Elis Catharsis

This is a fun album that sees Elis taking herself a bit less seriously than would be the case in years to come. Beginning with the beautiful photo on the album cover, it’s sunshine all the way through. Recorded and released in 1970, it sits on a precipice of musical history sort of like the proverbial time capsule left for the extra-terrestrials to tell them about contemporary MPB. With consistently interesting and flawless arrangements from Erlon Chaves, Elis rips through a repertoire of songs that couldn’t get much better spanning Bossa Nova, Jovem Guarda, Brazilian Soul and Tropicália and spinning them into a weirdly unified whole.

Elis Regina was one of the most ferociously talented singers to emerge from Brazil. A perfectionist who was frequently dissatisfied, Regina drove herself and members of her band relentlessly, leading to her being dubbed "Hurricane" and "Little Pepper" by musicians and journalists. Her tempestuous nature aside, she commanded the respect of Brazil's leading songwriters, who lined up for the chance to have her record one of their songs, and for much of her short life was the country's most popular female vocalist.

This beautiful – and now legendary – recording date between iconic Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina and composer, conductor, and arranger Tom Jobim is widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian pop recordings. It is nearly ubiquitous among Brazilians as a household item. Regina's voice is among the most loved in the history of Brazilian music. Her range and acuity, her unique phrasing, and her rainbow of emotional colors are literally unmatched, and no matter the tune or arrangement, she employs most of them on these 16 cuts.

Importante debutto discografico di Barbara Casini per Via Veneto Jazz, che si misura in questa produzione con il repertorio della leggendaria cantante Elis Regina, in un disco che “vuole essere un gesto d’amore e gratitudine per chi ha così tanto nutrito la mia anima canterina”. L’album è realizzato con il contributo di numerosi e importanti musicisti di formazione jazz ma estremamente versati nelle sonorità sudamericane, e gli arrangiamenti di Paolo Silvestri vestono con stile ed eleganza i brani, dando il giusto equilibrio e risalto a una delle voci più cristalline che il nostro Paese possa attualmente vantare. Un excursus attraverso brani immortali della musica brasiliana, ricchi di energia, sensualità, allegria e con il giusto pizzico di saudade. Una prova importante, come tutti gli omaggi ai grandi interpreti del passato, che Barbara Casini riesce a superare brillantemente.