Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Jim Josselyn Group: Brazilian Sunflower

The Jim Josselyn Group: Brazilian Sunflower

By Dave Hughes
November 1, 2001
View read count

The Jim Josselyn Group: Brazilian Sunflower

The Jim Josselyn Group’s Brazilian Sunflower isn’t so much about Brazilian music as it’s title suggests; perhaps it’s the sunflower itself that’s Brazilian. True, the title tune and the closer do have that gentle lilting samba feel, but I would describe this more as jazz with a Brazilian influence rather than the other way around. But categorizations aside, this outing is pure contemporary straight-ahead enjoyment.

And it’s nice stuff. After the two-minute “Prelude,” the remaining songs are long enough (seven to almost ten minutes each) for the principle voices (Josselyn on guitar, Jeb Patton on piano, Lex Samu on trumpet) to stretch out and really explore the changes with thoughtful solos. The songs, all composed by Josselyn, flow nicely, with a swinging medium-tempo groove. Debbie Aviles’ voice is primarily used to wordlessly double the guitar or trumpet on each song’s “head,” but she gets the chance to deliver her own lyrics on “Tres Pontas” and “Hartshorne Valley Walk.” All in all, a satisfying jazz outing from a promising new guitarist and combo.

Track Listing

Prelude; Brazilian Sunflower; Islamorada; Tres Pontas; The Scream of the Butterfly; Hartshorne Valley Walk.

Personnel

Jim Josselyn

guitar

Jim Josselyn

Album information

Title: Brazilian Sunflower | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Sunflower

PREVIOUS / NEXT

When Cooler Heads Prevail
< Previous

A Fireside Chat With Jason Moran
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.