Monday, July 8, 2019

João Gilberto - By Your Side

Styles: Bossa Nova, Latin Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:40
Size: 171,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:26)  1. Insensatez
(1:57)  2. é Luxo Só
(2:02)  3. Chega De Saudade
(3:23)  4. One Note Samba
(2:32)  5. O Barquinho
(2:23)  6. Maria Ninguém
(2:23)  7. O Amor Em Paz
(1:58)  8. Desafinado
(2:37)  9. Manhã De Carnaval
(2:06) 10. Brigas Nunca Mais
(2:17) 11. Hó Bá Lá Lá
(2:00) 12. Morena Boca De Ouro
(2:25) 13. O Nosso Amor
(1:21) 14. Lobo Bobo
(2:22) 15. Samba De Minha Terra
(1:35) 16. Aos Pés Da Cruz
(2:00) 17. O Pato
(1:47) 18. Saudade Fez Um Samba
(1:58) 19. Corcovado
(1:39) 20. Samba De Uma Nota Só
(2:17) 21. Saudade Da Bahia
(1:54) 22. Amor Certinho
(2:53) 23. A Felicidade
(1:49) 24. Só Em Teus Braços
(1:45) 25. Se é Tarde Me Perdoa
(1:47) 26. Meditação
(2:51) 27. Coisa Mais Linda
(2:32) 28. Vocé E Eu
(2:14) 29. Este Seu Olhar
(1:51) 30. Discussão
(1:17) 31. Bim Bom
(2:06) 32. Rosa Morena
(1:38) 33. Um Abraço No Bonfá
(1:28) 34. Doralice
(1:53) 35. A Primeira Vez

When talking about bossa nova, perhaps the signature pop music sound of Brazil, frequently the first name to come to one's lips is that of Antonio Carlos Jobim. With songs like "The Girl From Ipanema" and "Desafindo," Jobim pretty much set the standard for the creation of the bossa nova in the mid-'50s. However, as is often the case, others come along and take the genre in a new direction, reinventing through radical reinterpretation, be it lyrically, rhythmically, or in live performance, making the music theirs. And if Jobim gets credit for laying the foundation of bossa nova, then the genre was brilliantly reimagined (and, arguably, defined) by the singer/songwriter and guitarist João Gilberto. In his native country he is called O Mito (The Legend), a deserving nickname, for since he began recording in late '50s Gilberto, with his signature soft, near-whispering croon, set a standard few have equaled.  Born in 1931 in Juazeiro in the northeastern state of Brazil known as Bahia, Gilberto seemed obsessed with music almost from the moment he emerged from the womb. His grandfather bought him his first guitar at age 14 (much to the dismay of João's father). Within a year, the result of near constant practicing, he was the leader of a band made up of school friends. During this time Gilberto was absorbing the rhythmic subtlety of the Brazilian pop songs of the day, while also taking in the rich sounds of swing jazz (Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey), as well as the light opera singing of Jeanette MacDonald. At 18, Gilberto gave up on his small town life and headed to Bahia's largest city, Salvador, to get a foothold in the music industry performing on live radio shows. Although he was given the opportunity to sing, instant stardom was not in the offing, but his brief appearances on the radio brought him to the attention of Antonio Maria, who wanted Gilberto to become the lead singer for the popular radio band Garotos da Lua (Boys From the Moon) and move to Rio de Janeiro.  Gilberto stayed in the band only a year. 

He was fired after the rest of the group could take no more of his lackadaisical attitude. Gilberto was frequently late for rehearsals and performances, and in a move reminiscent of American pop star Sly Stone, would occasionally not show up at all. After his dismissal from the group Gilberto lived a seminomadic life. For years he had no fixed address, drifting from friend to friend and acquaintance to acquaintance, living off their kindness and rarely if ever contributing to the household expenses. Evidently Gilberto was such charming company that his emotional carelessness and fiscal apathy were never an issue that or he had extremely patient and generous friends. It was during this underachieving bohemian period that Gilberto kept an extremely low profile. Instead of using his time with Garotos da Luna as a springboard for other recording and performing possibilities, he became apathetic, constantly smoking large quantities of marijuana, playing the odd club gig, and refusing work he considered beneath him (this included gigs at clubs where people talked during the performance). Although gifted with considerable talent as a singer and guitar player, it seemed as though Gilberto would fail to attain the success and notoriety he deserved if only due to apathy that verged on lethargy. After nearly a decade of aimlessness Gilberto joined forces with singer Luis Telles, who encouraged Gilberto to leave Rio for a semibucolic life in the city of Pôrto Alegre. Telles, who functioned as a combination public relations guru and sugar daddy, made sure the demanding Gilberto wanted for nothing and would concentrate on his music. It turned out to be a successful, if expensive strategy. Within a few months Gilberto (who at this point had given up his prodigious marijuana consumption and was now partaking in nothing stronger than fruit juice) was the toast of Pôrto Alegre, the musician everyone wanted to see. It was also during this extended apprenticeship that Gilberto perfected his unique vocal style and guitar playing. So breathy and nasally it is almost defies description, in many ways he uses all the things one is taught not to do as a singer and has made them into an instantly recognizable style. Not even established crooners such as Bing Crosby and Perry Como sang more quietly or with less vibrato. 

This, along with his rhythmically idiosyncratic approach to playing the guitar  an intensely syncopated plucking of the strings that flowed with his singing  made for some exhilarating music, and by the time of his first record, Chega de Saudade (1959), Gilberto became widely known as the man who made bossa nova what it is.  True to form, however, Gilberto took the road less traveled, and after the success of his debut record and the two follow-up releases, he left Brazil to settle in the United States, where he lived until 1980. During this period he recorded some amazing records, working with saxophonist Stan Getz and recording music by older Brazilian songwriters such as Dorival Caymmi and Ary Barroso. 

He returned to Brazil in the early '80s and since then has worked with virtually every big name in Brazilian pop, including Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Gal Costa, and Chico Buarque. He never saw record sales like the aforementioned performers, but all of them regard him as a profound influence on their work. True to his image as enigmatic and eccentric, Gilberto lives a semireclusive lifestyle secure in the knowledge that, decades ago, he changed the course of Brazilian culture by making the bossa nova his music, as well as the music of Brazil. ~ John Dougan https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jo%C3%A3o-gilberto-mn0000785283/biography

R.I.P.
Born: June 10, 1931 - Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil.
Died:  July 6, 2019 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

By Your Side

Maruja Muci - Tiempos Modernos

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:39
Size: 108,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. Primavera
(5:27)  2. Mantra
(5:32)  3. Algún Lugar
(4:48)  4. Tiempos Modernos
(4:34)  5. Promiscua Soledad
(5:03)  6. Pensamiento Libre
(4:50)  7. Besos
(4:05)  8. Adiós
(3:09)  9. Canción de Cuna
(4:34) 10. The Final Countdown

On her third self-released disc, Venezuelan singer Maruja Muci concentrates on a songwriting side (her two previous CDs were largely cover sets) that reveals strong Brazilian influences, starting with "Primavera," a modern bossa with electronic elements reminiscent of the kind often favored by Brazil's Bebel Gilberto. Muci, however, makes the sound her own with her strong delivery and sparse instrumentation that enriches her voice instead of covering it with excess. She nods to her country's musical influences on "Mantra," an effects-laden track that features superior percussion work from Alberto Vergara and Diego Alvarez Munoz. A notable moment comes with "Algun Lugar," a gently romantic ballad that revolves around Adrian Holtz's acoustic guitar and Muci's double-tracked vocals. "Promiscua Soledad" is the most pop-inflected tune, which opens with the sound of a train, followed by electronic drums and Muci's soft rap vocals. Other tracks include "Pensiamento Libre," a tune that blends rock tendencies with Middle Eastern beats, and the Flamenco-tinged "Besos." Tiempos Modernos closes with its sole English-language track, a cover of Europa's "The Final Countdown." Muci's down-tempo, sexy treatment could easily have appeared in a late 1970s James Bond film; consciously or not, the arrangement borrows from songs like Shirley Basseys "Moonraker" and Gladys Knight's "License To Kill." Muci as of 2010, yet to perform in the U.S. sounds incredibly comfortable. The eclectic blend of traditional rhythms, jazz and pop are highly enjoyable, and Tiempos Modernos just might be the disc that breaks her into the international market. ~ Ernest Barteldes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tiempos-modernos-self-produced-review-by-ernest-barteldes.php

Personnel: Maruja Muci: vocals, arrangements;  Carlos Camarasa:guitar;  Adam Ross: guitar,arrangements;  Kurt Uenala: bass, arrangements;  Alberto Vergara, William Troconis; percussion;  Adrian Holtz: drum programming;  Diego Alvarez Munoz: cajon, percussion.

Tiempos Modernos

Dave Valentin - Land of the Third Eye

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:21
Size: 102,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:38)  1. Sidra's Dream
(5:44)  2. Astro-March
(5:04)  3. Open Your Eyes
(4:26)  4. Fantasy
(6:56)  5. Land of the Third Eye
(6:27)  6. The Tellers
(6:56)  7. Pana Fuerte (Strong Friendship)
(4:05)  8. Sidra's Dream - Single Version

A fantastic funky album from flute man Dave Valentin done right after his time on the New York Latin underground, including some work with Ricardo Marrerro and in that lean, sharp sound of the early years of the GRP label! The vibe here is more CTI than the smoother later sound of the imprint and the arrangements have plenty of space for Dave's flute to soar out in Bobbi Humphrey-like solos amidst larger charts from Dave Grusin, Dennis Ball, and Valentin himself. Grusin also plays a fair bit of keyboards on the record, Marcus Miller plays bass, and one track features sweet guest vocals from Luther Vandross and Patti Austin. Titles include "Open Your Eyes", "Fantasy", "Astro March", "Land Of The Third Eye", and "Sidra's Dream". CD features a bonus 7" mix of "Sidra's Dream".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/863731/Dave-Valentin:Land-Of-The-Third-Eye-with-bonus-track

Personnel:  Arranged By – Dave Grusin, Dave Valentin, Dennis Bell, Michael Viñas; Bass – Lincoln Goines, Marcus Miller; Chorus – Jeff Norell, Luther Vandross, Patti Austin; Congas – Rafael de Jesus, Roger Squitero; Drums – Buddy Williams, Tito Marrero; Guitar – Jeff Mironov, Michael Viñas; Piano – Dave Grusin, Jorge Dalto, Oscar Hernandez

Land of the Third Eye

Ellis Larkins - Blue and Sentimental

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:27
Size: 96,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:07)  1. Am I Blue
(3:52)  2. Interlude # 1
(3:03)  3. Blue Prelude
(4:19)  4. At Loose Ends
(2:59)  5. Blue and Sentimental
(4:28)  6. Ode to Marie
(3:05)  7. Blue Moon
(3:21)  8. Interlude # 2
(3:21)  9. Time
(3:12) 10. Blue Again
(3:47) 11. Four Bar Intro With Tag
(2:48) 12. A Blues Serenade

Famous for his subtle chord voicings and ability to accompany singers, Ellis Larkins has been in great demand throughout his long career. His parents were musicians (his mother played piano while his father was a violinist) and Larkins was hailed as a prodigy early on, appearing with an orchestra when he was 11. After graduating from the Peabody Conservatory and Juilliard, Larkins was part of Edmond Hall's group in the mid-'40s; recorded with Mildred Bailey, Coleman Hawkins, and Dicky Wells; and then worked regularly at the Village Vanguard and the Blue Angel in New York over a 20-year period. His duet records with Ella Fitzgerald and Ruby Braff in the 1950s are masterpieces in subtlety, and he was also a busy studio player. During the 1960s, Larkins worked with singers Joe Williams, Jane Harvey, Georgia Gibbs, and even Eartha Kitt and Harry Belafonte; since then, Larkins has continued playing in New York clubs with a wide variety of singers. He recorded as a leader for Storyville and Decca in the 1950s, for Halcyon and Black & Blue in the 1970s, had additional duets with Braff for Chiaroscuro, and was featured on a couple of dates for Concord, including a 1992 recital at Maybeck Recital Hall. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ellis-larkins-mn0000172626/biography

Personnel: Ellis Larkins - Piano; Jim Crawford - Drums; Joe Benjamin - Bass; Skeeter Best - Guitar

Blue and Sentimental

Chris Byars - A Hundred Years from Today

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:25
Size: 149,0 MB
Art: Front

(8:14)  1. Intention
(5:16)  2. A Hundred Years from Today
(6:08)  3. San Juan Hill
(5:24)  4. Money Can't Buy
(7:40)  5. All the Things Are Redd
(5:48)  6. Lovelace
(5:21)  7. Elevated Tracks
(5:27)  8. Flight
(5:52)  9. Incognito
(9:11) 10. Mountain Top

Intentional or not, it’s a sobering thought experiment considering the current state of regional, national, and global affairs: Will the humans still inhabiting the planet a century hence be living in an egalitarian ecotopia or a desiccated totalitarian wasteland? Very probably the answer is something in-between those extremes. A Hundred Years from Today is also the title of saxophonist/composer Chris Byars’ latest Steeplechase venture (his tenth) and a hoary Victor Young show tune first published in 1933. Byars knows his jazz history better than most and the session is interspersed with all sorts of underlying meaning throughout the nine inventively arranged originals that join the Young-scripted heirloom. The date differs from Byars past projects as well in terms of personnel. Contractual conflicts precluded guitarist and band regular Pasquale Grasso from taking part, so the leader retooled the tunes to compensate for his chordal absence. Reduced to a sextet, the group still has a broad and varied sound forwarded by the returning horns of trombonist John Mosca, altoist Zaid Nasser, and bass clarinetist Stefano Doglioni. Bassist Ari Roland and drummer Phil Stewart are both first call prospects when a Byars date comes up as well and neither man disappoints in his appointed role. Byars fields tenor for the duration, but his charts are just as likely to tap his colleagues for solo honors as the brisk Lucky Thompson-dedicated “Intention” makes conclusively clear through salvos from everyone. Other tunes carry different dedicatees. 

“San Juan Hill” doffs figurative beret to Monk in honoring the pianist’s native neighborhood through an intricate 34-bar architecture. Stewart is particularly prominent here, bridging gaps with crisp fills and keeping a cantilevering time. “Money Can’t Buy” honors Tadd Dameron in another 34-bar circuit this time grafted to a ballad tempo and another string of concise solos with Nasser’s piquant alto constructions the standout. “All the Things are Redd” reveals both its honoree (Freddie Redd) and its chordal sourcing (“All the Things You Are”) in a single titular swoop and benefits from another nimble exchange of fours between drummer and horns. Byars’ many years as a fixture at Smalls, a Greenwich Village jazz club, brought him into direct contact with a handful of criminally-unsung first generation hard-boppers. Answering to the first name Jimmy, “Lovelace” was one of the most demanding and dedicated among them. The piece borrows from the bebop staple “Tune Up” and honors the late drummer through a rapid-fire exchange of solo statements anchored by Stewart’s blurred sticks. Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Gigi Gryce, and Dizzy Gillespie earn honorifics through subsequent tracks capping with the cerulean-hued “Mountain Top” where Byars’ once again tests his bandmates’ mettle on an obstacle course sprint peppered with incisive solos. Conditions a century from now remain far from certain, but there’s both certainty and quality to be had herein. ~ Derek Taylor https://dustedmagazine.tumblr.com/post/185108605202/chris-byars-a-hundred-years-from-today

Personnel: Chris Byars (tenor saxophone), John Mosca (trombone), Zaid Nasser (alto saxophone), Stefano Doglioni (bass clarinet), Ari Roland (bass), Phil Stewart (drums)

A Hundred Years from Today