:: Reviewing Brazilian Music We Like Since September 7, 2002 ::
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The Seduction of Piano and Voice. I have seen and heard several releases of piano and voice through the years. The minimalist approach is always very seductive, especially when one artist seems to be an extension of the other. … Continued
— Nothing can be more rewarding than having two time-honored Brazilian artists releasing brand new recordings of original material. With the world — and Brazil — still troubled with the pandemic that does not seem to end, listeners worldwide are … Continued
Shining Stars The wait is over, finally. When the Brazilian Trio released its debut Grammy-nominated album, Forests, I was very impressed by such an impassioned release. Knowing how busy each artist is — Helio Alves, Nilson Matta and … Continued
Comprised of Helio Alves (piano), Duduka da Fonseca (drums, percussion) and Nilson Matta (bass), the Brazilian Trio is carrying on the tradition of the piano-bass-drum trios with impeccable productions. This group’s discography is available in Spotify. You can subscribe to … Continued
The Sum of Its Parts With years of experience in the New York City Brazilian jazz scene and having played with a who’s-who list of Brazilian artists, three very talented musicians got together to release Forests, a heavy Brazilian … Continued
The Force of Samba Close to his 2007 release, New York Samba Jazz Quintet, Hendrik Meurkens wasted no time with this energetic follow-up, his 17th solo album. As the CD name implies, you can be sure you will find here … Continued
Classy Jazz Samba German-born Hendrik Meurkens has had an on-going relationship with Brazilian music for a long time. Though based in New York, Meurkens has also lived in Brazil in the early 1980’s. In his very first album, Samba Importado … Continued
A Warm Embrace Brazilian music appears in unexpected places and seems to influence a wide array of musicians. Take, for example, talented saxophonist Dave Pietro (Selmer soprano, alto and C-melody saxophones). A native of Massachusetts and educated in Texas … Continued
Two Masters Another beautiful concept, Para Gershwin e Jobim unites two great modern composers in a fine album. Produced, arranged and directed by Mario Adnet, the album is a true gem of musicianship and performance. Some of Adnet’s usual collaborators … Continued
To João, With Love An unabashed tribute to her idol João Gilberto, Amorosa is Rosa Passos’s latest work. Still hot on the trails of her successfully acclaimed 2003 collaboration with Ron Carter (Entre Amigos), Passos selected gems from the João … Continued
Another year has ended. With the world still dealing with what seems to be an unending pandemic, Brazilian music is no exception to having suffered because of COVID. Based on the music I have acquired and listened to in 2021 … Continued
One of This Year’s Best! Leonel Laterza (Uberaba, Minas Gerais) is one of several artists in the thriving Brasília music scene. With his debut album, Esmeraldas, Leonel marks a strong presence in the Brazilian popular music. Leonel began his … Continued
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