CD Review: Adam Dunning - Sunset Monkeys

CD Review: Adam Dunning - Sunset Monkeys







It is amazing that Bossa Nova, a music style that started more than fifty years ago in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, still holds a strong fascination over a lot of musicians around the world. That is the case with australian native Adam Dunning, to the point that in Rio de Janeiro he is considered just another carioca.

Dunning album Sunset Monkeys is a collection of mostly originals songs full of beautiful brasil imagery like in "Leblon", "Sunset Monkeys" and "Mount Eliza" or romantic lyrics like "Summer Things". Sunset Monkeys also includes the cool sambas "Song of the Lagoon", "Green" and "Parabens ao meu amigo". Rodrigo Sha adds tight and impacable flute solos on "Green" and "Parabens".

Dunning recorded Sunset Monkeys in Rio de Janeiro with a little help from some brazilian friends. Roberto Menescal sings and plays guitar in the bossa "We and the Sea" and plays the electric guitar on Jobim's "Fotografia". Joao Donato sings and plays the piano on his own composition "Jungle Flower".

Brazilian singers Cris Delanno, Daniela Procopio and Laura Lagub add the femenine touch with their beautiful voices on "E preciso perdoar", "Fotografia", and "With You".

Another highlight of the album is Dunning wonderful version of Carlos Lyra an Vinicius de Moraes classic "Voce e eu" (You and me)

Listening to Sunset Monkeys, there is no doubt Bossa Nova music is in Dunning's blood.

Tracks: Leblon, We and the Sea, Sunset Monkeys, Jungle Flower, Mount Eliza, Green, E Preciso Perdoar, Song of the Lagoon, You and Me, Summer Things, Photograph, Parabens ao meu amigo, S Wonderful, With You Nunca Fui

Musicians: Adam Dunning - vocals, guitar, Ronaldo Cotrim - guitar, flute, piano, bass, vocals, Carol Futuro - backup vocals, Eduardo Santana - flugelhorn, trumpet, Naife Simoes - percssion, drums

CD Review: Mari Tochi - Aligato

CD Review: Mari Tochi - Aligato







On her debut release Aligato, singer Mari Tochi brings an eclectic fusion of sounds and influences that includes of course the music from her native Japan. With her distinctive style and a sweet yet powerful voice, Tochi explores aspects of of her japanese heritage on "Opelo Kai", a song with japanese lyrics and delicate a orchestration.

"Kotodama" mix japanese and english lyrics over a funk groove. Tochi even rap a little bit on this track. "Awayuki" has a more traditional japanese sound before it changes into a slow funk. On "Long way to go" Tochi goes to Brasil with samba rhythms and the danceable sounds of carnaval. An ellegant piano intro gives way to another brazilian influenced track, the bossa "Requiem/Azul no azul do azul". On this one Tochi sings in portuguese and english.

The jazzier tracks on the release are "So long, bye, bye, baby" and "Soran Bushi/My Favourite Things". The harmonies and arrangements on "My Favourite Things" are very similar to Coltrane's version.

The album ends up with mystic sounds of the title track "Aligato".

Tracks: Opelo kai, Kotodama, Long long way to go, Soap of memory, Brooklyn Cloud, Awayuki, Soran Bushi/My Favourite Things, I wanna see you, Requiem/Azul no azul do azul, So long bye bye baby, Aligato

Musicians: Mari Tochi - vocals, percussion, Mamiko Watanabe - piano, Megumi Yonezawa - piano, Hiroya Tsukamato - guitar, Jostein Gulbrandsen - guitar, Tim Collins - vibraphone, Ben Williams - bass, Moto Fukushima - bass, Francisco Mela - drums, Fernc Nemeti - drums, Keita Ogawa - percussion

CD Review: Cinzia Spata - Into the Moment

CD Review: Cinzia Spata - Into the Moment







Cinzia Spata third release Into the Moment should establish her as one of the best singers in the jazz scene. Spata is an italian singer with superb command of her voice and a master of scatting, a singing technique used by jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

On the first track, "Questar", Spata do some suberb harmonized scatting with trumpet player Ken Celvenka. Her scats are fabulous also on "Soul Eyes". But is in cool swing arrangement of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "My Favourite Things" that Cinzia Spata shows her mastery of scatting. Spata improvises melodies with spontaneity and ease.

Spata and trumpeter Ken Cervenka complement each other perfectly on Ralph Towner's "The Glide", and on the funk Spata original "Carlos". This piece has avant-garde influences, especially at he end where Spata exchanges some dazzling improvisations with the trumpet.

But Cinzia is not all about scatting, she also has the sensibility to sing jazz ballads as shown on her heartfelt renditions of "Falling Grace", and "The Widow in the Window"
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Musicians: Cinzia Spata - vocal, Bruce Barth - piano, Dave Clark -bass, Yoron Israel - drums, Ken Cervenka - trumpet, flugelhorn. George Garzone - tenor sax

Tracks: Questar, My Favourite Things, Falling Grace, The Glide, The Widow in the Window, Soul Eyes, Carlos, Duke Ellington's Sound of Love, Tea for Two, Very Early, East of the Sun (West of the sun)

CD Review: Manisha Shahane - When Parallel Lines Meet

CD Review: Manisha Shahane - When Parallel Lines Meet







On her third album When Parallel Lines Meet Manisha Shahane brings a diversity of sounds that includes rock, folk, jazz, and the music from her native India. The whole album has a world music feel.

The album starts with the arabian percussive sounds of "Girls gone world". Shahane vocals on this song about bringing unity through music, are reminiscent of Sade. There are some similarities to Sade also on "Into the Valley", the jazzier piece on the album.

The sound of the cello on "Mother don't cry" gives this piece a classical music feel that increase in intensity at the end to an almost rock sound.

Shahane shows her hindu heritage and vocal range in the songs "Remember this Day", Stil" and "See Light". On "See Light" Shahane aslo adds some hindu vocal percussion to the mix.

On "Mrs. Underwood" Shahane ventures into american folk music. The style and vocal phrasing on this one are reminiscent of groups like Cowboy Junkies. The album ends with "In search of Yaman", a piece perfect for relaxation, inner search and meditation.

Tracks: Girls gone world, Mother don't cry, Remeber this day, Mrs. Underwood, How things change, Still, Into the Valley, First Dance, See light, In search of Yaman

Musicians: Manisha Shahane - vocals, piano, keyboards. Brahim Fribgane - oud. Jerry Leake - percussion. Daniel Cantor - vocals, keyboards. Micropixie, Sumitra, Iyeoka Ivie Okoawa, Jennifer Gates - background vocals. Blake Newman - bass. Mark Simcox - cello. Dominique Gagne - flute. Geoff Rakness - bass. Kevin Barry - guitar. Mark San Filippo - drums. Chris Brenne, Matthew DiPierro - guitar. Akili Jamal Haynes - trumpet, trombone.

CD Review: Eliane Amherd - Now and from now on

CD Review: Eliane Amherd - Now and from now on







Now and from now on is the debut release from the multi talented swiss artist Eliane Amherd. Amherd is not only a exceptionally good singer but she is also an accomplished songwriter and guitarrist. All songs on Now and from now on are Amherd originals compositions, except for Tom Waits "Temptation".

The songs on this release reflects the diversity of influences on Amherd music. The album starts with the danceable funk "Now and from now on", a song about being optimistic and achieving your dreams.

"As if" is a song with witty, and humorous lyrics (english and portuguese) and with a touch of Bossa Nova. The sensual delivery on vocals, plus the superb licks on the electric guitar played by Amherd make this song one of the hightlights on the album.

"Me fe tan pliji" is another danceable track with the polyrhythms and clave often found in caribbean music. That caribbean sound can also be heard on the song "Feel a little sorry for yourself".

There is plenty of blues on the tracks "Don't give up on me", the blues/rock "Where is home", the jazz/blues "Trust you" and the Billie Holiday-like "Steady and Slow".

Amherd goes back to Brasil in the bossa "Let me Explain" and the batucada version of "Now and from now on".

Tracks: Now and from now on, As if, Me fe tan pliji, Don't give up on me, Feel a little sorry for yourself, Wher is home, Let me explain, Temptation, Trust You, Steady and Slow, Batucada

Musicians: Eliane Amherd - vocals, guitar. Bill Ware - vibes. Gustavo Amarante - bass. Willard Dyson - drums. Zé Mauricio - percussion

CD Review: Ligia França - Meu Mundo é Hoje

CD Review: Ligia França - Meu Mundo é Hoje







Ligia França is one of many talented brazilian female singers living out of Brasil. Ligia lives currently in Italy, but listening to her wonderful rendition of Ary Barroso "Isto é meu Brasil" it is easy to see where her heart is.

Almost all the album is an homage to Brasil and the limitless talented songwriters coming out from the land of samba. Including two exquiste versions of songs by Dorival Caymmi, "Nem Eu" and the samba "Vatapá" and a heartfelt interpretation of the Ivan Lins ballad "Lembra de Mim".

Ligia sounds very similar to another great brazilian singer, Gal Costa in the slow samba cancao "Mora na Filosofia" and in the classic by Barroso, "Camisa Amarela'. The first time I heard "Meu Mundo é Hoje" was in the voice of brazilian singer Teresa Cristina. Ligia does a slower, jazzier version of this song with lyrics about being yourself.

Since Ligia is living in Italy the album should include an italian song, and it does, Gualtiero Malgoni's "Guarda che Luna". However the surprise of the album is the classic Julio Gutierrez bolero "Inolvidable. Ligia sings in perfect spanish on this song, most people in Latin America remember in the voice of Puerto Rican singer and bandleader Tito Rodriguez.

Tracks: O Samba e meu dom, Nem eu, Isto é meu Brasi, Saudosa Maloca, Meu Mundo é Hoje, Inolvidable, Vatapa, Lembra de mim, Guarda che luna, Mora na Filosofia, Camisa Amarela, Nego Maluca, Cao sem dono

Musicians: Ligia França - vocal, Roberto Taufic - guitar, Aruan Ortiz - piano, Edu Heblin - bass, Roberto Rossi - drums, Armando Marcal - percussion

CD Review: Bianca Rossini

CD Review: Bianca Rossini







Instead of choosing the safe path of recording brazilian classic songs, all compositions on Bianca Rossini debut album, Kiss of Brasil are originals, a bold move for this brazilian native living in California. But as it turns out, Rossini is not just a good singer, she is a talented songwriter, so the result is an album with a delicate sound and romantic, sometimes sexy lyrics. Most of the music were composed by the guitarrist Patrck Lockwood and by the various pianists on the abum, Peter Roberts, Marilyn Berglas, Steve Rawlins and Ken Hirsch,

The songs range in style from the MPB sounds (Musica Popular Brasileira) of "Circular" to the elegant Bossa Nova "Ipanema Paraiso", an homage to Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro. On Ipanema Paraiso, Rossini sensual vocals interlace beautifully with Jimmy Roberts saxophone.

Rossini playful phrasing captivates and seduces the listener in the bossas "Perfume de Verao", "Coracao de Oro" and "Tarde em Copacabana", another place in Rio that has inspired lots of songs.

Kiss of Brasil also includes the contagious rhythms of the samba "Verdadeiro Amor" and three beautiful ballads, "Nos Dois", "NoSilencio da Noite" and "Primeiro de Dezembro"

Tracks: Ipanema Paraiso, O Tempo Vai Contar, Nos Dois, Tarde em Copacabana, Verdadeiro Amor, No Silencio da Noite, Circular, Primeiro de Dezembro, Perfume de Verao, Corazon de Oro

Musicians: Bianca Rossini - vocals, Peter Roberts, Marilyn Berglas, Mark Nilan Jr., Steve Rawlins, Ken Hirsch - piano, Peter Roberts, Roberto Montero, Patrick Lockwood, Grecco Buratto, Grant Geissman, Marco Tulio, Paul Montesano - guitar, Gecco Buratto - cavaquinho, Peter Roberts, Steve Rawlins, Mark Nilan Jr., Ken Hirsch - keyboards, Marilyn Berglas - strings, Sandro Feliciano - percussion, Jimmy Roberts - saxophone