Albare: Albare Plays Jobim

Guitarist and composer Albare, who discovered the sounds of Antonio Carlos Jobim in 1972, now pays tribute to the "father of the bossa nova" on an incredibly gorgeous session of light music with strings, the outstanding Albare Plays Jobim. Paying homage to the greatest exponent of Brazilian music is not easy and using the guitar, which Tom Jobim was often drawn to, makes comparisons an issue. Albare may be the better player—even though these days he only plays by ear, after losing his central vision faculties due to a genetic illness—but Jobim will always be known as the master composer.

Albare Plays Jobim is his sixth collaborative effort with Australian pianist, composer and producer Phil Turcio, recording this treasure with drummer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Ricardo "Ricky" Rodriguez, and Joe Chindamo on piano and string arrangement as well as conducting. As a tribute project of this magnitude, it is understandable that the entire repertoire of the ten beautiful pieces, are all Jobim compositions, familiar to anyone who has appreciated the bossa nova. Interestingly though, "Garota de Ipanema" ("The Girl from Ipanema"), one of the master's most recorded songs of all time, is not included.

There are no hard riffs or explosive saxophone solos here; this is all rhythm-based music where a standard piano trio is augmented by a guitar and accompanied by the sounds of the strings; producing music for the soul and the heart does not get any better than that. Starting out with the familiar "One Note Samba," the softness continues on "Corcovado," only to pick up slightly on the lively "Chega De Saudade."

The classic "Desafinado" is born again on the fingertips of the guitarist bringing it to life. "Agua de Beber" and "Agua de Marco" flow gently while "Wave," one of Jobim's better known charts, comes across as if the master himself had been plucking the strings.

Although gone but not forgotten, the legend of Antonio Carlos Jobim shines a little brighter today because of Albare's intimate portrayal on Albare Plays Jobim, a musical homage the creator of the bossa would be proud of.