Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Leo Gandelman: Black Pearls

102

Leo Gandelman: Black Pearls

By

Sign in to view read count
Leo Gandelman: Black Pearls
Among the plethora of excellent saxophonists active in contemporary jazz today, Brasilian Leo Gandelman gets my vote for "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition." Performing primarily on tenor with occasional soprano, he offers a best-of-both-worlds combination of contemporary and traditional Brasilian rhythms and American contemporary jazz. For this program, he draws from a wealth of Brasilian composers including Milton Nascimento ("Clube da Esquina No. 2"), Djavan ("Faltando um Pedaco"), and Gilberto Gil ("Toda Menina Baiana'), plus some lesser-known but talented sources.

Most of it is upbeat and funky, yet tasteful. "Mr. Funk Samba," which is just that, sizzles and grooves with it's cooking horn section lines. Gandelman is elegant and expressive on Stevie Wonder's ballad "Overjoyed" and Djavan's "Faltando." The next-to-last cut finds Gandelman swinging gently with strings. The album closes with "Perola Negra (Black Pearl)," a jazzy piece performed solely by Gandelman multi-tracked into a saxophone choir, with the baritone sax carrying the bass line, the soprano carrying the lead, and several altos and tenors providing excellent support.

The entire program is consistently enjoyable. Check it out!

Personnel

Leo Gandelman
saxophone

Album information

Title: Black Pearls | Year Released: 1997 | Record Label: Mercury Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.