Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The complete works of Ernesto Nazareth online
When a composer’s work falls into the public domain, his or her compositions become accessible to a wider circle of performers. That’s the theory, at least. In the real world of music commerce, “accessible” doesn’t necessarily mean “available.”
It is therefore very good news to pianists everywhere that the complete works of Ernesto Nazareth, which have been in the public domain since 2004, are now published online and available for download free of charge.
On the Ernesto Nazareth website you’ll find 211 complete scores, along with several incomplete ones and alternate versions. The scores were revised and corrected by Alexandre Dias from historic editions. A printed edition will follow.
The Ernesto Nazareth project was spearheaded by harpsichordist Rosana Lanzelotte, who has just released the CD Nazareth (Biscoito Fino), with inventive arrangements in which she is accompanied by percussionist Caito Marcondes and guitarist Luis Leite.
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12:23
 
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Revivendo founder Leon Barg has died
Leon Barg
Revivendo Músicas, one of the best (if not the very best) music reissue labels in the world, has announced that its founder, Leon Barg, died on 12 October 2009.
Born in Pernambuco on 5 May 1930, Mr. Barg was a major collector of vintage music. His first musical memory was of hearing, on the neighbor’s Victrola, the frevos-canções “Ui, Que Medo Eu Tive!” and “Julia,” sung by O Rei da Voz, Francisco Alves. The young Barg met the singer in 1948, when Alves came to Recife on tour.
Almost forty years later, living in Curitiba, Paraná, Barg looked at his collection of over 120,000 78-rpm records and thought that it would be selfish to keep all that music for his own pleasure without sharing it with others. In September 1987, he established Revivendo. Since then, the label has produced 73 LPs and over 250 CDs, preserving the precious musical culture of decades past.
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14:51
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Life after mom and dad
In the wake of their parents’ deaths, Nana and Dori Caymmi
continue to do what they do best.
Dori, Nana & Danilo Caymmi performing “Só Louco” in a Som Brasil
TV special honoring their father, December 2008
Now in their 60s, the three children of Dorival and Stella Caymmi are all well-known musicians, each in his or her own domain. The eldest, Nana Caymmi, is Brazil’s foremost romantic vocalist. The middle sibling, Los Angeles-based Dori Caymmi, has carved out an international career as songwriter, arranger, and singer-guitarist. The caçula, Danilo Caymmi, plays flute, composes, and sings.
After several years without a new record, there are two almost simultaneous releases by Nana and Dori. Hers issued in Brazil, his in the U.S., the CDs bear the unmistakable signatures of these mature artists. Both albums are dedicated to the memory of Dorival and Stella Caymmi, who died eleven days apart last year. Nana’s dedication is particularly moving: “Mom and Dad, I sang for you.”
Dori arranged and plays guitar on both albums, yet Nana’s album is quintessentially feminine, while Dori’s is very masculine (without exception, his guest vocalists are male, too). Therefore it’s particularly interesting to listen to the songs that appear in both records.
Nana’s title song, “Sem Poupar Coração,” was composed by Dori and his number-one lyricist, Paulo Cesar Pinheiro. The lyrics paint an all-or-nothing approach to love: “I don’t want to hear again those who say that love is only for happiness. Anguish or peace, pleasure or pain, what I want is to die of love. I want to love too much, without sparing the heart, because for me love that pleases is a crazy passion; love satisfies only when it goes beyond reason.”
Não quero mais
Ouvir quem diz
Que o amor é só
Pra ser feliz
Angústia ou paz
Prazer ou dor
Eu quero é mais
Morrer de amor
Eu quero amar demais
Sem poupar coração
Que pra mim o amor que apraz
É uma louca paixão
Um amor só satisfaz
Além da razão
Dori sings the same song with a very similar arrangement (piano, guitar, and rhythm, although Nana’s recording also includes sax and flutes) in his new album, Inner World. Retitled “Someone,” the song bears English lyrics by Tracy Mann, who puts a more prosaic spin on the narrative.
Someone who’s kind
Someone who knows
What makes me hurt
When to go slow
You know the words
Before I speak
You know the dreams
Haunting my sleep
And for the gift of years that you loved me so well
And for all of the times you were there when I fell
For the sweet and sour days
That I put you through [...]
The lyrical arrangement and Dori’s tender baritone interpretation pull the song through. In Nana’s case, of course, no pulling through is required. The song was tailor-made for her voice and sensibility, and will go down in history as one of her indelible creations.
Another song that appears in both albums—this time without translation—is “Fora de Hora,” with lyrics by Chico Buarque. Nana’s recording features an arrangement for the cream of Brazil’s instrumentalists: Itamar Assiere (piano), Sergio Barroso (bass), Jurim Moreira (drums), Dom Chacal (percussion), Gabriel Grossi (harmonica), and Ricardo Silveira (electric guitar). Dori’s is stripped down to voice and piano. As heart-rending as the harmonica behind Nana is, Dori’s sotto-voce, dusky interpretation conveys the mood more effectively than his sister’s higher-register singing.
A point scored by each.
The rest of Nana’s album is populated by the type of songs she does best. One of her specialties is interpreting boleros. Although the bolero is not a native Brazilian genre, Nana has made it her own. “Contradições,” “Bons Momentos,” “Dúvida,” and “Não Se Esqueça de Mim” are outstanding examples included here.
Sem Poupar Coração is a heartening reminder that women composers, often overlooked in Brazilian records, are superb song crafters. The album includes five songs by women: Simone Guimarães’ yearning “Confissão,” full of complex music and lyrics (Dori sings backup); Fátima Guedes’ gorgeous “Pra Quem Ama Demais”; the samba “Diamante Rubi” by Danilo’s daughter, Alice; Rosa Passos’ lovely “Esmeraldas”; and Sueli Costa’s classic (co-authored with the eternal PCP) “Violão.”
Also noteworthy is another PCP song (this time co-authored by Guinga). “Senhorinha” has received fine interpretations by the likes of Zezé Gonzaga, Mônica Salmaso, and the composer himself. Yet Nana Caymmi’s may be considered a definitive rendition.
All the songs in Dori’s Inner World are his own compositions. In addition to his guitar, the instrumental roster includes Bill Cantos (piano); Abraham Laboriel, Sizão Machado, and Jerry Watts (bass); Paulinho da Costa (percussion); Mike Shapiro (drums); Gary Meek (flute); Scott Mayo (soprano & alto sax); Ben Wendel (bassoon); and Ramon Stagnaro (guitar). The flavor is light jazz, and Dori’s understated yet rich baritone is well-suited to this style. I’ll confess to a prejudice against the English lyrics—not because Dori doesn’t sing them well (he does) but because they stand no chance next to the far more interesting and musical Portuguese verse. In any case, words receive only minor consideration in Inner World, judging by the absence of printed lyrics in the record sleeve. You’ll have to download them from the label’s website.
Standouts in Inner World (listen to samples) are the upbeat carnaval-themed “Chutando Lata” (a duet with Edu Lobo); the melodious sea song “Quebra-Mar” (a duet with Renato Braz), an homage to Dorival Caymmi; and the beautiful love song “É o Amor Outra Vez,” which places Dori Caymmi as the perfect counterpart to his sister in interpreting romantic ballads.
And what could be more natural?
Nana Caymmi: Sem Poupar Coração
(Som Livre 1408-2; 2009) 51:30 min.
01. Sem Poupar Coração (Dori Caymmi/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro)
02. Contradições (Cristovão Bastos/Aldir Blanc)
03. Caju em Flor (João Donato/Ronaldo Bastos)
04. Senhorinha (Guinga/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro)
05. Bons Momentos (Zé Luiz Lopes/Márcio Proença)
06. Visão (Danilo Caymmi/Manú Lafer)
07. Dúvida (Márcio Ramos)
08. Confissão (Antonio Carlos Bigonha/Simone Guimarães)
09. Fora de Hora (Dori Caymmi/Chico Buarque)
10. Pra Quem Ama Demais (Fátima Guedes)
11. Diamante Rubi (Alice Caymmi)
12. Esmeraldas (Rosa Passos/Fernando de Oliveira)
13. Violão (Sueli Costa/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro)
14. Não Se Esqueça de Mim (Roberto Carlos/Erasmo Carlos) – with Erasmo Carlos
Dori Caymmi: Inner World
(Music Taste 1001; 2009) 45:20 min.
01. Your Smile (Dori Caymmi/Ina Wolf) – with Scott Mayo & Bill Cantos
02. Spring (Dori Caymmi/Tracy Mann)
03. Obsession (Dori Caymmi/Gilson Peranzzetta/Tracy Mann) – with Scott Mayo & Bill Cantos
04. Dança do Tucano (Dori Caymmi/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro)
05. Colors of Joy (Dori Caymmi/Gilson Peranzzetta) – with Scott Mayo & Bill Cantos
06. Chutando Lata (Dori Caymmi/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro) – with Edu Lobo
07. Quebra-Mar (Dori Caymmi/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro) – with Renato Braz
08. Flauta, Sanfona e Viola (Dori Caymmi/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro)
09. É o Amor Outra Vez (Dori Caymmi/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro)
10. Someone (Dori Caymmi/Tracy Mann)
11. Fora de Hora (Dori Caymmi/Chico Buarque)
12. Rio Amazonas (Dori Caymmi/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro)
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17:02
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Na Cabeça and other treats on KPFA-FM
Last night, Eddy Pay and I presented the first North American audition of Marcos Sacramento’s new CD, Na Cabeça, plus nine other diverse albums, in a two-hour program on KPFA 94.1 FM.
The program is archived until Tuesday, 30 June 2009. Listen here.
The tracks we played are listed below. Click the CD covers to visit the artists’ websites.
Marcos Sacramento: Na Cabeça
Na Cabeça (Luiz Flavio Alcofra/Marcos Sacramento)
Pavio (Luiz Flavio Alcofra/Sergio Natureza)
Calúnia (Luiz Flavio Alcofra)
Terno Carioca: Terno Carioca Interpreta Claudionor Cruz
Caprichos do Destino (Claudionor Cruz/Pedro Caetano)
Chico Flores (Claudionor Cruz/Pedro Caetano) — Zélia Duncan
Potiguar (Claudionor Cruz/José de Freitas)
Dia do Preto Velho (Claudionor Cruz)
Cuidado Naná (Claudionor Cruz)
Marcos Sacramento: Na Cabeça
Prisionero del Mar (Luiz Arcaraz/Don Marcotte/E. Cortazar/Portuguese: Galvez Morales)
Um Samba (Carlos Fuchs/Marcos Sacramento)
Minha Palhoça (J. Cascata)
Dia Santo Também (Paulo Padilha)
Canto de Quero Mais (Zé Paulo Becker/Moyséis Marques)
A Rosa (Chico Buarque)
Rogério Caetano: Rogério Caetano
Intuitiva (Rogério Caetano)
Pelé (Rogério Caetano)
Brasíl Mestiço (Rogério Caetano)
Meu Mundo (Rogério Caetano)
Felipe Radicetti: Sagrado Profano
Canto de Roda da Pedra do Sal (Felipe Radicetti) — Felipe Radicetti
Dom Pixote (Felipe Radicetti/Marcelo Biar) — Clarisse Grova
Cadafalso (Felipe Radicetti/Cristina Saraiva) — Chico Adnet & Felipe Radicetti
Michiel Buursen: Dualogy—Michiel Buursen Plays Jobim
Gabriela (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 7:27
Jam da Silva: Dia Santo
Agô (Jam da Silva)
Celso Adolfo: Estrada Real de Villa Rica
Caminho Velho (Juarez Moreira/Celso Adolfo)
Serrano (Celso Adolfo)
Carlos Careqa: Tudo Que Respira Quer Comer
28 [Vinte e Oito] (Carlos Careqa) — Carlos Careqa & Mônica Salmaso
Vacamor (Carlos Careqa/Adriano Sátiro) — Zé Rodrix
Vocal Brasileirão: Invisível Cordão—Brasileirão Canta Chico & Edu
Biscate (Chico Buarque)
Orquestra à Base de Sopro: Mestre Waltel
Anjos e Vampiros (Waltel Branco)
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13:09
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
“Stars of Brazil” at Healdsburg Jazz Festival
This year’s Healdsburg Jazz Festival is going all out on the Brazilian front.
On Sunday afternoon, 31 May 2009, three top acts will appear on the green at Healdsburg Recreation Park in the same program—a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim:
- Guitarist Toninho Horta, accompanied by Airto Moreira (percussion), Santi Debriano (bass), and Billy Hart (drums).
- Trio da Paz, consisting of Romero Lubambo (guitar), Nilson Matta (bass), and Duduka da Fonseca (drums).
- Vocalist Leny Andrade, with the Stephanie Ozer Ensemble featuring Stephanie Ozer (piano), Mary Fettig (flute/saxes), Scott Thompson (bass), and Celso Alberti (drums).
The pronunciation-challenged Chuy Varela will MC. Luckily, there’s no one on the program by the name of João, but be prepared for a mention of Milton “Nacimiento” in connection with Toninho.
Doors open at noon.
Tickets: general $25; students & seniors (65+) $15
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11:41
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Bellinati at Stanford Jazz
Tickets are now on sale for the Stanford Jazz Workshop concert of guitar maestro Paulo Bellinati with special guests Carlos Oliveira (7-string guitar) and Harvey Wainapel (reeds).
The concert will take place on Friday, 17 July 2009, 8 pm, at the Campbell Recital Hall on the Stanford campus.
At 7 pm in the same venue, Harvey Wainapel will speak about the History & Development of Brazilian Choro. Admission to this lecture is free with a concert ticket.
Tickets: $28 general; $14 students.
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17:07
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tonight at 8 on KPFA 94.1 FM
Marcos Sacramento & Luiz Flavio Alcofra at Sala Cecília Meireles
Tonight, from 8 to 10 pm, Eddy Pay and I will present a live, unreleased recording of singer Marcos Sacramento and guitarist Luiz Flavio Alcofra in their concert Valserestas Brasileiras, which was performed on 11 April 2008 at Sala Cecília Meireles in Rio de Janeiro.
The repertoire consists of valsas and serestas (hence the title), most of which were originally recorded by Orlando Silva in the late 1930s and early ’40s. Along with Sacramento’s interpretations, we’ll play historic recordings of the same songs by Orlando Silva and Aracy de Almeida.
People outside northern California can listen online. The show will be archived online for the next two weeks.
Marcos Sacramento & Luiz Flavio Alcofra: Valserestas Brasileiras
01. A Última Estrofe (Cândido das Neves)
02. Horas Iguais (José Maria Abreu/Francisco Matoso)
03. Rosa (Pixinguinha)
04. Po Ti (Leonel Azevedo/Sá Roris)
05. Mentirosa (Custódio Mesquita/Mário Lago)
06. Por Causa Dessa Cabocla (Ary Barroso/Luiz Peixoto)
07. Sertaneja (René Bittencourt)
08. Página de Dor (Pixinguinha/Cândido das Neves)
09. Súplica (Otávio Gabus Mendes/José Marcílio/Déo)
10. Último Desejo (Noel Rosa)
11. Número Um (Benedito Lacerda/Mário Lago)
12. Lábios Que Beijei (J. Cascata/Leonel Azevedo)
13. Deusa do Cassino (Newton Teixeira/Torres Homem)
14. Quero Dizer-te Adeus (Ary Barroso)
15. Caprichos do Destino (Pedro Caetano/Claudionor Cruz)
Sacramentos (Luiz Flavio Alcofra)
We’ll conclude the program with tracks from Paulo Bellinati’s latest release, A Felicidade (GSP).
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14:24
Monday, March 23, 2009
Jobim, from Holland with love
Michiel Buursen and friends surprise and delight in Dualogy.
Michiel Buursen
Michiel Buursen is a formally trained Dutch jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. “Insansatez,” which he first heard at the age of 12 on Tom Jobim’s The Composer of “Desafinado” Plays, was his gateway to to Brazilian music. Later he graduated to Ivan Lin’s “Começar de Novo” and Baden Powell’s “Berimbau.”
“About ten years ago, a friend intoduced me to Leny Andrade and Cesar Camargo Mariano and a live radio broadcast of a concert in the Netherlands of Leila Pinheiro with Leandro Braga on the piano, and from that moment on I was hooked on that music,” says Buursen. “All my favorite music—Classical, jazz, African and Brasilian nordestino—comes together in the Brazilian way of making music.”
Buursen visited Rio for the first time in 2003 and has been returning ever since. Now he’s released a CD dedicated to Jobim, and it’s refreshing to find that his disc is far removed from the run-of-the-mill albums flooding the market during Bossa Nova’s semi-centennial year.
Dualogy puts the spotlight on lyricism and melodiousness rather than on slavish rhythm, signaling a mature attitude toward the material that Jobim would have approved. Piano solos open and close the album, serving as the bookends to eight duo tracks, each featuring a different guest musician (hence the Dualogy of the title).
The homage begins, appropriately enough, with the tune that awakened Buursen’s interest. In his hands, “Insansatez” is a ruminative piano solo treated as a platform for improvisation. Then soprano saxophonist Thijs van Otterloo joins Buursen in “Gabriela,” playing the bounciness of samba against the piano’s meditativeness.
In the first of two vocal tracks, singer/flutist Inke Krudde interprets “Por Causa de Você” in Portuguese. Gentle and honestly expressed, Inke’s singing interweaves itself with Buursen’s piano rather than being merely accompanied by it.
“Falando de Amor” is a beautiful, low-key dialog with Erik Robaard on fretless bass. It is followed by an extended spare journey along “Estrada do Sol,” in which Buursen is joined by drummer Wim Kegel.
In one of the album’s highlights and the longest of its tracks—the gorgeous “Caminhos Cruzados”—Remmert Tromp’s alto saxophone and Buursen’s piano proceed leisurely, at times playing in unison, at others in counterpoint, all the while building momentum and volume from a hesitant beginning to a forceful conclusion.
Jasper Somsen’s sonorous contrabass carries the melody in “Luiza,” while the piano provides the harmony before taking off on an independent flight, ending with the melody part. Katelijne van Otterloo sings the English lyrics of “Dindi” in a small, intimate voice. I’ve never been a fan of “Dindi,” but the interaction between singer and pianist is attractive.
The penultimate track, an interesting pairing of “Chora Coração” and “Piano na Mangueira,” with percussion by George Pelupessy , traverses the emotional and rhythmic range, beginning in a quiet morning and climbing to a batucada peak before descending to the sotto-voce finale that suggests the dawn after a wild night. From here it’s a natural transition to the closing track, a free-form treatment for “Tema para Ana.”
There’s a lot to like in Dualogy, none of it obvious or pat. Listen to excerpts.
Michiel Buursen: Dualogy
(Independent; 2008) 66 min.
01. Insensatez (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius de Moraes)
02. Gabriela (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
03. Por Causa de Você (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Dolores Duran)
04. Falando de Amor (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
05. Estrada do Sol (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Dolores Duran)
06. Caminhos Cruzados (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Newton Mendonça)
07. Luiza (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
08. Dindi (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Aloyisio de Oliveira/Ray Gilbert)
09. Chora Coração (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius de Moraes;
Piano na Mangueira (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Chico Buarque)
10. Tema para Ana (Antonio Carlos Jobim)
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16:53
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