True Love
The title From Brazil… With Love seems to be well chosen for this album. It recalls the image of a postcard that shows Brazilian landmarks, personified by the songs on this CD. However, Hans Limburg’s approach to the music could also have been leading to the title To Brazil
With Love! The Brazilian heart of the composer, singer and guitarist Hans Limburg is omnipresent on the album.
Berlin (Germany) based Hans Limburg came in contact with Brazilian music while studying classical guitar. The music of Heitor Villa-Lobos awakened the musical direction Hans Limburg apparently was destined to follow. He participated in various groups and projects that involved samba and bossa nova, along with classics from the MPB repertoire. It earned him several musical prizes and a justified reputation as performer of Brazilian music.
In 2008 Hans decided to spend half a year in Brazil. It was in Recife where he recorded the music for this album, along with some of the finest local musicians. Accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, Hans Limburg opens the CD with a wonderful rendition of “Balansamba.” It’s immediately made clear that Hans means serious business! The track easily flows over in a very jazzy “Coisa Feita” from João Bosco. The faultless performance is dominated by the playful bass lines of São Paulo born but Recife based Bráulio Araújo. 
Together with drummer Ricardo Fraga from Olinda, Pernambuco, they’re responsible for a very steady and supportive rhythm section on this CD. The oboe by Nigel Shore during the opening of “Estrada do Sol” recalls echoes of Villa-Lobos. It switches pleasantly into the actual performance of the legendary song, one of the very few compositions by Jobim and Dolores Duran. It’s one of the CD’s highlights. The world renowned classical oboist is one of the most remarkable guests on the album. German flutist Günther Johannes Schmitz, well known in Germany’s jazz scene, is another featured instrumentalist. On “Embarcação,” made immortal by Simone, he delivers one of his beautiful solo’s. The album is loaded with nostalgic moments from the MPB repertoire. It’s always a risk to record such strong compositions that seem to belong to one certain performer such as “Meu Bem-Querer,” which always echoes the voice of Djavan. But Hans Limburg manages to give those songs a personal touch, dominant enough to satisfy the biased ears of the critical listener. His perfect Portuguese vocals and unmistakable Brazilian style on the acoustic guitar certainly help with this. The surprising “A Linda Melodía do Amor” is a composition by Hans Limburg and Nigel Shore that fits amazingly well between all the MPB classics. It features lovely soprano sax by Liudinho Souza. “Tô Voltando,” which also cherishes a well known rendition by Simone, gets a special touch by the cavaquinho and mandolin of Maurício Cezar.
It might be clear that this is a highly enjoyable album by an artist who devoted his musical talent with love to the music culture of Brazil.
You can visit Hans and hear some of the music on his page on MySpace.
ALBUM INFORMATION
Hans Limburg
From Brazil… With Love
House Master Records 4020796426491 (2009)
Time: 49’19”
Tracks:
- Balansamba (Roberto Menescal – Ronaldo Bôscoli)
- Coisa Feita (João Bosco – Aldir Blanc – Paulo Emílio)
- Estrada do Sol (AC Jobim – Dolores Duran)
- Mocinho Bonito (Billy Blanco)
- Embarcação (Francis Hime – Chico Buarque)
- Meu Bem-Querer (Djavan)
- Dindi (AC Jobim – Aloysio de Oliveira – Ray Gilbert)
- A Linda Melodia do Amor (Nigel Shore – Hans Limburg)
- Tô Voltando (Maurício Tapajós – Paulo César Pinheiro)
- Arrastão (Edu Lobo – Vinícius de Moraes)
- A Flor e o Espinho (Nelson Cavaquinho – Guilherme Brito – Alcides Caminha)
- O Pato (Jaime Silva – Neusa Teixeira)
- Setembro (Amada) (Ivan Lins – Gilson Peranzzetta – Vitor Martins)
