Letra & Música - Ary Barroso is the third release from Lumiar Discos entirely dedicated to one composer. Previous albums covered the works of Antônio Carlos Jobim (with Leny Andrade & Cristovão Bastos) and Chico Buarque (with João Nogueira & Marinho Boffa). The idea behind the series is very simple: focus on one composer's music and lyrics only, no collaborations. Since Ary Barroso is better known for the gorgeous melodies he wrote, this album is even more special because here you also have a chance to enjoy Ary Barroso, the lyricist. What selections and performances we find in Letra & Música - Ary Barroso.

Ary Barroso is probably best known for his exultation sambas singing the beauties of Brazil. In that vein, we have the classics "No Tabuleiro da Baiana," "Rio de Janeiro (Isto É o Meu Brasil)," "Isto Aqui o Que É," "Na Baixa do Sapateiro" and the most famous of all, "Aquarela do Brasil." In addition to that, Ary Barroso was also a fantastic songwriter when he wrote about people and emotions. When he sang about women, you could truly feel the weight in his words. In "Morena Boca de Ouro," for example, you can experience the fire that woman brings when she dances and passes by. Rosa Passos' voice adds a certain vitality to the lyrics with her soft tone and enunciation. It is all very sensual. Another nice moment in this release is the smooth duet of Rosa Passos and Emílio Santiago. Their voices do match very well and make the exchange in "No Tabuleiro da Baiana" more effective than other artists' attempts. A difficult thing in any production that covers such a well known composer is the choice of the repertoire. In the case of Ary Barroso, his works are so widely known in Brazil that sometimes consumers end up getting the same song selection from album to album. It is probably because it is safe to record what the people know well. I am glad that Rosa Passos stretched those boundaries and gave us a gem such as "Ocultei." Not only are the lyrics beautiful, but the arrangement is superior. Stamato's piano solo is gorgeous. Another memorable piano solo is in the classic "Pra Machucar Meu Coração," except that in this track Brito is responsible for the beauty in the piano accompaniment. Even though Lula Galvão is prominently featured in all tracks, it is nice to see that other musicians get their share of the glory in this album. Take, for example, Carlos Malta's flute pirouettes in "Faceira." Very nice indeed.

ALBUM PERSONNEL Producer: Almir Chediak Armando Marçal: percussion Carlos Malta: flutes Erivelton Silva: drums Hamleto Stamato: piano Idriss Boudrioua: alto sax Jorge Helder: bass Lula Galvão: acoustic guitar, arrangements Marco Brito: piano Rosa Passos: acoustic guitar, arrangements Sérgio Galvão: soprano sax Zé Nogueira: soprano sax

+ Rosa Passos

E.L.