Customer Reviews

Ouro Negro

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So I'm in Sao Paulo having dinner with a Brazilian friend and we're discussing Brazilian music and he mentions this CD and Moacir Santos. He knows I know something about Brazilian music despite the fact I'm a gringo. But I had never heard of this guy and so I must have flashed a completely blank look. My friend shrugged and told me to go buy it. Of course I couldn't find it in Brazil so I ordered it online and it was waiting for me when I got home. But I did pick up a copy of Coisas and got a taste of what to expect.

Oh my goodness--it is heaven! It is unbelievably familiar especially for those who pay attention to jazz and to movie soundtracks. Apparently Santos has lived in Pasadena for over 30 years, toiling in obscurity in the film business. His sound is unbelievably comforting and listenable.

Perhaps this is his time and this is an extraordinary pair of cds. Obviously a labor of love by those who organized and produced this in Brazil, I can not recommend it enough.

Definitely check it out...

The composer and saxophonist Moacyr Santos belongs (with Paulo Moura, Johnny Alf, Alaide Costa, Do Um Romão and few others) to a very unknown cathegory of brazilian popular music. That of afro-brazilian artists belonging to the Bossa Nova movement, considered by most people as an white middle-class way of play the samba. Santos, who lives in California since late sixties, have recorded very few in Brazil and America. This double cd "Ouro negro/Black gold" shows how good he is, with his sensual songs and magnificent arrangements. One of the best things ever recorded of modern brazilian music. Superb!

Ouro Negro is a recent release by one of my long time favorites, Moacir Santos. I owe him a great debt of gratitude for bringing such joy into my life. This is a beautful CD by one of the long-acknowledged maestros of Brazil. It has incredibly intricate, yet accessible rhythms, lush harmonies, soaring solos from some of the great musicians of his country, and the essence of Moacir's joyous spirit! Favorite tunes?? Hard to pick and choose, but "Mother Iracema," "Suk-Cha," and "Carnaval" are hard to beat.

If you are in love with the music of Brazil, you owe it to yourself to own this one. I wish I could give it 6 stars!

I smiled from ear to ear from the moment I put it on until the last song ended.

Big band Brazilian music was never that attractive to me. The music on this CD is different, however. It's got the most beautiful compositions. The arrangements are fantastic. And the rhythms are fabulous. This CD may turn into a classic sooner than one might think. Black gold, in deed.

Moacir Santos is a master composer, arranger and saxophonist. His shore is Brazilian Jazz with a combo comprising rhythm section + brass in a unique combination which is consistently applied to such original and unconventional compositions.

In the late 60s, Santos went to live in the USA where he's recorded three albums for Blue Note Records. He also became an auxiliary writer for some great arranger just like Billy Byers was to Quincy Jones.

'Ouro Negro' is a 2-CD album dedicated to the music of Moacir Santos. It was recorded in 2003 under his direction. He was already retired then at his 79 years old but all his great arrangements are there as played by current important in Brazil's music scene in brand-new renditions.

Tracks cover music from Santos' classic album "Coisas" (also available here @Amazon) and also from his three American albums.

Features some Santos' standards like 'Coisa #5' (aka 'Nana'), 'April Child', 'Suk-Cha' and 'Mother Iracema' all with great updated arrangements.

Also features Gilberto Gil, Djavan and Milton Nascimento plus sime unnecessary vocals.

Two cds pack in the music, with new versions of instrumental and jazz standards providing the compelling arrangements equally applicable to a dinner club, casual listener or avid jazz fan venue alike.

When people mention Brazilian Music, of course they know The Girl Form Ipanema, works from Antonio Carlos Jobim and maybe Joao Gilberto. But those were not the only masters of Brazilian music & jazz. Sometimes I think the likes of Moacir Santos and Dorival Caymmi get lost in the USA market. So to put it mildly, you HAVE to check out their work. If you're a fan of Brazilian music and composers and the sheer class that's there, you're doing yourself a grave injustive if you haven't heard Moacir Santos or Dorival Caymmi (Dori and Danilo are his sons, Nana his daughter).

I like to think I don't throw 5 star reviews around lightly. But this is a 5 star album. In this double disc feature, you're treated to tunes from some of Moacir Santos best works through the years with some very impressive guest artists and musicians. I can't go into every song because that'd be a bit too much! But with guest artists like Joyce, Milton Nascimento, Joao Bosco and more (I believe Flora Purim also featured), added to tremendous orchestration and an imaginative musical direction, you're treated to a couple of hours of wonderful music. Some of the highlights to me were "Mae Iracema", of course "Nana" and I absolutely loved "Orfeu", sung by IMO the Brazilian king of soul, Ed Motta. And those are just tidbits from the first album! Never mind "Bodas de Prata Dourada" and the several other outstanding tracks on the second disc. Coisa 7, Coisa 2 and Lamento Astral... the first three tracks on the second disc alone are amazing.

Check this out. It's a bit pricey, but it comes with a booklet with loads of details about the artists and songs, and it is a double-disc set. And again, it's class - a perfect piece to your music collection. Some might label the sound here as 'mature', what with the big-band ambiance and perfect orchestration. If you like this, also check Moacir Santos earlier works, you may also like some of Joyce's recent albums on Far Out Records like 'A Little Bit Crazy', and "Rio-Bahia", which she did with Dori Caymmi, and you may like Rosalia De Souza's latest too. And you MUST check out an older album that featured Dizzy Gillespie, Flora Purim and several other friends in an album titled 'Rhythmstick' - it has a neat version of "Nana" in it too.

With the release of a new double album of the Maestro's beautiful
songs a whole new generation of music lovers will be able to hear
and feel some of the most beautiful and complex rythms and melodys that have ever been recorded. This is a look at a life time of work and love of music. Moacir will take you on a ride through Brazil and the world. Sit at the feet of the Maestro and be transported to a wonderful world of music.

There aren't enough superlatives... This is now one of my most favorite collections of all time. The first time I heard the horns kick in on Coisa no. 2 I froze solid as a block of ice and every hair follicle on my body stood on end! I could hardly breathe until it was over.

Composições de enorme beleza e muito bem executadas, em gravações de alta qualidade, tudo deu certo nesse maravilhoso projeto de resgate da excelente obra do maestro Moacir Santos.