Week of April 9, 2020

— A new week in these strange quiet times is about to start. What better way to spend the time you have at home and enjoy these two releases featured for the week of April 9, 2020. The first is a solo guitar album by André Siqueira. We first introduced him to MB readers via his 2016 release Catamarã. The second feature is the strong debut album by Daniela Soledade.

Playing the acoustic and baritone guitars, André Siqueira made the decision to embark on this successful solo release and presented us Solo in the latter part of 2019. In his original arrangements, the fifteen-track CD (about an hour’s worth of excellent performances) has some of the best arrangements for music by Pixinguinha, João Pernambuco, and Jacob do Bandolim along more contemporary names, including Edu Lobo, Djavan, Guinga, and Tom Jobim. In addition to all of those, add some of his original compositions and even Bach! Some of the best moments you will play over and over are “Corrupião” (by Edu Lobo and Paulo César Pinheiro), “Sons de Carrilhões” (by João Pernambuco), and “Senhorinha” (by Guinga and Paulo César Pinheiro). Siqueira is capable of handling well-known music, such as Jobim’s “O Morro Não Tem Vez” and make you think it is the first time you hear that classic. His own “Suíte Estrela Guia” is a beautiful lullaby with four original pieces with such incomparable tenderness and soul. Solo is an intimate and warm album to be appreciated like fine wine and shared with those you love.

The second feature for the coming week is from the newcomer Daniela Soledade. The name is new, of course, but her musical heritage goes back to her grandfather, Paulo Soledade and her father Paulinho Soledade. Her grandfather was a contemporary of Brazilian giants Tom Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes, Baden Powell, and others, and in fact he co-wrote “Sonho Desfeito” with Jobim and Armando Cavalcanti, which is performed in this album, A Moment of You. As for her father, Paulinho Soledade, he has worked with Ivan Lins and Gilberto Gil, among others, and is also featured on a solo guitar on his composition “Song for Baden” in this album. A Moment of You is classic Bossa Nova without falling in the traps of overplayed Bossa Nova songs. There are a few stellar contributions adding to the whole Bossa flavor. Duduka da Fonseca brings his drums and percussion to four of the ten tracks in the album; Maucha Adnet also adds some percussion; and Yves Dharamraj serenades us on cello in one track. However, it is undeniably Soledade’s voice and her sterling guitarist Nate Najar and haunting sax player Jeff Rupert who will bring back to front and center another classic Bossa Nova album. I’m referring to the historic Getz-Gilberto The Best of Two Worlds. From the opening track, “Eu Sambo Mesmo,” you can clearly feel how natural Daniela Soledade is in this genre. Her phrasing and vocals are tender and outstanding. She sings both in Portuguese and English and shows great command of this fine repertoire. Her performance of Rosa Passos and Fernando de Oliveira’s “Dunas” is outstanding. I was apprehensive how she would handle that song, but she nailed it beautifully! The closing “I Wish You Love” (by Charles Trenet and Albert Askew Beach) is the golden seal for this superlative debut album.

Both of these albums are available in stores and streaming outlets.