CD Tropical Infinito – by by Leonid Auskern – JazzQuad (Russia)

English translation:
Through the courtesy of Jim Eigo, I’ve listened to the music of the Brazilian pianist, composer and arranger Antonio Adolfo in 2013. During this time I have somehow got used to that Antonio each year gives its fans a new album, and in each of his new works there is something special its own "highlight", which makes it unique. Not an exception, Adolfo just released in 2016 his new one under the name Tropical Infinito.
The experience of previous work shows that Antonio Adolfo loves working with already established musicians who perfectly understands his music. But in Tropical Infinito, part of his ensemble has grown substantially. If the flute and saxophone Marcelo Martins and previously formed an integral part of the sound Adolfo, here to Martins, which plays mostly on tenor saxophone, and two tracks - soprano saxophone, joined by two horn players: trumpeter Jesse Sadoc and trombonist Serginho Trombone (eloquent nick name). Thus, the first time in quite a long period of time, as Adolfo says in the liner notes of the album, a prominent role in their sound palette of the ensemble he led a brass section.
The fact that Tropical Infinito appealed to nostalgic memories of his youth, to the beginning of the 60s, when he and other Brazilian musicians in Rio hunted in two music shops in the city for the new American jazz disks where wind section played while significant role. That is why the list of album covers was the music of that time as well: a classic, probably the most famous hit Horace Silver's Song for My Father, two famous plays by Benny Golson: Killer Joe and Whisper Not, Stolen Moments by Oliver Nelson, and, in addition to these, a sample of hard bop standard Kern / Hammerstein from The Great American Songbook, All The Things You Are. The powerful sound of brass section is not very frequent in Antonio Adolfo’s albums, and the contributions Sadoc, Martins andTrombone significantly changed the character of his group.
But the core of Adolfo music remained unchanged. And in his "Brazilian" jazz arrangements, especially on his compositions (there are four on the album), he defends the idea of the use of tools of the jazz language to the root of Brazilian music - samba and bossa nova. Expressive rhythms, subtle piano by the leader of the party of the game of brass give rise to a unique combination of swing with Brazilian fragrance of this music. Emphasizing song Yolanda, Yolanda - warm and lyrical piece that Antonio dedicated to the memory of his mother. I think that for fans of Brazilian jazz, this album will make add new touches to the understanding of the work of Antonio Adolfo, one of the most prominent contemporary artists of this genre.