The trombone has to be one of the more ignored instruments in jazz these days. That problem is remedied by the latest album by Raul De Souza, who plays both slide and valve trombone along with second trombonist Christophe Schwizer and a rhythm team of Alex Correa/key, Glauco Solter/b and Matheus Jardim/dr.
In between and bookending the songs are spoken reflections in Portuguese, ranging from tributes to Wayne Shorter and George Duke to a semi folk singing a cappella. The music itself is top rate, with the brass in luscious harmonies after Solter’s bass intro on “Funk Das Meninas” and the horns peppily punctuating Correa’s keys on “Apesar De Voce”. De Souza has a big and golden sound, gliding on the mature post bopper “Nana” and slinking over the soulful “Netinha Aura”. The horns get soulful on the tricky beat of “Tombo in 7/4” and palpably delectable for the lyrical “Plenitude”. De Souza safely slides home.