Tuesday, January 06, 2015

NEW RELEASES: THE CHICO BUARQUE EXPERIENCE – VERSIONS BY O.J. CASTRO; BARRY GUY – FIVE FIZZLES FOR SAMUEL BECKETT; GAZZARA - PLAY ME MY SONG: GAZZARA PLAYS GENESIS

THE CHICO BUARQUE EXPERIENCE – VERSIONS BY O.J. CASTRO

A really great tribute to the legendary Brazilian singer/songwriter Chico Buarque – a set that presents some of his best songs ever, with English lyrics exclusive to the recording – at a level that only makes us love Chico's music even more than before! The project was put together by OJ Castro, and the choice of instrumentation and singers is very sensitive, and very true to Buarque's original intention – with just the right traces of samba and jazz at times, and interpretation of the English lyrics by Brazilian singers who are still quite familiar with Chico's original words. Singers include Ze Renato, Cris Delanno, Clarisse Grova, Claudia Vieira, Vanessa Pinheiro, Ithamara Koorax, Altay Veloso, and Cely Curado – and titles include English versions of "O Que Sera", "Olhos Nos Olhos", "As Vitrines", "Soneto", "Sem Fantasia", "De Tosas As Maneiras", "Ate Pensei", and "Folhetim".  ~ Dusty Groove

BARRY GUY – FIVE FIZZLES FOR SAMUEL BECKETT

Sublime solo bass from Barry Guy – one of the first musicians to really set the instrument free in improvised music, and still one of the best! The album presents a live performance done in a church in Vilnius in 2009 – and has Guy's incredible sounds echoing out wonderfully throughout – a range of sounds that are very well-captured by the recording quality – from close, careful moments on the surface of the strings – to boldly resonant passages that have a real sense of majesty! (Wonderful limited edition 10" LP pressing too!)  ~ Dusty Groove


GAZZARA - PLAY ME MY SONG: GAZZARA PLAYS GENESIS

An album we never thought we'd see from Francesco Gazzara – but one that still pleases us a heck of a lot! Gazzara's a name we've trusted for funk and other groovy styles from the Italian scene for almost 20 years now – but here, he moves away from his previous jazzy modes into a completely different instrumental realm – as his ensemble takes on the classic sounds of Genesis from the Peter Gabriel era and beyond! Turns out, Gazzara's a hell of a pianist – and often plays a Bosendorfer grand here, along with his more familiar Fender Rhodes and Hammond – in a group that features two violins, cello, and sax and flute from Dario Cecchini – instrumentation that's often used sparingly, so that Gazzara's keyboards are up front and almost solo throughout. We're huge fans of Genesis from this time – and Gazzara really reminds us of the musicianship that went into their famous recordings – as he takes on titles that include "Watcher Of The Skies", "The Cinema Show", "For Absent Friends", "The Lamia", "Firth Of Fifth", "Duke's Travels", "Blood On The Rooftops", "Seven Stones", "The Knife", and "Mad Man Moon".  ~ Dusty Groove


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