Customer Reviews

Rio Strut

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

 

 

I bought this album five days ago and I cannot stop listening to it. Every time I have goose bumps! My idol Deodato, after many years devoted to r&b productions with no creativity, is back to the Fender Rhodes, swing as good as on his CTI days. Only his track, Rio Strut, is enough to make this album a winner!

What a great album! Very well conceived and structured, with a gorgeous sound quality. The opening track, "Macumba Chant", is an epic masterpiece by maestro Thiago de Mello leading his Amazon Big Band. The collaboration between bassist Jorge Pescara and percussionist Laudir Oliveira on "Viuva Negra" is another highlight, propelled by a fantastic afro-cuban groove. Besides so many perfect studio tracks, there is also an intoxicating live version of "Mas Que Nada" by Brazil's leading jazz singer, Ithamara Koorax. Highly recommended album.

Superb all=star session produced by Arnaldo DeSouteiro for his progressive label JSR, featuring old geniuses (Deodato, Donato, Dom Um Romao, Thiago DeMello) and brilliant newcomers (Paula Faour, DJ Fino, Jorge Pescara). Highlights are the tracks by a great duo from Bahia, Palmyra and Levita, and an exciting live performance with singer Ithamara Koorax showing why she is one of the best singers in the world today.

A fairly slick collaborative effort featuring a host of Brazil's jazz-pop fusion elite... Joao Donato Dom Um Romao and Eumir Deodato preside as the grand old men of this lavish project; a dozen other artists pitch in, including the songbirdish Ithamara Koorax, Claudio Roditi, Thuiago de Mello, dino Rangel and others. For the most part this album is too glossy and fusion-y for my tastes, but there are several lovely ballads tucked away amid the many songs with larger arrangements. These moments of grace were enough to keep my attention... fans of modern Brazilian jazz will probably not be disappointed.