Antonio Adolfo: Jobim Forever

Pianist, composer, educator and arranger extraordinaire, Antonio Adolfo has been at the forefront of the samba and bossa nova genre for decades. A proponent of the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Adolfo pays tribute to the genre master on the splendid Jobim Forever. This homage focuses on the icon's work from the 1960s, selecting songs that are instantly recognizable as being a part of an era that put Rio de Janeiro on the jazz landscape.

In addition to himself on piano, the leader assembles a well-seasoned band of players, ten in all, every one of which he has previously performed with. When exploring the music of Jobim one cannot begin without mentioning his biggest hit: "The Girl from Ipanema," the starting point of this album featuring an impressive Adolfo arrangement that adds a bit of swing to the classic. The arrangement for the immortal "Wave" was inspired by one penned for Brazilian singers Elis Regina and daughter Carol Saboya featuring a superb solo from trombonist Rafael Rocha.

The song that was most influential in making Adolfo a musician and a part of the bossa nova scene was "A Felicidade," delivered with a new arrangement that includes a vocal appearance from Zé Renato and a trumpet solo from Jesse Sadoc. The trumpeter plays the major role on the heavenly "How Insensitive," with a secondary participation from flautist Marcelo Martins on another beautiful rendition of this time-honored tune.

Other standards here include "Agua De Beber," "Inutil Paisagem" and "Estrada Do Sol." Another gem of an album from Adolfo as he presents nine classic, well-travelled Jobim songs, offering just a slice of musical mastery that might well have the late bossa nova master smiling from above.