Customer Reviews

Imagina: Songs of Brasil

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Four and a half ENJOYABLE Stars! Jazz flute legend Herbie Mann was once asked to describe Brazilian music: he used one word, "Paradise". On the 11th CD of her fabulous and adventurous career, Grammy-nominated jazz singer Karrin Allyson delivers Brazilian "paradise" in English & Brazilian Portuguese which she has recorded in before. In the follow-up to the Grammy-nominated Footprints which focused on classic jazz, including a great take on the Wayne Shorter title tune, she brilliantly gives us an entire CD dealing with Brazil, delivering wonderful renditions of major and minor Brazilian classics sung in both languages. It's fitting that the songs of 'Tom' Jobim and super-diva Elis Regina are major parts of this CD, as well as a slice of Stan Getz-Joao Gilberto, who jump-started the U.S Brazilian craze in the 60s, and the famed composer Edu Lobo, among others.

The 'best of the best' begins with a stunningly beautiful "Correnteza" (Rapids) showing off Jobim's characteristic 'in and out of tempo' movements with Ms Allyson's voice a combination of vulnerability, sensitivity, and sensuality: precisely what is needed with these songs. And it went straight to my iPod. Then there is the title song cast as a wonderful waltz. "Só Tinha Que Ser Com Você" (It Had To Be With You) & "Estrada do Sol" (Path of the Sun) follow Elis Regina's trajectory accurately and each song comes up a winner, as is the case with "Pra Dizer Adeus" (Time To Say Goodbye) by another legendary Brazilian maestro, Edu Lobo. "Desafinado" (Slightly Out of Tune) is pure joy with its English lyrics and odd-meter breaks giving it distinction, as is "Double Rainbow" (aka Raining On The Rosebush). Just wonderful singing!! "Vivo Sohando" (LIving On Dreams, aka Dreamer) is pure swinging beauty, aided by the vocal/guitar doubling and a great David Finck bass solo. A couple of the English-driven lyrics take us away from Brazil, but not for long. "É Com Esse Que Eu Vou" (I'll Go with This One) is another Regina song and Karrin invests a lot of herself to create a different vibe. Incidentlally, on From Paris to Rio also shows her affinity for singing in dead-on French as well as Portuguese. Karrin Allyson is an amazing singer who has delivered a very singular and enjoyable CD which goes for the heart of Brazil. Highly Recommended! I'll be recommending it to my friends in Brazil, it's THAT good, IMHO. Four and a half WONDERFUL Stars.
(*This review is based on an iTunes download.
* I sent a copy of this CD to a wonderful musician friend in northern Brazil who does some of my song title translations. He says "Karrin has a nice Portuguese pronunciation, still full of accent, but it's charming!!! She has an accent similar to the people of Rio de Janeiro...I just loved it". Kudos to her Portuguese coach.

New York-based jazz singer Karrin Allyson had mastered Brazilian songs back when she was in Kansas City, so her ease with the Portuguese lyrics on the new "Imagina: Songs of Brasil" (Concord Jazz) shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone.
Her past CDs have icluded some of her favourite Brazilians songs, (see her album "From Paris to Rio").
Her new project consists entirely of Brazilian jazz and includes musicians such as Steve Nelson (vibraphone), Rod Fleeman (guitar), Todd Strait (drums), New York bassist David Finck, with Gil Goldstein on piano and accordion.
The material ranges from the more familiar (Antonio Carlos) Jobim tunes, to lesser-known songs, never the most obvious choices.
There are Rosa Passos' "Outono" (Autumn), two Edo Lobo and Vinicius de Moraes songs that Chris Caswell - who wrote many of the lyrics to the "Footprints" songs - wrote new English lyrics to, and there are two Jobim songs, "A Felicidade" and "Vivo Sonhando", that Susannah McCorkle wrote English lyrics to.
Trouble is sometimes, this undeniably charming material has been worked over tenfold by preceding generations of revered singers (some of whom Karrin has been compared with) leaving her and her musicians nothing much else to offer beside an excellent gloss on familiar material.
She just as easily makes the transition from words, to scatting and vocalese, switching easily from Portuguese to English.
Allyson says of her love for Brazilian music, "I think that what gets to me and other folks, are the rhythms, those infectious samba and bossa nova rhythms. Brazilian music is a very large category. Brazilian music is not just about samba, and it is not just about bossa nova. I am learning all of the time more about that. The music is layered with beautiful harmonies and beautiful melodies. I love the fact that Brazilian composers such as Jobim, are in love with nature, as I am too. His music is always connected to nature in some way".
Karrin's voice is full and elastic and she handles the material effectively, enjoying the interaction with her musicians.
Karrin and her musicians produce immaculate high class supperclub jazz, a perfectly packaged and utterly tasteful, but enjoyable nonetheless for its genuine verve.
Once you hear Allyson apply her unique style to the first tracks like "A Felicidade" and "Correnteza", you'll be eager for more.

From Paris to Rio
Footprints
The Bossa Nova Albums
Rough Guide to the Music of Brazil (2nd Edition)

Went to Birdland in NYC Saturday night (4/5/08) and caught Karrin Allyson's early show in which she featured songs from this new CD "Imagina" Her live performance of this beautiful Brazilian music was a true delight with great back-up with her steady band of vibes, guitar, bass and drums. She packed the house and the audience just loved her. Though I almost always buy my CD's at Amazon, I could not wait for this one and payed the higher night-club price that night for this CD and was even able to get Karrin Allyson to autograph it.
It was fun driving home with my wife to just listen to the beautiful music we just heard live at Birdland all over again on this terrific CD while it was so fresh in our minds.
A couple of the songs she selected for this CD were familiar Brazilian tunes we have heard many times before, but most were new to our ears.
You just can't hear great music like this on our radio stations in the US, and what a shame that is.The public is being locked out of this great music because they are never exposed to it and thus not even aware it exist. What a disgrace.
I find myself playing this CD over and over again on my commute to work and even as backround music on the job. Each tune is that enjoyable. Karrin swings and scats as only a true jazz singer can on some tunes and on others, she uses her unique phraseing and interpretation of the ballads in a soft, lilting blend of both English and Portuguese.
This is truly one of the most beautiful CD's I have ever heard, and i think I may never grow tired of listening to it.
YOU JUST HAVE TO OWN THIS CD.

Karrin Allyson is one who will not be pigeonholed. From "Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane," to "In Blue," to "Wild For You," to "Footprints," and now to "Imagina," about all one can say is that Karrin Allyson is a jazz singer with a straighter-than-straight tone and a voice quality that evokes either sadness or playfulness.

How fitting, then, that she performs an "all Bossa Nova" program, as here, and does a program of virtually all Jobim tunes. And like Dee Dee Bridgewater's tremendous "Jai Deux Amours" viz. the French language, Ms. Allyson performs many of these tunes in alternate Portuguese and English translations.

This format absolutely works. Her voice is a natural for this style. To mix cultural references, this is one "Gabacha" who does "Saudade," very well.

I do have one concern, though: Either her voice has gotten raspy over time, or these arrangements were pitched too low. But too many times Ms. Allyson doesn't get to the low notes - and I never noticed that about her before. Hopefully, that will be addressed in her next release.

Otherwise,Lucia Guimaraes notes in the liner notes that Jobim was influenced by Ravel. I had never thought of that before, but she's absolutely right. In tunes such as "Correnteza," "Estrada Do Sol," and the title track, I definitely hear the influence of French impressionism.

But when I think of Bossa Nova, I think of "saudade" first and foremost. That quality is very definitely present in my two favorite tracks on this c.d., "Estrada Branca" and "Vivo Sonhando." They alone are worth the price of this disc.

But truly, all of the tracks have beauty abounding. The instrumentalists, Rod Fleeman (g.), Gil Goldstein (p., acc.), David Finck (b.) and Todd Strait (d.), do great work in making this sound like a multi-cultural affair.

Recommended, especially if you're a fan of Bossa Nova. This c.d. won't make you forget Elis and Tom, or Getz/Gilberto, but it will certainly make you remember those masterworks. RC

I believe I own all of Karrin Allyson's recordings. I also own a lot of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Gilberto Gil, Egberto Gismonti, Laurindo Almeida, et al. So when I ordered this CD from Amazon, I also ordered a Bebel Gilberto recording and one by Morelenbaum2/Sakamoto. I found the Allyson recording, in total, to be the most satisfying of the three. Her tone, energy, skill, and understanding of each of the selection's attributes is unequalled amongst most of her contemporaries. And that goes for not just singers of Brazilian music but the larger category of jazz. In observing Karrin Allyson's growth from her earliest recordings, I'm aware that her choice of bandmates has expanded to keep up. Finally, her adept handling of non-native language is outstanding.

I Love this the music on this CD. Karrin's voice is a true pleasure to listen to.
If you like the songs of Brazil, I would highly recommend this music to you

Imagina: Songs of Brasil

Certainly recommended. Both Allyson and Rosas are really good interpreters of jazz of various kinds. Gave this as birthday gift to my husband, he loves it!

First heard a track from this album on a Jazziz CD sampler. Played the song as a lullaby nearly every evening for a couple of weeks and thought I needed to get my hands on the disc. When I discovered Imagina was nominated for a Grammy, my decision was made. The album lives up to the hype. Definitely worthy of its grammy nod. Beautiful, relaxing, interesting--even after many listenings.

.............never heard of Karryn Allison until just now? I am nearly 60 years old and love love love "musica brasileira" from almost anyone who can pull off a good recording. This CD is just amazing, and I've heard lots of artists try to record these songs.
I spent 2 years in Brasil many years ago and loved what I heard so have always loved the music. Karryn has a great voice and I am going to go seek out other things she has done.
Great CD!!

This lady blows me away whenever I hear her. Now she sings songs of Brazil. I love this album. She is a great singer doing great songs. It just doesn't get any better.