Pianist, composer and arranger Antonio Adolfo can rightly be called not only a veteran of Brazilian jazz, but also one of the musicians who make up his pride. At the time, his teachers were Eumir Deodato at home and the famous Nadia Boulanger - in Paris. For more than forty-year career Adolfo released several dozen albums, his songs were recorded by Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Herb Alpert. The title of the new work Antonio (it is shown on the cover, both in Portuguese and English versions), you can find a double meaning.
The most obvious approach is to compile the program album. It includes works of prominent jazz musicians in arrangements Antonio Adolfo. In each case, Antonio resolutely chose the most famous, it can be said iconic play, not afraid of competition with dozens of other interpretations of these works. Judge for yourself. Pianist Adolfo certainly could not ignore fellow instrument, many of whom he reveres as his teachers. The program includes Memories of Tomorrow, by Keith Jarrett, Crystal Silence, by Chick Corea and Time To Remember, by Bill Evans. In addition, Adolfo included in the album Con Alma Dizzy Gillespie, who was one of the first to introduce in the jazz elements of Brazilian music, as well as two famous plays John Coltrane - Giant Steps and Naima. And to the six tracks he added four original compositions in different styles - a real, red-blooded Brazilian jazz highest level. Agree, it's really Fine Mixtures («Perfect mix")!
But can be seen here and another, deeper meaning. As he writes in Adolfo concise but very informative liner notes, in an outline of each of their interpretations of jazz classics, he introduced elements of different varieties of Brazilian folk music - Toada Brazil, Baião, Quadrilha, prevalent in the northeast of the country, Calango, popular in the south- east, and of course the famous Bossa nova. On the contrary, in his own compositions he introduced elements of traditional African-American jazz, for example, the blues circuit and intonation. The result, take my word, is also worthy of the definition of "perfect blend"!
This was facilitated by his own great skill Antonio Adolfo, and a great team of partners, which he picked up for the project, which was recorded in just one week in December 2012 in Rio de Janeiro. I stressed to both guitarists - Leo Amuedo playing the electric guitar, and Claudio Spiewak, playing the acoustic guitar, and saxophone and flute player Marcelo Martins. Playing the flute in the last koltreynovskoy Naima, coupled with a polished piano technique and superb performance Adolfo rhythm section, made this piece for my taste, the apex of the program.
Unfortunately, many, many knowledge of Brazilian music and its relationship to begin with jazz samba and bossa nova, and they also come to an end. The remarkable work of Antonio Adolfo help you to expand the horizons of knowledge and take genuine pleasure.
© 2013 AAM Music
10 tks / 58 mins
(Antonio Adolfo - p; Leo Amuedo - el. G (tks 1, 4-8); Claudio Spiewak - ac. G (tks 2-5, 9); Marcelo Martins - ts, fl (tks 1, 3-5, 7, 9, 10); Jorge Helder - double b; Rafael Barata - dr, perc 😉
CD is provided to Jazz Promo Services
Leonid Auskern