By Dave Hughes

Brasilian music and American jazz have enjoyed a comfortable compatibility and mutually-influential relationship for over forty years. The classic Stan Getz-Joao Gilberto recording on Verve, and the subsequent Carnegie Hall concert recording, served to introduce America to the compositions of Antonio Carlos Jobim and the vocals of Astrud Gilberto, and usher in the samba craze. The compositions of Jobim and Luis Bonfa (especially "Manha de Carnaval" from Black Orpheus) and others soon became part of the jazz songbook. Starting in the 70s, a new wave of Brasilian composers/performers produced music which became part of the jazz landscape, including Milton Nascimento, Djavan, Ivan Lins, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso. This is, admittedly, a very brief and simplified history of Brasilian music in America; I've omitted many important names and influences.

The list of Americans who have been strongly influenced by Brasilian music and have released strong albums demonstrating this influence include (in no particular order) Wayne Shorter, Lee Ritenour, Pat Metheny, Manhattan Transfer, Herbie Mann, Michael Franks, Joe Henderson, and Yutaka.

The last time we had a major wave of Brasilian music into the contemporary jazz scene was the mid-80s, but this new batch of strong releases might direct some renewed attention to this genre and win some new devotees. Let's start with the latest releases from some of the afforementioned masters.

Gilberto Gil, one of Brasil's greatest superstars, puts on one heck of a concert. It's not often that the excitement of being at a live performance translates so well to a home listening experience. His new CD, Quanta Live, was recorded during the eight month tour of South America, Europe, and a few dates in the U.S. supporting last year's gem, Quanta. Actually, only six tunes on this program came from that disc, but that's okay; I prefer a wider program for a live performance than simply a live rendering of a studio album.

The opening medley, "Introducao/Palco," is an energetic romp that affords several band members solo space, and pulls the audience right into the palm of Gil's hand for the duration. Following that are two effective Bob Marley covers, sung in competent English. Gil and band navigate all the stylistically varied terrain with consistent aplomb. The softer tunes from the Quanta CD, "Quanta" and "Estrela," provide a nice counterpoint to the rest of the up-tempo, spirited tunes. "Pela Internet" is a clever tune about surfing the internet and electronic communications in general, concluding with the chorus from the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction," with the words, "I can't get no ... connection." Gil also borrows the well-known riff from "Sir Duke" for his "Cerebro Eletronico."

Most artists release a live recording only occasionally during their career. But Gilberto is one of those rare artists that seems best served by the live format. (Atlantic/Mesa 92807)

Djavan, another of Brasil's most prolific and reliable composers and singers, upholds his reputation for quality on his latest batch of gems, Bicho Solto XIII. Besides his instantly recognizable voice, his signature song stylings will sound familiar to his previous recordings to those familiar with them, but there's enough new growth to keep Djavan out of the rut. A couple tunes on this CD have a more urban flair (such as the slapping drum backbeats and rap section on "A Carte"), but often Djavan dives deeper into the jazz vein than he has gone in the past, such as the swinging horns on "Atitude." And Djavan sure knows how to craft a catchy melody. On many tunes, his vocals snake all over the changes, expertly syncopating and splitting the beat in whatever way best serves the lyric. The lines for his three-piece horn section similarly add a lot of jazz-flavored musical interest to the proceedings.

If you're a newcomer to Brasilian music looking for a good place to start discovering this remarkable music, this (or almost any) Djavan release will serve nicely. For committed Brasil nuts and established Djavan fans, this CD will be a welcome addition to your collection. (Sony Discos 83006)

For four nights in September, 1997, Brasilian composer/singer/keyboardist/bandleader Ivan Lins gave performances at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in Pittsburgh, whose Jazz Education Program supports the education of today's inner city youth and focuses on improving the quality of our communities by offering every child the opportunity to succeed. The highlights of these magic evenings have been captured here for the rest of us to enjoy on Live at MCG.

The program opens with four Lins standards, including the English version of "Love Dance" (recorded by both George Benson and Diane Schuur). While I love these tunes, they've been recorded numerous times before, and I hoped for something new. Fortunately, the CD does not disappoint. The next tunes, "Feitio De Oracao" and "Quem Ri Melhor/Ondo Esta A Honestidade," are from his recent 3-CD tribute to Noel Rosa (not released in the U.S.), and the following tunes are likewise newer Lins compositions.

Lins has mellowed somewhat in recent years. Most of these tunes are softer and more sensitive than his more rock-oriented fare that made him popular in the 80s. They allow Lins to deliver more emotive, intimate vocals and show his cohesive band to good advantage. A particularly tender moment is the quietly beautiful "Noturna," in which Lins practically whispers the lyric, then injects "Someday My Prince Will Come" into the center section solo, followed by a vocorder-like synth solo. Lins offers a wordless vocal on "Henrysville," a tribute to Henry Mancini written shortly following his recent passing. The program concludes with an engaging 13-minute four-tune medley. (Heads Up HUCD 1005)

Eliane Elias has been mining the Brasil-America connection throughout the 90s, beginning, coincidentally, with Eliane Elias Plays Jobim in 1990. Her pianistic talents have never been in doubt, but on this release, Eliane Elias Sings Jobim, she concentrates more on vocals than ever before. Her primary strengths are still as a pianist and a remarkably creative and fresh-sounding improviser and interpreter. But here she proves herself to be sufficiently adept as a vocalist, albeit within a relatively narrow stylistic range. Her vocal stylings are sultry, almost introverted. So are most of the arrangements; they often rely on a minimalist, understated elegance rather than heavy use of percussion for rhythmic excitement. Many tunes are supported primarily by the acoustic guitar comping of Oscar Castro-Neves (long-time sideman and friend of Jobim), who displays an understandably thorough expertise both in his chord voicings and his rhythms. When Elias touches her keys, her interesting alternate voicings and rhythms add new interest to some of these old chestnuts that have been enjoyed many times before. Tenor sax giant Michael Brecker guests on three tunes, displaying a more sensitive, gentle side than we usually hear. The 16-tune program is a nice mix of the familiar and the more obscure Jobim, most clocking in at between 2:30 and 3:30, and all rather quiet and quintessentially tasteful. Sometimes you can make a point better by whispering than by shouting. (Blue Note 95050)

My first exposure to Badi Assad (pronounced "bah-JEE ah-SAHJ") was as the opening act to the Lee Ritenour-Dave Grusin-Eric Marienthal tour a couple years ago, promoting the A Twist of Jobim CD, as well as the recent releases by Grusin and Marienthal. For over a half hour, this amazing multi-tasking one woman band held the audience in the palm of her hand while she sang, played guitar and played percussion with her feet and voice. Her music was a boundary-free melange of original material that she totally immersed herself (and the audience) in.

On Chameleon, her debut for Lee Ritenour's i.e. Music label, she's joined by other instruments (usually just two or three at a time), but her individual virtuosity still takes center stage. The music is fresh, varied, engaging, and impossible to categorize throughout the disc. The opener, "Rhythms of the World," describes the entire program. It's an empassioned protest song, followed by the gentle "Butterfly," evocatively represented by Viviana Guzman's fluttering gold flute and Assad's acoustic guitar. Steven Kent's didgeradoo lends an eerie earthiness to "Naio Naio" and the closer, "Flowing ... into Formlessness."

Vocally, Assad bears much resemblance to Flora Purim, both in terms of her vocal timbre and her willingness to embellish her delivery freely with vocal percussion. On guitar, her influences are much harder to characterize; she "thinks outside the box" and exploits a wide range of the guitar's possibilities as an accompanying instrument. There's a whole lot of variety, beauty, and creativity to be enjoyed here. You can continue to discover this CD with each repeated listening. (i.e. Music 314 539 889)

Speaking of Flora Purim, I don't usually cover re-issues in this column, but finally, the fine folks at Fantasy have released my favorite Flora Purim recording, 500 Miles High at Montreux, from their vast vaults. I had hoped for maybe some additional previously unreleased tracks, but I'm happy to have this clean, digital recording to replace my well-worn record.

The program is nothing if not spirited and free-wheeling. Sometimes it's a little raw and rough around the edges, but this is characteristic of the go-for-broke exhuberance of a Flora-Airto performance. Plenty of yin-and-yang elements keep the program interesting and unique. The ensemble partners several Brasilians with a pair of Americans. David Amaro's driving, stinging electric guitar contrasts with Ron Carter's acoustic bass. The gentle "Uri (the Wind)" is immediately followed by the wild "Jive Talk," sparked by Airto's skillful berimbau solo and uninhibited vocal scat/percussion. The looseness of the bulk of the program is offset by the more finely-honed "Cravo e Canela (Cinnamon and Cloves)", featuring the vocal and acoustic guitar of a young Milton Nascimento on his own composition.

All in all, it's a joyful, exhuberant helping of classic Flora/Airto that's long been absent from circulation. (Original Jazz Classics OJCCD 1018)

The concept of jazz takes on cinematic fare has been done many times before, but fortunately Dori Caymmi's Cinema: A Romantic Vision avoids the well-trodden paths most of the time, and offers fresh, Brasil-influenced treatments of these familiar tunes. Much of the credit goes to Caymmi's skillful arrangements and to the choice of material; with a couple of exceptions, these tunes lend themselves particularly well to jazz/Brasilian treatments. Caymmi relies less on his vocal talents this time around, and offers more depth and breadth in his abilites as an acoustic guitarist and arranger than I've heard before. His intoxicating rhythms and alternate chord voicings shed an entirely different (and appealing light) on "Pink Panther," "Something's Coming," and "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head."

The supporting cast is wonderful. Of course, with thoroughly seasoned players like Abe Laboriel, Don Grusin, and Paulinho da Costa, it's hard to go wrong, but this session seemed to provide special motivation to these guys whose studio dates must number in the thousands. Billy Childs shines on piano on "My Favorite Things," Gary Meek's sax improvisations on "Something's Coming" fit the arrangement perfectly. At first, it seemed curious that Carmen Bradford, the bluesy vocalist and veteran of the posthumous Count Basie Orchestra, was selected for this date, but her Portuguese rendering of "Manha da Carnaval" proved quite enjoyable.

This CD is probably too mellow and laid-back for those who prefer their music more heavily laden with jazz or Brasilian or both. But there's a lot of beauty and musicality contained herein. It's appropriate that this program of jazz-infused cinematic fare is dedicated to the memory of Henry Mancini. (Zebra ZD 44017)

I find the title of Marcos Ariel's new CD, My Only Passion, to be a bit misleading. From the widely divergent styles represented on this CD, it's obvious that Brasilian keyboardist and composer Marcos Ariel has many passions. While artistic versatility and a varied program are both qualities I admire, this CD may be just a tad too scattered. Several tunes, particularly those featuring guitarist Ricardo Silveira and bassist Keith Jones, are from that familiar and pleasant Brasil-meets-L.A. mold; in fact, this CD was recorded and mixed in both of these cities. Three solo acoustic piano pieces display Ariel's classical influences. "Sacred Passage," as its title suggests, is more austere and reverent, shaded with monk-like vocal backgrounds. Vocalist Bill Cantos, who has participated in numerous other Brasil/L.A. projects, offers a guest vocal on "Just for You." Brasilian percussion (especially the always-interesting berimbau and cuica) enlivens many of the disc's more successful cuts, such as "Green Eyes," "My Only Passion," "Rio Walk," "Millennium," and "Bahia Suite." The most unique and colorful piece on the program is "Floresta," which evokes Amazon jungle imagery with only flutes and percussion (Ariel plays flute here).

The only questionable cut, to my ears, is the opener - which also happens to be the only non-original song in the set. Jobim's most identifiable tune, "Girl From Ipanema" is given sort of a light hip-hop treatment, with drum loops and a rappish female vocal. It was 1:10 into the tune before I recognized what it was. I'm not a purist, but this one just didn't do much for me. Overall, though, it's an enjoyable outing from a richly talented pianist/composer who should be heard from more often. (Paras Recording Company PRC 1101)

Brazilian guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves and American saxophonist Paul Winter met in 1962, when Winter (recently out of college) and his band embarked on a State Department tour of Latin America. The pair has remained friends and occasional collaborators in the nearly four decades since, although this is the first release which bears both of their names. Despite their friendship and mutual musical interests and respect, this is not quite a musical marriage made in heaven. The melding of Winters' new age leanings and Castro-Neves' Brazilian heritage on their collaborative CD, Brazilian Days, produces a mixture that leans more strongly towards being a new age album. Despite the fact that the dozen tunes selected for this program all come from accomplished Brazilian composers such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Carlos Lyra, Vinicius De Morales, Noel Rosa and Edu Lobo, Winters' soprano spins pensive, legato, reverberated lines which smooth over and blur the light samba accompaniment of Castro-Neves' rhythm guitar and the percussion, robbing the tunes of their rhythmic vitality and casting an ethereal, trance-like spell over the affair.

An overall lack of sonic variety hinders an uninterrupted listening of the entire program; Winters' sax (he's only heard on soprano throughout the disc) is always at the forefront; Castro-Neves seems content to provide only chordal and rhythmic accompaniment. Both men are certainly accomplished on their respective instruments, but we get to hear only one aspect of their talents. Plus, all of the tunes are performed at the same subdued medium tempo. Despite their uniform treatment, the tunes are good; I appreciate their selection of lesser-known works by these composers. For example, the Jobim pieces are "Aula de Matematica" (A Mathematics Lesson), "Ana Luiza," and "Por Causa de Voce" (Don't Ever Go Away), not the thoroughly-covered standards such as "Girl From Ipanema," "Desafinado," "Corcovado," or "How Insensitive." Nevertheless, the result is pleasantly soothing mood music. (Living Music 81500)

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