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Jazz Articles about Nate Najar
Nate Najar and Daniela Soledade with the Jimmy Masters Trio at the Sandler Center
by Mark Robbins
Since the introduction of Brazilian music to the United States in 1962 by Charlie Byrd, artists such as Antônio Carlos Jobim, Jõao Gilberto, Gal Costa, Astrud Gilberto, Gilberto Gil, Claudia Acuña, to name a few, have continued to have a great influence on the American audience. Add to that roster guitarist Nate Naja and vocalist (also guitarist and flutist) Daniela Soledade, a welcome addition to an illustrious list of musicians. Najar started as a classical guitarist but soon ...
Continue ReadingDaniela Soledade: Pretty World
by Edward Blanco
Brazilian singer and composer Daniela Soledade presents her sophomore release Pretty World continuing a family tradition of exploration into light bossa nova music. Recognized as a proponent for a new bossa nova sound, her unique hushed-styled vocals distinguish this singer from the other vocalists of the genre. Born in Rio de Janeiro where the album was recorded, Soledade co-wrote two originals ("Beijo No Arpoador" and “Nothing Compares") with guitarist and producer Nate Najar and sings lyrics in English and Portuguese. ...
Continue ReadingNate Najar: Jazz Samba Pra Sempre
by Edward Blanco
Pioneered by Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto and popularized by Baden Powell, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Roberto Menescal and others in the early '60s, the bossa nova sound resonated strongly with the American jazz audience, and the Stan Getz / Charlie Byrd album Jazz Samba (Verve Records, 1962) became one of the driving forces behind this genre. Guitarist Nate Najar, who was heavily influenced by the music of Byrd, unveils his fourteenth album as leader with Jazz Samba Pra Sempre (Jazz Samba ...
Continue ReadingNate Najar with the John Toomey Trio at Attucks Theatre
by Mark Robbins
In 1961, under the sponsorship of the U.S. State Department, jazz/classical guitarist Charlie Byrd toured South America. This trip proved to be fortuitous for both Byrd and North America for it introduced Byrd to the Brazilian Bossa Nova. Back in the states Byrd played Bossa Nova tapes for Stan Getz who then convinced producer Creed Taylor to record an album of himself and Byrd playing this new musical stlye. That album, Jazz Samba was released in 1962 and introduced North ...
Continue ReadingNate Najar: Under Paris Skies
by Edward Blanco
Jazz guitarist Nate Najar follows up the critically-acclaimed 2016 release of This is Nate Najar (Woodward Avenue Records) with a heart-warming tribute to the city of Paris with Under Paris Skies, conveying his love of the city of lights with a charming and elegant set of love songs and ballads, all designed to set the mood and pull on your heart strings. Providing new treatments to a select number of pop, jazz and classical-styled songs, Najar delivers a different message ...
Continue ReadingNate Najar: This Is Nate Najar
by Edward Blanco
Hailing from St. Petersburg, FL, guitarist Nate Najar unveils his third full length recording for the Candid Records label on the simply-titled This Is Nate Najar where he touches on the music of Chick Corea and Antonio Carlos Jobim as well as delivering a straight jazz sound with several cover tunes and a couple of originals. A fingerstyle guitarist on the acoustic classical guitar, Najar is one of the few in the modern jazz genre utilizing the nylon-string guitar employing ...
Continue ReadingThe Nate Najar Trio: I'm All Smiles
by Matthew Warnock
Nylon-string guitarist Nate Najar channels the creative and energetic spirit of the late, great guitarist Charlie Byrd on I'm All Smiles. The album features Najar alongside Steve Boisen on bass, Chuck Redd on drums and Duduka Da Fonseca on percussion. While Najar gives ample evidence of his advanced solo guitar ability, those moments are always carefully inserted to provide contrast to the highly interactive ensemble sections. The result is an album full of tonal and improvisational twists and turns, creating ...
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