Has there ever been a marriage of sounds better than that of jazz and Brazilian music? I’ve got scores of albums from the land of Rio, and there’s not one less than thoroughly enjoyable. Here are two recent ones, one by the guy who really made it popular in the states when The Beatles were the biggest competition, and someone brand spanking new.
I would first of all like to thank Sergio Mendes for giving me my first two adolescent crushes when he brought Brasil ’66 and the gorgeous ladies Lani Hall and Janis Hansen to my TV set way back when. And here we are, half a century later, and Mendes is STILL putting together some wonderfully authentic and yet thoroughly up to date Brazilian sounds. Mendes leads on the keyboards, and mixes tones of various percussionists and background vocalists with a team of John Powell/synt, Paul Jackson/g, Mike Shapiro/dr and Alphonso Johnson/b and a slew of guest stars like Milton Nascimento, Seu Jorge and John Legend. Some tunes are festive carnivals, with lots of brass and choruses, such as “Simbora,” “Samba De Roda” and “One Nation.” Other tunes include sensuous grooves with an R&B beat on “Magic” and even a bit of hip hop on “My My My My Love.” John Legend goes to town on a sleek “Don’t Say Goodbye” and Janelle Monae is a delight on the irresistible “Visions of You.” This disc is a treat!
More acoustic and folk oriented is the charming album by Amaretto-toned vocalist Mia Doi Todd, who is teamed with an intimate grou of Fabiano do Nascimento/g, Meno del Picchia/b and Mauricio Ttakara-Rogerio Martins/perc. The gentle mix of guitar and voice on the cozy “Misterios” and the reclining “O Vento” oozes with warmth. Some Spanish guitar sounds are strummed with earthy voice on “Luz do Sol” and percussion flows like a gentle stream on”Menina, Amanha d Manha” while it canters like a foal on “Ewe”. Through it all, Todd lures you in with a disarmingly fresh and mint-julip of a delivery. Charming to the nth.
Okeh Records
City Zen Records