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Rique Pantoja: Live In Los Angeles
ByRique Pantoja is Brazilian by birth, but he has been established in Los Angeles for many years. He has gotten around, playing with Chet Baker, Carlos Santana, Lee Ritenour, Gloria Estefan and even Christopher Parkening. He is a composer, arranger, producer, singer, songwriter, and not least, keyboardist, with Berklee College of Music and Charlie Banacos behind him. Like any working musician, he has a variety of commercial gigs to his credit, so you may have heard his music, even if, so to speak, you have not.
This set is nothing if not enjoyable. "Arpoador" evokes a peninsula between Ipanema and Copacabana in Rio, with multiple meters suggesting cross currents washing across the bay, and features a relaxed, cruising guitar solo by Ricardo Silveira. "Julinho" is a plaintive ballad with Steve Tavaglione stating the theme on saxophone with accompaniment on bass guitar by Jimmy Earl, better known as a member of US television show Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s house band. A double-time segment makes for a nice contrast. "1000 Watts," as in Ernie Watts, who represents another stop in Pantoja's musical journey. Saxophonist and flautist Tavaglione has extensive experience in Latin jazz groups and shows it off to advantage here. From Bahia, in Northeast Brazil, there is the tasty flute and guitar feature "Da Baiana," which moves nicely indeed. "Bebop Kid" is dedicated to Pantoja's son and has nothing to do with "El Be Bop" kid, aka Freddy Fender. It is another bright flute and guitar feature, with a bass solo that somehow distantly rings in the ear like Charlie Parker's "Confirmation." "Que Locura," "Morena" and "Pra Lili" feature more explorations of Brazilian themes in various meters and genres.
Pantoja's music is deceptively simple, but the more one listens, the more one hears. Live in Los Angeles can be taken on several levels, from just impressionistic to the resolutely analytical. That is part of the charm and interest of this very good re-entrant from the past.
Track Listing
Arpoador; Julinho; 1000 Watts; Da Baiana; Bebop Kid; Que Loucura; Morena; Pra Lili.
Personnel
Rique Pantoja
keyboardsSteve Tavaglione
woodwindsJimmy Earl
bassJoel Taylor
drumsRicardo Silveira
guitarCassio Duarte
percussionAlbum information
Title: Live In Los Angeles | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Moondo
Comments
About Rique Pantoja
Instrument: Keyboards
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