ANTONIO ADOLFO – "BOSSA 65 CELEBRATING CARLOS LYRA & ROBERTO MENESCAL" – AAM Music
Antonio Adolfo, piano/arranger/composer/vocals; Lula Galvao, guitars; Jorge Helder, double bass; Rafael Barata, drums; Dada Costa & Rafael Barata, percussion; Jesse Sadoc, trumpet/ flugelhorn; Danilo Sinna, alto saxophone; Rafael Rocha, trombone.
"Bossa Nova was the most important musical movement to come out of Brazil in the 20th Century," states Antonio Adolfo in his liner notes.
He ought to know because Antonio Adolfo's discography stretches over nearly sixty years. He has lived and breathed the music of his homeland. A multi-Grammy winner, Adolfo is praised and acclaimed in his beloved Brazil as a full-fledged, internationally recognized star. It has been sixty-five years since Bossa Nova music was born on the South side of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Antonio has used this project to spotlight two great composers who were on the frontline of Bossa Nova creation: Carlos Lyra and Roberto Menescal. For Adolfo, Carlos Lyra was a mentor and godfather. Adolfo produced, arranged and played on Lyra's album Bossa Lyra, which was released in Japan.
"I think his music should be studied by musicians around the world,"Antonio shared in his press package, speaking of Carlos Lyra.
Roberto Menescal is a Brazilian composer, record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and pioneer of Bossa Nova, who partnered with lyricist Ronaldo Boscoli. Adolfo joined Menescal's popular Bossa group "Conjunto Roberto meniscal" in 1965. Later, in 1968, Adolfo and Menescal created another group to accompany the legendary vocalist, Elis Regina during a European tour. When Menescal became Artistic Director of Polygram Records, he continued to hire Antonio Adolfo to play on several of the label's recordings over the next decade. Antonio has chosen five songs each from the catalogues of these legendary composers.
Antonio Adolfo opens this album with a plush arrangement of Lyra's tune, "Coisa Mais Linda" (Most Beautiful Thing) featuring the guitar solo of Lula Galvao and the trombone of Rafael Rocha. Adolfo actually began his professional music career playing piano in the Lyra play, "Poor Rich Girl" back in the 1960s. They share a respectable history. Track #2 is a popular composition from that stage musical. Another song from that musical is "Maria Moita" or translated to English, 'Maria Shut-Mouth.' It features the percussion of Rafael Barata, along with smooth, melodic horn lines. The famed composition by Roberto Menescal and Chico Buarque, "Bye Bye Brasil" (written for a film by the same name) spotlights the awesome talents of Danilo Sinna on alto saxophone. Also, Menescal's brilliant composition of "Little Boat" is included and beautifully orchestrated. Adolfo's elegant production is rich with complex harmonies, solo space to feature his wonderful bandmates, and a lovely tribute to two legendary Brazilian composers and performers. This release date is June 23, 2023