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Antonio Adolfo: Carnaval - The Songs Were So Beautiful
by Pierre Giroux
Veteran pianist, composer, and arranger Antonio Adolfo has long been a master at capturing the essence of Brazilian music through a jazz perspective. On Carnaval (The Songs Were So Beautiful), Adolfo draws on a wide range of traditional Brazilian carnival styles-- sambas, marchinas, marchas-rancho, and frevos--to create a vibrant and richly textured album that bursts with celebration while leaving space for nuance and reflection. This is not a jazz adaptation of Brazilian music; it's Brazilian music elevated with jazz sophistication ...
Continue ReadingAntonio Adolfo: Carnaval - The Songs Were So Beautiful
by Katchie Cartwright
What prompted pianist and composer Antonio Adolfo to record, in 2025, an album of songs from the 'golden age' of Brazilian carnaval music, circa 1920-1950? He has known and loved this music since he was a child, growing up in Rio de Janeiro. “All these songs are very alive in my memory," he told All About Jazz. They were “everywhere--on the radio, in the streets, in social clubs." At the time, he saw that “there was some magic in the ...
Continue ReadingCliff Korman: Urban Tracks
by Richard J Salvucci
An avid listener of Brazilian music could go crazy trying to figure out exactly where Cliff Korman comes down musicially. His opening track , “Cheio de Malicia" could almost be taken for some sort of stride-bossa--the same feel pops up on “Canhoto" too--with allusions to Kenny Barron, Vince Guaraldi, McCoy Tyner even. Paired with bassist Harvie S, who seems to top himself on each successive track, Korman's creativity and sheer musicianship is a delight, the “sound of surprise" if there ...
Continue ReadingCliff Korman: Urban Tracks
by Katchie Cartwright
As ever, Urban Tracks finds pianist, arranger-composer and scholar Cliff Korman alchemizing, jazzifying choros and Brasilifying jazz tunes to create his own distinctive arrangements. Mood Ingênuo: Pixinguinha Meets Duke Ellington with Paulo Moura (Jazzheads, 1999), Brasilified (Tiger Turn, 2022) and Bossas and Ballads (Tiger Turn, 2024) are among other examples in his discography. He recorded Urban Tracks in his hometown, New York, with Brazilian drummer Rafael Barata and NYC bassist Harvie S, but these days Korman lives in Rio de ...
Continue ReadingAntonio Adolfo: Love Cole Porter
by Pierre Giroux
Love Cole Porter is pianist Antonio Adolfo's masterful tribute to the genius of Cole Porter, capturing his musical essence while infusing it with a Brazilian flair. This release is not just a tribute but a careful reimagining, bringing his timeless melodies, intricate lyrics, and sophisticated harmonies into a new light. Accompanying Adolfo is a coterie of seasoned Brazilian musicians who have been on several of his releases, including guitarist Lula Galvao, bassist Jorge Helder, drummer Rafael Barata, percussionist Dada Costa, ...
Continue ReadingKarrin Allyson: A Kiss for Brazil
by Katchie Cartwright
A Kiss for Brazil is Kansas-bred Grammy-nominated singer Karrin Allyson's third release to feature Brazilian music (From Paris to Rio, Concord, 1999; Imagina, Concord, 2008), and her first to showcase Brazilian musicians: Vitor Gonçalves on piano and accordion, Rafael Barata at the drums, plus the acclaimed singer-guitarist and songwriter Rosa Passos. First-call New York-based guitarist Yotam Silberstein and bassist Harvie S complete the group. The album sprang into being spontaneously, in response to a concert Passos had scheduled in New ...
Continue ReadingAntonio Adolfo: Bossa 65
by Katchie Cartwright
In 1963, a seventeen-year-old Antonio Adolfo was already gigging professionally on the exploding bossa nova scene in Rio de Janeiro, his hometown. His career has continued unabated. For decades, he has been putting out a steady stream of admirable albums, earning critical praise and multiple Grammy nominations. His releases have often focused on the work of great Brazilian composers (Chiquinha com Jazz, BruMa, Jobim Forever), sometimes on a particular style or genre (Chora Baião, Rio Choro Jazz), on connections between ...
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