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Molly Greacen: The Sweet Life: Brazilian Jazz

By Jim Santella
June 21, 2006
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Molly Greacen: The Sweet Life: Brazilian Jazz

With a happy session that remains harmonically light and rhythmically pure, Molly Greacen explores Brazilian jazz from a melodic viewpoint. She sings in English and Portguese, interpreting songs by Jobim, Ivan Lins, Caetano Veloso and Eliane Elias delicately and with loving care. It's all about feeling. From her songs, you get an uplifting feeling that sweeps you away for a brief respite. Her melodies flow around the room like currents of a warm tropical breeze.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Greacen adheres to the theory that music has healing powers. If applied liberally in substantial doses, her music can lift your spirits. The rest, I suppose, is up to you. The session is loaded with sufficient energy. The romance is simply a bonus. Pop songs, smooth bossa novas and gentle sambas can do wonders for the soul.

Greacen sings Girl from Ipanema, which features lyrics in both languages, coolly in the song's original mood. "How Insensitive reaches inside for more from the heart. With this one, the singer shares the heartbreak that lives on in song. Ana Caram's "Amor is delivered passionately in Portuguese with feelings that run deep. "Love Dance strolls lazily with lyrics in English that provide the sparks for a romantic evening, while "Vagabond Heart drives forcefully with lyrics in Portuguese that tell the story of love's adventure.

Greacen's sampling of the Brazilian sweet life features a superb jazz accompaniment that helps her to make a convincing statement. Romantic ballads form the basis of her argument, and she proves beyond a reasonable doubt that music has powers to heal both the mind and the body.

Track Listing

Kissed by Nature; Apareceu; Illuminados; Dance is Over; Amor; Vagabond Heart; So Crazy for This Love; Love Dance; Girl from Ipanema; How Insensitive.

Personnel

Molly Greacen

Molly Greacen: vocals; Paul Cotugno: piano; Matthew Spencer: bass; Kem Stralka: drums, percussion; Ken Aikin: trumpet, flugelhorn.

Album information

Title: The Sweet Life: Brazilian Jazz | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Self Produced

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