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Andrea Brachfeld: Brazilian Whispers
ByRather than spread focus across a massive realm of Brazilian territory, Brachfeld homes in on the music of one of the country's most totemic figuresAntonio Carlos Jobim. Seven of the album's eleven tracks nod to his compositional mastery, yet none of the performances bow in complete deference to templates. Brachfeld, O'Connell and the interchanging rhythm men working with them put a unique stamp on all of Jobim's work. Subtle artistic touches and personalizations often add luster to these pictures, as demonstrated on a "Double Rainbow" with a Fender Rhodes glaze, dancing ride cymbal and lilting runs from the leader, and a "Passarim" with overdubbed flute ambiance. And Brachfeld also hits her mark with more drastic, O'Connell-imagined rewrites like the shuffling "Waters of March" and effervescent, samba-fied "Girl from Ipanema."
Jobim's classics and underserved gems account for the bulk of the story on Brazilian Whispers, and a lone standard"Never Let Me Go," dedicated to the late Roy Hargrovebroadens the picture a bit. But Brachfeld also deftly weaves her own workthree complementary originals, co-written with O'Connellinto the mix. "Sonhos e Cores" captures dreams and colors in a comfortable bossa flow, a gliding "Triste e Solitaria" directs similar rhythmic ideals into a more wistful space, and the vibrant "Espaço Aberto" closes out the album with a smile and a samba-ish strut. Whether dealing in introspection or cresting waves of exhilaration, Brachfeld's flutes manage to capture the ineffable qualities of Brazilian beauty in its many forms.
Track Listing
Double Rainbow; Passarim; Waters of March; Amparo; Sonho e Cores; Samba Medley; Never Let Me Go; Ligia; Girl from Ipanema; Triste e Solitario; Espaço Aberto.
Personnel
Andrea Brachfeld
fluteBill O'Connell
pianoHarvie S
bass, acousticLincoln Goines
bassRoni Ben-Hur
guitarJason Tiemann
drumsPortinho
drumsChembo Corniel
percussionAlbum information
Title: Brazilian Whispers | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Origin Records
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Andrea Brachfeld
Album Reviews
Dan Bilawsky
Brazilian Whispers
Origin Records
Bill O'Connell
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Roy Hargrove