"Make no mistake, this is a jazz album, despite it being cast in mild sambas, bossa, and also toada, frevo, quadrilha, and Ijexá. The rich, sophisticated harmonies and brassy yet mellow sound of the ensemble that is expected from earlier albums here is intermeshed with extended remarkable solos from the band. The album closes with the sound of Carnival, to remind us that these showtunes from the American songbook are performed by Brazilians."
https://antonioadolfo1.bandcamp.com/album/love-cole-porter
At a time when Dizzy Gillespie and Xavier Cugat were introducing Latin music to Manhattan jazz and popular dance fans, Brazilians in Rio de Janeiro were enjoying American popular composers, thanks to movies, radio, and records. Tunes of the Gershwins and Cole Porter were commonly heard and Frank Sinatra influenced local singers. Of course, samba was the main beat, bossa nova still in development, choro already becoming quaint, and dance music of Bahia and the Northeast being largely regional. The melodies and storytelling lyrics of Cole Porter were guiding Jobim and other young Brazilian songwriters. Therefore, it is not surprising that composer, pianist, bandleader, and educator Antonio Adolfo would issue an album in homage. He had recently so honored Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Carlos Lyra, and Roberto Menescal, but before that he produced a Wayne Shorter album. Indeed, Adolfo has often performed covers of American jazz pieces, as from John Coltrane and Miles Davis. Jazz arrangements of his own compositions, found in his album Octet, received two Latin Grammy nominations. This new album features a nonet of 'usual suspects' from his recent issues, notably drummer Rafael Barata, Jessé Sadoc on trumpet, also sax man Danilo Sinna, Marcelo Martins tripling on tenor and soprano saxophones and flute, trombonist Rafael Rocha, guitarist Lula Galvão, Jorge Helder at the bass, and percussionist Dada Costa. Finger snapping uncredited. Make no mistake, this is a jazz album, despite it being cast in mild sambas, bossa, and also toada, frevo, quadrilha, and Ijexá. The rich, sophisticated harmonies and brassy yet mellow sound of the ensemble that is expected from earlier albums here is intermeshed with extended remarkable solos from the band. Porter wrote over 300 songs; the ten chosen for this album are all familiar, such that just saying their titles automatically recalls the melody and lyrics. Thus, can we blame Adolfo, like Glenn Gould and Keith Jarrett, to spontaneously elicit vocalise on one track? The take was so good replacing it probably was rejected. Arrangements include a 6/4 intermezzo in I Love You and a change of format from AAB to AB in Night and Day. The album closes with the sound of Carnival, to remind us that these showtunes from the American songbook are performed by Brazilians.