Baby do Brasil at Blue Note Jazz Club

Baby do Brasil
Blue Note Jazz Club
New York, NY
August 17, 2015

On the first set of her appearance at the Manhattan Jazz Club, Baby do Brasil was backed by a 6-piece band under the musical direction of her guitarist son Pedro Baby that included Ze Grey (bass), Skoota (drums) and Daniel Sadownick (percussion) playing an extended set focused on her greatest hits and some new material, kicking off with a funky tune that had a lot of improvised moments from the ensemble. She immediately followed with "Esses Seus Olhos de Luzes," which started out as a ballad and then switched to an up-tempo reggae mode, going straight into "Telurica," another up-tempo tune from her 1980s catalogue. She slowed things down a bit with "Sem Pecado e Sem Juizo," a ballad on happiness in life, including a verse and chorus in English.

do Brasil had amazing energy on stage, often doing some improvised scats around the melodies. The band had great chemistry together, especially Grey and Pedro Baby, who have performed together in numerous occasions. There was a stripped-down version of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" that began with do Brasil backed solely by keyboards and then joined by the rest of the band after a few bars. One of the greatest highlights was an acoustic sing-along section that included "Desafinado," "Samba da Minha Terra" and "Aquarela do Brasil." They were joined by Marivaldo dos Santos on pandeiro for "Brasil Pandeiro," a hit for do Brasil's former band Os Novos Baianos.

The band then came back for a fiery finale that included a spirited take on "Menino do Rio" (a major hit penned by Caetano Veloso in the late 70s, a funky take on Jorge Ben's "Todo Dia Era Dia de Indio" and "A Menina Danca," a tune from Os Novos Baianos's seminal Acabou Chorare (Som Livre, 1972). The show ended with an extended take on the do Brasil-penned "Masculino & Feminino," sung as a duet with Pedro Baby with a funky arrangement that was quite different from the original 80s-era single recorded by guitarist (and former do Brasil band mate) Pepeu Gomes in 1983 with a sped-up instrumental hook.

The audience responded to the set with great enthusiasm, often singing along with the best-known tunes. The band (some of whom played on do Brasil's 2014 appearance at the same stage) was incredibly sharp, and the musical selection was well done, covering do Brasil's full career including several hits and a few deep cuts.