Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti, Charlie Haden -][- Magico: Carta De Amor – [ECM Records, 2012] –

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American, Bassist, Brazilian, Charlie Haden, ECM Records, Egberto Gismonti, Jan Garbarek, Norwegian, Pianist, Saxophonist

Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti, Charlie Haden, Magico Carta de Amore

Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti, Charlie Haden -][- Magico: Carta De Amor – [ECM Records, 2012] –

A fascinating set from three strong and contrasting musical personalities: Norwegian saxophonist, Brazilian guitarist-pianist, and US bassist making purposeful and creative music together on this previously unreleased live recording. Carta de Amor documents music captured at Munichs Amerika Haus in April, 1981. Two years on from the much-loved albums Magico and Folk Songs, the trios improvisational empathy and sensibilities were further honed by experiences as a touring group.

Grammy/Latin Grammy-nominated Céu to tour U.S. this Spring

Tags

Brazilian, Céu, Female Vocalist

Céu

Brazilian phenomenon Céu is returning this Spring to the U.S. for a run of dates in Las Cruces, Miami, New York City, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Céu is truly radiant on stage and her live performances showcase a beautiful blend of Samba, Reggae, Electronica, Afrobeat and Jazz. She captivates her audiences with a laid-back yet mesmerizing disposition, not unlike the wonderfully light nature of her recordings reflected in the title of her album Vagarosa, which translates to “slow, easygoing, and leisurely.”

Watch Ceu’s new video for “Cangote” from Vagarosa | view here

Vagarosa won Céu widespread critical acclaim, from Brazil to the States to the UK (deemed “the finest Brazilian album of the year” by The Guardian in 2009). The Grammy/Latin Grammy-nominated singer first captivated music fans across the globe with her self-titled debut album in 2007, for which Céu came to be the first international artist featured in Starbucks’ Hear Music™ Debut series. Céu was also handpicked for the Starbucks’ Sweetheart 2010 compilation, which features her recording of Tim Maia’s “Eu Amo Você,” alongside artists including Jose Gonzalez, Spoon and The Avett Brothers.

Chiara Civello | The Space Between

Tags

Biography, Brazilian, Female Vocalist, Latin Music

Chiara Civello | The Space Between – [Emarcy, 2007]

Chiara Civello, The Space Between

Originally from Rome but now based in New York City, Italian singer/songwriter Chiara Civello is an eclectic, far-reaching artist who brings a variety of pop, jazz, cabaret and Latin influences to the table. Although Civello has performed straight-ahead jazz in the past, she is not a full-time jazz singer or a bebop purist by any means; stylistically, much of the material she has recorded for Verve is closer to Sade, Basia, Norah Jones, Nellie McKay (minus the eccentricity and sharp-tongued humor) or Rickie Lee Jones than it is to hardcore jazz vocalists like Abbey Lincoln, Sheila Jordan and Kitty Margolis.

But the jazz influence is almost always present in Civello’s pop recordings — and since her arrival in the United States, she has crossed paths with major jazz musicians like alto saxophonist Phil Woods and guitarist Mike Stern. Listing all of Civello’s influences could be time-consuming; Civello gives the impression that along the way, she has listened to everyone from Joni Mitchell, Sade and Sting to Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London and Billie Holiday.

Pat Metheny Group | Still Life (Talking)

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Brazilian, Guitar, Pat Metheny

Still Life Talking is probably my favorite album by the Pat Metheny Group! Until this day, Still Life flows evenly with its ongoing textural nuances and complexities from beginning to the end. ~ The Urban Flux

Pat Metheny Group | Still Life (Talking) – [Geffen Records | Nonesuch, 1987]

This is one of Pat Metheny’s best. I have the original CD release and have used it as a reference when auditioning audio equipment. The original recording really is great. So what could the studio possibly do to improve it when remastering?

Apparently the studio thought that it was important that this recording sound good when listening to it in the car, because they boosted the average sound level by compressing the loud parts. Sure, when comparing the two versions with the volume knob at the same setting, the quiet parts of the remastered version sound clearer and more distinct. But that’s because the quiet parts are louder. Unfortunately for the remastering engineer it’s not possible to make the louder parts louder, too. The result is the loss of dynamic range, and occasional clipping. 5 of the 7 tracks hit the maximum level on the remastered CD. Only 1 does on the original.

So what about those quiet parts where the remastered version seems to sound clearer? When the volume level is compensated for the difference in average levels, the original sounds almost identical to the remastered version in those quiet parts. Too bad — the original is just as clear as the remastered version and has greater dynamics. If you want compression, a lot of consumer playback equipment has a compression circuit, often called “loudness”. That will make the quiet parts louder so just about everything is the same volume, which should be great for listening in your car. —J. Stimson

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..

ObliqSound Artists On Tour Now!

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African, Bassist, Brazilian, Culture, Female Vocalist, International, Jazz, Keyboards, Male Vocalist

ObliqSound is pleased to announce a full fall tour schedule and lots of chances for you to enjoy some fantastic music live and in person, including Gretchen Parlato, Ablaye Cissoko & Volker Goetze on their first USA tour, Ayelet Rose Gottlieb, Somi, and many more! We hope you’ll join us for an opportunity to enjoy these exceptional artists at one or more of their shows. More details and dates are below.

Listen to streaming tracks from these new releases in the ObliqSound music player, and if you like what you hear, use coupon code FALLTOUR in your shopping cart to save 20% off anything on our site, including pre-orders.

Gretchen Parlato

Gretchen Parlato’s voice is a thing of wonder. Striking the ideal balance between precision and flexibility, she is never predictable, blurring the lines between singer and instrumentalist as she takes a lyric–and at other times improvised flights of wordless fancy–to places it’s never before been. On In a Dream, her debut album for ObliqSound, Parlato and her intuitive support team reinvent constantly, Parlato impeccably articulating in a voice so ethereal that the listener might very well feel that he or she is “in a dream.”

“The most alluring jazz vocal album of 2009.” – Billboard Magazine

Jose Roberto Bertrami | Aventura

Tags

Brazilian, Fender Rhodes Piano, Jazz, Keyboards

Jose Roberto Bertrami the phenomenal Fender Rhodes piano player from my favorite Brazilian Jazz group Azymuth returns with another stellar collection of jazzy, funky and soulful grooves as the featured soloist on his latest project “Aventura,” now available on Far Out Records which is based in the UK. ~ The Urban Flux

Jose R. Bertrami

Jose Roberto Bertrami | Aventura [Far Out (UK), 2009]

A different groove than usual for Jose Roberto Bertrami — and a record that definitely lives up to the promise of its title! Bertrami’s really broken free from the regular Azymuth groove on this set — much more so than on some of his recent solo albums — playing here with a vibe that’s very jazzy at times, with a range of different modes — mod one minute, funky the next, and sweetly straight at other points! Jose Roberto handles his familiar Fender Rhodes on most tracks — but also plays a bit of organ and acoustic piano as well — and other instrumentation includes guitar, bass, and drums — plus added horns on some of the fuller, funkier tracks. A few tunes feature some great wordless vocals from Bertrami — scatting along with his keyboards in a warm and breezy way — and production on the set is great.

**Originally released in April, 2009 …**

Source: DustyGroove.com

Gretchen Parlato | In A Dream

Tags

Brazilian, Female Jazz vocalist, Jazz

If you dig vibrant, jazzy, and sensuous vocals with depth that yields only to her sensitivity, then do yourself a favor and checkout the talented Gretchen Parlato …

Gretchen Parlato

Gretchen Parlato | In A Dream [Obliqsound, 2009]

“‘In a Dream’ belongs in the 4-5 Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album…”

“There’s an enigmatic quality to Gretchen Parlato’s singing, a mysterious brew of sound and breath, of simmering inner rhythms and phrasing that curls seductively around the words. The first track, Stevie Wonder’s “I Can’t Help It,” immediately announces that the album is going be an extraordinary musical experience.

Parlato has been blessed with extraordinary talents — an unerring sense of pitch, utterly relaxed rhythmic clarity, an open ear for harmony. Other singers have similar abilities. But what makes Parlato so unique is the imaginative way in which she uses those skills to rove deeply within the instrumental sounds, while still retaining her presence as the vocal center of the music.”

Source: gretchenparlato.com

Also, please visit “Checkout Studio Session: Gretchen Parlato” interview as she performs three live cuts in WBGO Studios. ~ “Checkout Studio Session“

Andrei Matorin -|- Opus

Tags

Brazilian, Contemporary Jazz, Jazz, Violin

Andrei Matorin - Opus

Andrei Matorin -|- Opus [Armored Records, 2009]

Opus, the debut album by emerging jazz violinist and composer Andrei Matorin, seamlessly blends the harmonic and rhythmic intensity of modern jazz with the emotion and sensitivity of classical music while alluding to soaring melodies of his native Brazil.

he Boston Globe calls Brazilian-born Andrei Matorin an “emerging jazz violinist” and featured him in their Critic’s Picks column three times since 2008 next to the likes of jazz greats such as Bill Charlap, Jim Hobbs, and John Patitucci. As a composer, Andrei’s music seamlessly blends the harmonic and rhythmic intensity of jazz with the emotion and sensitivity of classical music while alluding to the soaring melodies of his native Brazil. As a student at Berklee College of Music, he was honored with Berklee’s Achievement Award on two separate occasions.

..:: Source: CDBaby.com ::..

Helio Alves | It’s Clear

Tags

Brazilian, Jazz

Helio Alves | It’s Clear ..

Helio Alves

For his third recording on the Reservoir Music label, “It’s Clear” establishes Helio Alves as one of most dynamic pianists on the current jazz scene. In the company of the brilliant guitarist Romero Lubambo, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Ernesto Simpson, Alves has created an enduring work of art. He and his accompanists explore the richness and complexities of the Brazilian song book as well as his own compositions.

Alves’ prodigious career has included touring with Joe Henderson for more than two years, performing on Yo -Yo Ma’s CD of Brazilian music, “Obrigado Brazil,” and playing regularly in groups ranging from Airto and Flora Purim to Louis Hayes.

The studio recording of Jim Anderson and mastering of Allan Tucker capture the intricate interplay of Colley and Simpson, the warmth and clarity of Lubambo’s guitar, and the excitement and nuances of Alves’ piano excursions.

Source/Reservoir Music

Rosalia De Souza | D’Improvviso

Tags

Brazilian, Culture, Female Vocalist, Jazz

Rosalia De Souza

Rosalia De Souza | D’Improvviso [Brazilian/Schema (Italy)/2009]

Beautiful bossa from Rosalia De Souza — and a set that’s got a sweet little difference from some of her earlier Schema albums! This time around, the sound is warmly acoustic throughout — very jazz-based, and wrapped around Rosalia’s vocals wonderfully — sometimes with a groove that’s right in club jazz territory, other times with a mellower vibe that really fits the bossa spirit of the material! De Souza’s vocals somehow sound even more beautiful in this setting — with soulful jazz inflections, and a maturity we might not have heard before — and the great trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso adds his talents to the core group for the session, working alongside tenor, trombone, piano, and lots of live percussion. Toco duets with Rosalia on a few tracks, and titles include “Banzo”, “Candomble”, “D’Improvviso”, “Carolina Carol Bela”, “Sambinha”, “5 Dias De Carnaval”, “Luiza Manequim”, “Amanha”, “Bossa 50”, and “Samba Longe.” ~ Source: DustyGroove.com