Rio Rio 65 Trio

The music of Heitor Villa-Lobos is known for its characteristic nationalism, driving rhythms, and original instrumentation. He was trained as an autodidact opposed to academic instruction, his music grew in a completely independent and individual fashion.

West Coast-based pianist Alan Pasqua makes his debut in fine acoustic jazz fashion, backed by a big-name rhythm section: Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette. Michael Brecker contributes smoking tenor on "Rio Grande," "The Law of Diminishing Returns," and "L'Inverno." On "Acoma," "A Sleeping Child," "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen," and Cole Porter's "All Of You," Pasqua swings effortlessly in a subtle trio idiom.

Azymuth is an electrified trio from Brazil that calls its music samba doido, which means "crazy samba." The actual sounds, though, are not so crazy: an intelligent, high-voltage blend of Brazilian rhythms, jazz, and funk with occasional acoustic episodes that gained a sizable following in the 1980s. Butterfly is a very strong effort that ranks among the finest moments in the group's now storied catalog.

Jazz being the most spontaneous and improvisational of all musical forms, it's often best appreciated in a live setting, where artistry can take over for commercial considerations and jamming for minutes on end is encouraged. Lee Ritenour has enhanced his pop-jazz catalog in recent years with projects featuring tunes that would lend themselves to such creative stretching, and so wraps up his long run at GRP with Alive in L.A., a brilliantly realized, no-overdubs-allowed ensemble date that delves into his diverse interests, from Brazilian to straight-ahead trio jazz and blues. Fans who know him best from his lighthearted radio fare may just be astounded at his chops, which do proud the grand traditions of his idol Wes Montgomery, and even try to reach a bit beyond.

Telecommunication demonstrates Azymuth's ability to occasionally get into trouble when resorting to hi-tech gimmickry for its own sake, but also illustrates how rewarding the Brazilian trio can be. With its vocoder-ish hijinks, the funk-influenced "May I Have This Dance" is a dated and corny bit of silliness unworthy of Azymuth. But there's also much to admire on this CD, including the haunting "The House I Lived In," the sensuous "Country Road," and the sentimental "Last Summer in Rio." Though keyboardist/pianist José Roberto Bertrami and bassist/guitarist Alex Malheiros do not always stretch out enough, the results are quite appealing when they do.

Malcolm Braff - Inside (2011) {Enja}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 402 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 163 Mb
Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 14 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2011 Enja Records / Malcolm Braff | ENJ-9573 2
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Jazz / Piano

Malcolm Braff's works are sensuous and powerful and at the same time filigreed, contemplative, and masterful. Malcolm Braff doesn’t run out of ideas. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he grew up on the Cape Verdean Isles and Senegal before settling in Switzerland. The pianist, composer and aesthetic maverick has worked on his reputation of an inspiring artist who fires up the European scene with spectacular activities, especially with spectacular art. In the early Nineties projects acquainted him with fellow artists like Bänz Oester, Mathieu Michel, Samuel Blaser and also Eric Truffaz.

Marcos Valle was the Renaissance man of Brazilian pop, a singer/songwriter/producer who straddled the country's music world from the early days of the bossa nova craze well into the fusion-soaked sound of '80s MPB. Though his reputation in America never quite compared to contemporaries like Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, or even Tom Ze, Valle is one of the most important and popular performers in the history of Brazilian pop.