Aaron Goldberg - Worlds

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:13
Size: 136,1 MB
Art: Front

( 8:05)  1. Lambada de Serpente
( 8:31)  2. Taurus
( 2:27)  3. Kianda's Song
( 5:05)  4. Unstablemates
( 5:10)  5. Modinha
( 5:28)  6. Salvador
( 4:26)  7. Oam's Blues
( 6:57)  8. Inutil Paisagem
(11:01)  9. Oud To Omer
( 1:58) 10. Between Worlds

Man, am I glad that pianist Aaron Goldberg and I never tried to apply for the same job. I'm not a musician, but you should see this guy's CV. While he was double-majoring at Harvard in history and science plus mind, brain and behavior, he was working with Betty Carter, gigging weekends in Boston and winning all kinds of awards, including the formidable-sounding Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship. After graduation (magna cum laude), he moved to New York and played with a bunch of top names, among them Joshua Redman. What next? Goldberg was a member of Wynton Marsalis's quintet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Ah, well, now we're onto something: he's one of those young fogeys, all chops and no soul. But, you know, the problem with this critique of the young conservatives is that, sure, Stanley Crouch (an intellectual guru to some) can be a pompous ass, but most of the players are damn good and indeed quite soulful. (And don't misunderstand me, Mr. Crouch: I mean that you are an often brilliant pompous ass.)
So, what about Worlds, Goldberg's third recording as leader? Is he stuck in the past? It's true that, listening to this album, you might think history had stopped with Everybody Digs Bill Evans. But for as long as the record is playing, these guys will have you convinced that maybe history should have stopped in 1958. Goldberg's playing is just delectable from start to finish. Admirers of Cecil Taylor or Marilyn Crispell might feel a kind of guilty pleasure digging his apparently retrograde style, but no guilt is necessary, and there's nothing retrograde about the style, either. The upside of the postmodern character of contemporary jazz is that all these stylistic strata can be sampled simultaneously. If you value the great piano trios, of which Evans's was surely the avatar, then go ahead and wallow in this trio's mastery of the idiom. And Goldberg's embrace of explicit and implicit Brazilian references contributes mightily to the unity and exuberance with which that mastery is expressed.

An essential ingredient in this record's success is the endlessly inventive interplay among the trio members: bassist Reuben Rogers and especially drummer Eric Harland play just as well as the leader, reminding us of the critical role played by bassists and drummers in great piano trios of times past. (Their CVs are not included in the press kit, but I'm reasonably confident that between them they hold a couple of biotechnology patents and/or Ivy League diplomas.) Plenty of young players are remarkably good sidemen, but it's relatively unusual that so young a leader can convey and communicate so coherent a musical vision over the length of an album. ~ Jeff Dayton-Johnson http://www.allaboutjazz.com/worlds-aaron-goldberg-sunnyside-records-review-by-jeff-dayton-johnson.php

Personnel: Aaron Goldberg: piano; Reuben Rogers: bass; Eric Harland: drums; Luciana Souza: vocals (3); Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar (9).

Worlds

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Luciana Souza - The Book of Longing

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:44
Size: 94,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. These Things
(3:27)  2. Daybreak
(4:34)  3. Alms
(4:57)  4. Night Song
(3:12)  5. Paris
(4:00)  6. The Book
(4:47)  7. Tonight
(4:19)  8. We Grow Accustomed to the Dark
(3:14)  9. A Life
(2:56) 10. Remember

Since releasing her Sunnyside debut, The Poems of Elizabeth Bishop and Other Songs in 2000, Brazilian vocalist and composer Luciana Souza has woven poetry into the fabric of her work. Subsequent recordings such as Neruda, Tide, and Speaking in Tongues have all employed this approach as the prime vehicle of creative expression for her as a singer and composer, and she shapes the poems as complementary means in generating human connection and meaning. The Book of Longing is titled after Leonard Cohen's collection of poems, lyrics, and drawings of the same name. Here she strips down her charts to offer a new direction in ten relatively brief songs. Souza chose guitarist Chico Pinheiro and bassist Scott Colley as her accompanists (she provides organic percussion selectively), as well as her husband and longtime producer Larry Klein to helm these sessions. The program includes four works by Cohen, and one each by Edna St. Vincent Millay, Christina Rossetti, and Emily Dickinson, alongside a trio of her own songs. Her own "These Things" offers gently syncopated rhythms and minimal textures provided by strings and whispering percussion, Souza's vocals inhabit words and the spaces between them with disciplined phrasing and concision as her musicians provide a color palette that adds depth and dimension. One cannot help but hear the trace influence of Joni Mitchell on this tune. "Daybreak" hearkens back musically to her Brazilian influences, such as Tom Jobim and Dory Caymmi, as slippery bossa is kissed by chamber jazz. Cohen's "The Book" is a vehicle for Souza's canny ability to find the stillpoint inside a lyric. As Colley's bass highlights the changes, Pinheiro's chord voicings and single-string fills add an airy backdrop to her vocal, enveloping it effortlessly. Souza travels through each syllable in the tune's lyric, imparting tenderness and tolerance amid the melancholy weight of meaning it contains. On "Night Song" (also by Cohen), her wordless vocalese introduction engages in taut yet breezy interplay with her sidemen. Their intuitive soloing is fleet and creates a net for Souza, who bridges the feelings of separation and loneliness in the lyric to the unconditional love it celebrates. Dickinson's "We Grow Accustomed to the Dark" is introduced by a rugged bassline. Along with Pinheiro's guitar, they deliver riffs suggestive of blues and rock. But when Souza begins to sing, she wraps both instrumentation and words in a jazz embrace to quietly dynamic effect. Rossetti's "Remember" is a languid elegy, and Souza allows the words to penetrate her to the marrow. Her painfully intimate delivery equates the oncoming pain of death's impossible-to-bear separation with a present in which two souls are joined in the union of heartbreak and longing. Her desire and acceptance drip like honey from her lips, arresting the moment in time. On Book of Longing, Souza displays yet again, her stark and remarkable originality in works of deceptive simplicity and elegance. The empathy and equanimity she displays with her sidemen is actually the sound of musical and emotional generosity. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-book-of-longing-mw0003184454

Personnel:  Luciana Souza - voice & percussion;  Chico Pinheiro - guitar;  Scott Colley - bass

The Book of Longing

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Donny McCaslin - The Way Through

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:06
Size: 129,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:01)  1. Skyward
(2:49)  2. San Lorenzo
(6:31)  3. Shadowlands
(5:59)  4. I Should Care
(7:50)  5. The Way Through
(3:57)  6. Break Tune
(3:23)  7. Free California
(5:40)  8. Fe Fo Fi Fum
(4:36)  9. What Remains
(3:30) 10. Woody And You
(5:46) 11. Flutter

The Way Through explores the many colors of jazz while at the same time respectfully stretching the music’s boundaries. Donny McCaslin, a tenor saxophonist with a rich, warm sound, is also an extremely skilled arranger with an interesting use of space. The basic instrumentation here is sax, bass, and drums, but there’s also sax duet improvisations, solo work by McCaslin, and judicious use of voice, steel pan, and sampler. McCaslin has many paints on his palette, and his selections are always tasteful and interesting. McCaslin combines original compositions with the standard “I Should Care,” Dizzy Gillespie’s “What Remains,” and Wayne Shorter’s “Fee Fo Fi Fum.” McCaslin is not afraid to take chances, and he is not afraid to mix styles and eras. A good example is his song “Break Tune” which, true to its title, breaks down the melody and explores the line between control and chaos. Here McCaslin uses a sampler, and the song is a successful merger of jazz and the new technology. The integration of acoustic and electronic instruments is still evolving, and McCaslin understands both well enough to take a positive step in harmonizing the two worlds. McCaslin’s other original compositions are equally notable. There’s “San Lorenzo,” which starts off with a slow, yearning sax and ends in ecstatic singing. 

The steel pan, vocals, and Latin rhythms combined with McCaslin’s lyrical playing make this song a real gem. Other originals include “Skyward,” which has a swinging melody and interesting chordal work, the meditative exploration “Shadowlands,” and the title track “The Way Through,” where McCaslin stretches out with pure tones and expressive lines. The recording ends with the wonderful “Flutter,” a duet improvisation with McCaslin and altoist David Binney that channels Eric Dolphy and highlights McCaslin’s imaginative playing. McCaslin explores a lot of territory on The Way Through , and whether he’s coloring inside the lines or disregarding them altogether, he always has something interesting to say. His assimilation of different styles and technologies is also compelling, and certainly worth watching. McCaslin is just shy of 40, which in the world of jazz is relatively young; it’s inspiring to hear him emerge as a leader, and listeners should look forward to more. ~ Florenze Wetzel https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-way-through-donny-mccaslin-arabesque-jazz-review-by-florence-wetzel.php

Personnel: Donny McCaslin - Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax; Dave Binney - Alto Sax; Anders Bostrom - Flute, Alto Flute, Bass Flute; Scott Colley - Bass; Adam Cruz - Percussion, Drums, Marimba, Steel Pan; Doug Yates - Clarinet, Bass Clarinet; Luciana Souza - Vocals.

The Way Through

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Steve Kuhn - The Best Things

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:52
Size: 123.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[ 8:30] 1. The Best Things In Life Are Free
[ 5:30] 2. Luiza
[ 6:52] 3. Two By Two
[ 6:29] 4. Portrait Of Jennie
[ 8:15] 5. Confirmation
[10:47] 6. Poem For #15
[ 7:25] 7. Adagio

Bass – David Finck; Drums – Billy Drummond; Piano - Steve Kuhn; Vocals – Luciana Souza. Digitally recorded at Avatar Studios, New York City on 20th December 1999.

This third trio CD for Kuhn on Reservoir yields much the same refined, intelligent, eminently enjoyable result as the previous efforts. Bassist David Finck and drummer Billy Drummond are totally in tune with the veteran pianist/leader, whose powers are consistently hovering at a high level these days, stoking the post-boppish fires of his youth with the wisdom and savvy of his years of performing and recording. Kuhn's personal growth curve is most prevalent as you hear the daunting touches within a quietly urgent stance on the well-worn and swung standard "The Best Things in Life Are Free." The pianist throws a tricky change-up on "Confirmation," a swiss-cheese version with giant holes carved out of the melody line, using tension and release effectively from the boppish head to relaxed bridge, liberally sprinkling "merrily we roll along" quotes along the way. Three of Kuhn's originals are included; a refreshingly original 12-bar blues "Two by Two," the very slow ballad "Adagio" featuring three note-patterned wordless vocals from Luciana Souza, and his famous kinetic soul waltz for Thurman Munson, "Poem for #15," a seemingly effortless, easily swung piece, the hallmark of this well-rehearsed and seasoned working trio. Also included is A.C. Jobim's lesser-known delicate waltz/ballad "Luiza," and the Bill Evans-identified, wonderfully rendered romantic evergreen "Portrait of Jennie." Another in a string of very consistent, musically advanced, universally listenable documents in Kuhn's thankfully growing discography. Recommended. ~Michael G. Nastos

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Luciana Souza - Duos II & Duos III

Album: Duos II
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:17
Size: 108.2 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Brazilian rhythms
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:00] 1. Sai Dessa
[4:05] 2. Nos Horizontes Do Mundo
[4:44] 3. A Flor E O Espinho Juizo Final
[2:50] 4. Muita Bobeira
[3:30] 5. Modinha
[4:28] 6. No Carnaval Vento
[3:49] 7. Sambadalu (Para Luciana Souza)
[5:48] 8. Aparecida
[5:44] 9. Trocando Em Miudos
[2:56] 10. Chorinho Pra Ele
[2:46] 11. Atr S Da Porta
[3:33] 12. Voce

Over the course of six albums filled with her beautiful voice and thoughtful interpretations, singer Luciana Souza has landed two Grammy nominations and grabbed the attention of knowledgeable jazz and Brazilian music fans. Here she follows up her breakthrough album Duos with a second installment, this time again in intimate duo settings with different guitarists. Souza dwells in her voice's mid-range, seldom going particularly high or low, yet her inflections are as rich as a well-aged cabernet wine. While these nuances take a little time to pick up, Souza's technical facility is easily recognizable and impressive – her lightning fast scat on the new choro "Sambadalu (Para Luciana Souza)" is dazzling; her timing on the ballad "Modinha" is impeccable. Generally regarded a jazz singer because of her chops, Souza is really "beyond category" (to use an old Duke Ellington quote) for bringing Brazilian folk idioms into the jazz genre, and she doesn't do it any better than on Duos II. –-Tad Hendrickson

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Album: Duos III
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:56
Size: 93.7 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Brazilian rhythms
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[1:29] 1. Tim Tim Por Tim Tim
[2:04] 2. Doralice
[2:39] 3. Chora Coracao
[2:53] 4. Pedra Da Lua
[3:54] 5. Dona Lu
[3:37] 6. Mágoas De Coboclo
[2:39] 7. Eu Vim Da Bahia
[3:59] 8. As Rosas Não Falam
[3:42] 9. Lamento Sertanejo & Maçã Do Rosto
[2:49] 10. Inutil Paisagem
[6:03] 11. Dindi
[5:02] 12. Beijo Partido

Duos III celebrates the ten-year anniversary of the release of Luciana Souza s Grammy- nominated and much celebrated CD, Brazilian Duos. Her Duos II record also went on to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Record. The last volume of this trilogy brings back her long time collaborators - guitar phenomenon Romero Lubambo, and master guitarist Marco Pereira - and introduces Toninho Horta, one of Brazil s most unique guitarists and composers. The repertoire is again as varied and beautiful as the Brazilian landscape including works by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Cartola, Gilberto Gil and Toninho Horta.

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Luciana Souza - Brazilian Duos

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:15
Size: 96.7 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz vocals
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[5:23] 1. Baiao Medley- Romance
[3:54] 2. Suas Maos
[2:41] 3. Pra Que Discutir Com Madame
[3:39] 4. Pra Dizer Adeus
[3:00] 5. Amanha
[2:36] 6. Eu Nao Existo Sem Voce
[4:00] 7. Doce De Coco
[3:31] 8. As Praias Desertas
[4:36] 9. Docemente
[2:05] 10. O Bolo
[3:58] 11. Viver De Amor
[2:46] 12. Saudade De Bahia

Luciana Souza - voice; Romero Lubambo - guitar; Marco Pereira - guitar; Walter Santos - guitar.

Luciana Souza’s second record for Sunnyside, Brazilian Duos, is a departure in two respects. First, the gifted vocalist is backed not by a jazz quartet, but rather by three different acoustic guitarists — Romero Lubambo, Marco Pereira (playing eight-string), and Walter Santos (her father). Second, Souza turns away from original material and toward classic Brazilian songs by figures like Dori Caymmi, Luiz Gonzaga, Djavan, Jobim, Toninho Horta, and her parents, Walter Santos and Tereza Souza. The range of moods is astounding, from the tongue-twisting virtuosity of the opening "Baião Medley" and the playfulness of "O Bolo" to the heartbreaking strains of "Pra Dizer Adeus," "Docemente," and "Suas Mãos." Souza’s voice, poised and attractive enough on its own, becomes a thing of transcendent beauty when matched with these sparse yet vibrant accompaniments. ~David R. Adler

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Luciana Souza - Book Of Chet

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:08
Size: 105.6 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz vocals
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:37] 1. The Thrill Is Gone
[5:13] 2. Forgetful
[4:21] 3. He Was Too Good To Me
[5:40] 4. I Get Along Without You Very Well
[4:13] 5. Oh You Crazy Moon
[2:51] 6. The Touch Of Your Lips
[5:05] 7. The Very Thought Of You
[4:25] 8. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[4:12] 9. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
[4:25] 10. You Go To My Head

Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza pays tribute to legendary trumpeter/singer Chet Baker on her 2013 album The Book of Chet. The third album Souza has recorded with husband and producer Larry Klein, The Book of Chet also features guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist David Piltch, and drummer Jay Bellerose. Interestingly, while Souza has picked a handful of songs that will certainly will be recognizable to longtime Baker fanatics, these are definitely lesser known standards from Baker's catalog. Subsequently, there is no "My Funny Valentine" or "There Will Never Be Another You," and instead Souza delves into evocative versions of "Forgetful," "He Was Too Good to Me," "The Touch of Your Lips," and others. These are intimate, reflective recordings that capture Baker's laid-back melodicism. ~Matt Collar

Book Of Chet

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Luciana Souza - The New Bossa Nova

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:44
Size: 127.6 MB
Styles: Vocal, Bossa Nova
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:01] 1. Down To You
[4:33] 2. Never Die Young
[5:34] 3. Here It Is
[5:14] 4. When We Dance
[4:37] 5. Satellite
[4:57] 6. Were You Blind That Day
[5:25] 7. Love Is For Strangers
[4:33] 8. You And The Girl
[3:16] 9. Living Without You
[3:59] 10. I Can Let Go Now
[3:49] 11. God Only Knows
[4:40] 12. Waters Of March

When pianist Herbie Hancock released The New Standard (Verve, 1996)—an album of radically reworked pop tunes by artists ranging from Peter Gabriel to Prince—it wasn't exactly revolutionary, but it was the first time a major jazz artist had devoted an entire album to contemporary popular song. Singer Luciana Souza may not be as significant an artist—yet—as Hancock, but The New Bossa Nova explores a similar concept. By adapting material, ranging from Joni Mitchell and James Taylor to Leonard Cohen and Randy Newman, to the Brazilian bossa nova form, Souza has created a deeply heartfelt disc that deserves to raise her profile exponentially.

With the stellar group of players she's recruited—many of whom she's intersected with multiple times over the past few years, including saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez—one might expect some high energy and extended improvisation, but The New Bossa Nova is, instead, an album of understatement, concision and simplicity. While no strangers to the aesthetic of serving the song, principle soloists Simon and Potter work within producer Larry Klein's defined, but never confining, arrangements. Sometimes saying something in eight bars is more challenging than having all the time in the world, and both Potter and Simon deliver memorable, lyrical solos throughout.

While the bossa form is inherently easy on the ears, Souza has chosen material that covers a broad emotional range, a subtext of the album being the complexity and multifaceted nature of love. Souza's voice is warm and soft, with a controlled but rich vibrato that's not unlike that of iconic singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, whose "Down to You, from the classic Court and Spark (Asylum, 1974), opens the disc. The vibe may be soft, but Souza's delivery gets to the core of Mitchell's despondent lyrics. Her mellifluous voice is a considerable contrast to Leonard Cohen's near-spoken delivery, but she's no less at the heart of his starkly dark "Here It Is.

The New Bossa Nova is not, however, all about darkness and despair. A duet with guest James Taylor on his poignant "Never Die Young" reveals just how lush Souza's voice is contrasted with Taylor's sharp tenor, while she reworks Antonio Carlos Jobim's classic "Waters of March" into an uplifting set closer.

Like Swiss singer Susanne Abbuehl, Souza's range and emotional resonance are made all the more powerful for her avoidance of overstatement. With words as potent as these, nuance trumps excess, and while the bossa rhythm is the essence of The New Bossa Nova, there's plenty of diversity to keep things interesting, even as Souza and the group explore shades of a color rather than a broader spectrum. With the emphasis on The New, it's an accessible album that's got the potential to make Souza a popular name like Krall and Jones, but remains no less substantial for it. ~John Kelman

Luciana Souza: vocals; James Taylor: vocals (2); Chris Potter: tenor saxophone; Romero Lubambo: guitar, cavaquinho; Edward Simon: piano, estey; Scott Colley: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums, percussion; Matt Moran: vibraphone (1, 6-8).

The New Bossa Nova

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Luciana Souza - An Answer To Your Silence

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 61:20

Size: 140.4 MB

Styles: Latin jazz, Post bop, Vocal

Year: 1998

Art: Front

[6:35] 1. Baião à Tempo

[6:26] 2. Muita Bobeira

[5:48] 3. Time Does Not Wait

[7:01] 4. An Answer To Your Silence

[5:00] 5. Bonita

[6:21] 6. 3 To 2 In Overtime

[4:14] 7. Azul Contente

[7:55] 8. Say No To You

[3:32] 9. Retrato En Branco E Preto

[3:46] 10. Snowboundaries

[4:37] 11. Embraceable You

Luciana Souza's debut on Mike Mainieri's NYC label established her not just as a strong vocalist, but also a composer of melodious yet highly complex music. Seven of the 11 tracks are originals, and they're handled expertly by Souza, saxophonist George Garzone, pianist David Kikoski, bassist John Lockwood, and drummer Ignacio Berroa. Souza handles the percussion herself, and co-producer George Schuller plays drums on the closing "Embraceable You." In addition to intricate pieces like "Muita Bobeira," "3 to 2 in Overtime," and "Say No to You," and brooding, poetic numbers like "Time Does Not Wait," Souza also includes two songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim: "Bonita" and "Retrato em Branco e Preto." The latter, which translates as "Portrait in Black and White," boasts a particularly creative arrangement. On "Azul Contente," Souza is accompanied only by bass and drums -- a choice perhaps meant to emphasize her intimate connection to the song, which was written by her talented parents, Tereza Souza and Walter Santos. Singing in English and Portuguese as well as wordlessly, Souza paints beautiful pictures, gives her heavy-hitting band plenty of room to blow, and gets her solo career off to a blazing start. ~David R. Adler

An Answer To Your Silence

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