Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Benji Kaplan: Chorando Sete Cores

14

Benji Kaplan: Chorando Sete Cores

By

View read count
Benji Kaplan: Chorando Sete Cores
Composer and guitarist Benji Kaplan is an artist that brings vivid colors to his music, both in sound and imagery. Kaplan has three albums already in his growing discography: Meditações no violão, a solo guitar album, Reveries em Som, an album of duets with flautist Anne Drummond; and Uai Sô, a project that features various ensembles that explore his composition and arranging styles. For Kaplan's fourth release, he is combining a wind quintet with his acoustic nylon-stringed guitar, entitled Chorando Sete Cores. The quintet features: Anne Drummond on C and alto flutes, Remy LeBeouf on clarinet and bass clarinet, and David Byrd-Marrow on French horn. The album has thirteen Kaplan originals that are a display of Kaplan's compositional virtuosity as well as the mastery of the five players performing them. Chorando Sete Cores translated is cries of the seven-colored tanager. The seven-colored tanager is a vulnerable species of bird in the family Thraupidae that lives in the forests of north-eastern Brazil.

Kaplan explains his inspiration behind the title: "Chorando, being the action word for "Choro" representing the Brazilian style of music and culture (also means "cry"); and Sete-cores, the seven-colored tanager—here the six instruments, combined with the compositions are "crying" seven colors. I additionally feel, that the music has 7 elements: the 6 instruments plus the compositions themselves. So, in essence, the listener has much room for interpretation of symbolic meaning."

Opening with "Bryant Park," the classical overtone to the project is instantly recognizable, a Brazilian chamber ensemble that has the rhythmic articulation and motion of Brazil. The composition is thematic in character and development. It is easy to hear the Brazilian music traditions in Kaplan's composition style. The musical figures are syncopated, and the through-composed composition is a musical celebration of Brazil's heritage as seen through the creative ear of Kaplan's vivid musical imagination. Also of note is Kaplan's mastery of orchestration, the colors and texture this quintet achieves in a three minute piece is impressive.

Kaplan's compositions are rich in atmosphere and imagery. "A Joyful Stroll" easily brings forth a briskly paced walk that is full of joy and optimism. With rapid-fire lines and patterns spinning around the guitar, this piece is a brilliant example of Kaplan's contrapuntal writing. The various lines flow in and out of each other to form a texture that is lyrical, but rich in depth and motion. Kaplan takes us on a journey through varying patterns that are carried throughout the five instruments. Some patterns keep time, others swirl playfully around the guitar and then come together for flowing tutti sections. The result is a poignantly delicate counterpoint that is interwoven with shimmering joyous playing and energy.

Chorando Sete Cores is a stunning collection of compositions that can be enjoyed individually or as a suite, the music is beautifully colorful and a testament to Kaplan's skills as a composer, orchestrator, and musical visionary of exquisite taste, all wrapped up in the passion and style of Brazil.

Track Listing

Bryant Park; At the Vanguard; Canção de Ninar (Berceuse); Trenzinho para Lapa ( Little Train to Lapa); Familiar Strangers; The Wind; A Joyful Stroll; Chorando Sete Cores (Cries of The Seven colored Tanager); Happy Sadness; A Tricksters Bolero; Coisa Carioca (A Carioca Thing); Samba for Django; Leaves in the Wind.

Personnel

Anne Drummond: alto flute, C Flute; Remy Leboeuf: clarinet, bass clarinet; David Byrd-Marrow: French horn; Benji Kaplan: nylon string acoustic guitar.

Album information

Title: Chorando Sete Cores | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Self Produced

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter 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.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.