NEW RELEASES: VANESSA DA MATA – SEGUE O SOM; MARTINHO DA VILA – ENREDO; PIERRE DORGE & THE NEW JUNGLE ORCHESTRA – TJAK TJAKA TCHICAI

VANESSA DA MATA – SEGUE O SOM

Really wonderful work from Vanessa Da Mata – a Brazilian singer who just seems to get better and better over the years! The set features sublime production from guitarist Liminha and bassist Kassin – the latter of whom always has this amazing way of folding things together, so that complicated elements come off with effortless ease – really making for a complexity in the music, but one that's quite subtle too. Vanessa's up front, letting her incredible voice really soar out over the top of the tunes – while Kassin and Liminha keep things very fresh from an instrumental perspective. Titles include "Segue O Som", "Homem Preto", "Por Onde Ando Tenho Voce", "My Grandmother Told Me", "Rebola Nega", "Um Sorriso Entre Nos Dois", and "Nao Sei Dizer Adeus".  ~ Dusty Groove

MARTINHO DA VILA – ENREDO

Soulful samba from the great Martinho Da Vila – still every bit as joyous and lively as during his famous years of the 70s! The album's a rock-solid set from start to finish – and really lives up to Martinho's long musical legacy, which hasn't dimmed a bit – while also finding space for collaborations with guest stars who include Alcione, Beth Carvalho, Maria Freitas, Martinho Tonho, Mart'Nalia, and others. Titles include a host of Da Vila's classics, some worked into medley numbers – with tracks that include "Carlos Gomes", "Tamadare/Rui Barbosa", "Travalhadores Do Brasil", "Prece Ao Sol/Iemanja Desperta", "Raizes/Tribo Dos Carajas", and "Por Ti America/Pra Tudo Se Acabar Na Quarta Feira".  ~ Dusty Groove

PIERRE DORGE & THE NEW JUNGLE ORCHESTRA – TJAK TJAKA TCHICAI

Pierre Dorge pays tribute to the late reedman John Tchicai – a frequent musical partner over the years, and a player who's shaped the sound of countless others on both sides of the Atlantic! Tchicai got his start with Archie Shepp on the New York scene of the 60s, but moved over to Denmark by the end of that decade – and ended up having a good deal of interaction with guitarist Pierre Dorge in years to come, including performances on some of the best sessions by the New Jungle Orchestra! This album really recalls those great ones – as Dorge chooses tunes that seem to have an especially spiritual flavor, and evoke Tchicai in ways that most of the group's recent work might not have – using especially strong passages from reed players who include Jakob Mygind on tenor and soprano, Anders Banke on tenor and bass clarinet, and Morten Carlson on tenor and taragot. Titles include "Mozombo", "A Rufous Mot Mot", "Jungle Sketches", "Autobahn Tchicai Zwei", "Lucianus In Congo", and "Tjak Tjaka Tchicai".  ~ Dusty Groove