on the Vocal, Sam Dillion on Tenor Sax, Lukas Gobric on Tenor Sax and Marty Kenney on Bass.  I know you will enjoy this super talented group of Jazz musicians!

Playlist: 
1.  "The Hudson"
2.  "What If'
3.  "Here's That Rainy Day"
4.  "Frost"
5.   "Red"
6.  "On A Clear Day"
7.  "The Last Hour of February"
8.  "It Could Happen To You"

The Seth Weaver Big Band

CD Review: Jenny Davis, "Rearranged"

Composer, Arranger, Bandleader and Jazz Vocalist, Jenny Davis has just released her 4th album as a leader.  This CD spotlights Jenny Davis' brilliant Composing talents along with her polished and sensitive vocal abilities.  Davis composed and arranged eight of the 11 tracks on this CD.  The music and lyrics on these wonderful Davis compostions are the result of over 20 years of study and performing that deeply reflect the experiences of her activist life.  The quality of her music stands on its own but the addition of her sensitive lyrics puts these songs in a special master-class level.  According to Davis, "Being a composer is about more than creating amazing music.  It's also an opportunity to reach the hears and minds through the metaphysical power of the music".  When you listen to the songs on this CD, I am sure you will agree that this mission was accomplished!

Davis has gathered an outstanding group of musicians to join her on this CD project.  Leading the way is three-time Grammy-nominated Brazilian Pianist, Composer and Arranger, Jovino Santos Neto.  He is a long-time Music Director of the Hermeto Pascoal Band and has also collaborated with symphonic orchestras in the US and Europe.  His piano performance is perfect for Davis' music and voice as you will hear on the attached cuts from the CD.   The work and planning that went into the creation of this CD was massive and has resulted in a beautiful musical event for anyone that listens to it.

Playlist:
1. "Accptar"
2. "And What IF I Don't"
3. "Come With Me"
4. "Rearranged"
5. "Yeoman Warders"
6. "Invitation"
7. "Saying Yes"
8. "Calling You"
9. "Answer The Call"
10. "Gemini Tango"
11. "Wise Up"
12. "Rearranged"  Live Performance by the Sirius String Quartet

Players:
1. Jenny Davis-Vocals/ Compositions  
2. Jovino Santos Neto-Piano
3. Chuck Deardorf-Bass
4. Jeff Busch- Drums
5. Kurt Festinger-Tenor Sax
6. Dimitri Matheny-Flugelhorn
7. Mark Taylor-Alto Sax
8. Heather Bentley-Viola/Violin 
9. David Lange-Accordian

The Yeoman Warders Sax Quar,tet:
1. Kate Olsen-Soprano
2. Mark Taylor-Alto
3. Cynthia Mullis-Tenor
4. Jim Dejoie-Baritone

Additional Vocals:
1. Lorrie Ruiz
2. Vanessa Littrell     


I had a really hard time deciding what songs from this CD to attach because the playlist is so outstanding.  I have selected two Jenny Davis originals for you to experience.  The first one is "Aceptar" that will let you experience the wonderful piano work from the Jovino Santos Neto Trio.  The second is the title track "Rearranged".  Both are great compositions and joyous music!  I also want to recommend that you buy this CD and listen to Davis' performance on the song "Invitation".  This song written by Bronislau Kaper has always been one of my favorite songs and Davis' arrangement is terrific.

                                                              "Aceptar"

                                                              "Rearranged"

The Five Most Heart-Felt American Ballads Named After A Women

                                                       "Tulips and Oranges"  2117
                                                Still Life Oil on Canvas- 16 X 20

While spending time in "Lockdown" for the last couple of weeks, I started to think about some of the great songs that have been written and named after women.  So I started to search out a list and I was surprised that I found a lot more candidates then I had imagined.  I wanted to select only five songs that I believe are the best examples performed in a Jazz-like format.   I think that the five songs below would find their way on anyone's list.  There are others that one may argue should be among the top five, and I have no argument with that thinking.  But these five songs are hard to ignore.  In order to add to your enjoyment, I have attached a vocal arrangement and an instrumental of each song.  The list of performers is sterling.  Some old, some young but all are best of class at what they do.

The first "YouTube"is for the classic song "Laura".   I have selected the instrumental version which includes a terrific Trombone solo performed by Bob McChesney with Pat Tuzzolino on Piano.  Pat also did the wonderful arrangement.  I felt that McChesney and Tuzzolino captured the emotion of the music and presented the story of Laura even without the lyrics.   The selection of the vocal version was difficult as many of our great vocalists have recorded this song.  I finally decided to go with The Four Freshman's recording.   The Music for "Laura" was composed for the 1944 movie of the same name by David Raksin  and the lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer.

                                                                      "Laura"

The second "YouTube" is "Emily" with music by the great Johnny Mandel and Lyrics by the incomparable Johnny Mercer.  The song was composed for the 1964 film "The Americanization of Emily" but strangely it was not sung in the movie, so it couldn't be nominated for an Academy Award.  The award for best song in 1964 was "Chim Chim Cher.ee" from Mary Poppins.  If the Directors of "The Americanization of Emily" had any musical brains, they would have taken home an Academy Award for this Mandel and Mercer gem.  But who knew!  I selected the Tony Bennett recording of "Emily" because Tony's approach to the lyric just brings it alive with emotion.  The fact that the pianist accompanied him was Bill Evans makes this recording as good as you can get.   For the instrumental version, I wanted to use Fred Hersch's solo piano recording but I could not find it posted on "YouTube".  I did find a recording with The Bill Evans Trio that I also love.  Bill is joined by Eddie Gomez on Bass and Marty Monell on Drums.

                                                                          "Emily"

The third selection is the song "Mona Lisa" , music and lyric by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston.The song was written for the 1950 film "Captain Carey" and won an Academy Award for best picture.  The title and lyrics refer to the Leonardo da Vinci painting "Mona Lisa" .  I'm sure it is no surprise that the vocal I choose was Nat King Cole's recording.  This recording was made 70 years ago and it still sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday.   I chose a recently released instrumental version performed by Pianist Larry Fuller.  It's on Larry's new CD, "Overjoyed" and it's a great piece of music!

                                                              

                                          " Mona Lisa"

The fourth selection is the song "I Loves You Porgy" written by George and Ira Gershwin with lyric help from DuBose Heyward.  This song was published in 1935 for the Opera, "Porgy and Bess" and is still being performed all over the world.  A great piece of music with a lyric that brings the emotion of the story to life .   I picked the Billie Holiday vocal because it still speaks to me.   The instrumental is a haunting recording by Trumpet superstar Arturo Sandoval.
                                 
                                    "I Loves You Porgy"

                                       
Our last selection is the song "Nancy With the Laughing Face" written by Jimmy Van Heusen and yes, comedian Phil Silvers.  This song written for Sinatra's daughter has been covered by tons of Jazz greats.  It just has a nice feel to it and having the Sinatra history attached  certainly helps its longevity.  The instrumental version I selected is from my life-long favorite Alto Sax player, Cannonball Adderley who is joined on Piano by Bill Evans.  The vocal version I picked is from the fabulous Jazz Vocalist, Kurt Ellin.


Well, there you have it!  Some of the finest Ballads composing and singing the American Jazz world has ever produced.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

                                                                                   " Nancy With the Smiling Face"