NEW RELEASES: GAL COSTA - ESTRATOSFERICA; DUSKO GOYOVICH – LATIN HAZE; GIUSEPPI BASSI / DOMENICO SANNA – JUST YOU, JUST ME

GAL COSTA - ESTRATOSFERICA

Gal Costa looks surpisingly youthful on the cover – and she's also sounding more youthful in her music than we've heard in many years – thanks to a key collaboration with Kassin and Moreno Veloso! Both of the younger musicians really find a fresh space for Gal to work with – a nice shift away from some of the more staid, mature modes of her other recent records – and a style that brings out all the creativity that made us fall in love with Costa so many years ago! This shift isn't a return to Tropicalia, but instead a move towards that playful, genre-stepping territory that you'll find in both Veloso and Kassin's music, especially the latter. One of Costa's best in years – and with titles that include "Amor Se Aclame", "Anuviar", "Espelho D'Agua", "Ecstasy", "Jabitaca", and "Sem Medo Nem Esperanca".  ~ Dusty Groove

DUSKO GOYOVICH – LATIN HAZE

The mighty Dusko Goykovich lives again – in a record that may well be one of the best we've heard in many years from the legendary trumpeter! Make no mistake, we love Dusko in all of his many settings – but there's a special sort of magic here that takes us back to the style and charm we loved in Goykovich's first great recordings of the 60s – especially some of his performances with the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band! As with those sides, this one features a larger ensemble – with Big Band RTS – with Goykovich providing most of the solos, and also the full set of songs and arrangements for the record too – which means that the larger ensemble plays in a manner that's very much in keeping with Dusko's legacy. There's a number of Latin currents in the rhythms – which again echo some of Dusko's MPS material – and titles include "Latin Haze", "Sambalero", "In The Sign Of Libra", "Inga", "Quo Vadis Samba", and "Danca Comigo".  ~  Dusty Groove

GIUSEPPI BASSI / DOMENICO SANNA – JUST YOU, JUST ME

Stunning duets between Giuseppi Bassi on bass and Domenico Sanna on piano – played at a level that really seems to put equal focus on both instruments throughout – as the musicians effortlessly shift between melody and rhythm, and create some amazing sounds in the process! Bassi's instrument is wonderfully upfront in the mix – giving the album this rich, bottom-heavy sound, even in the more subtle moments – which seems to create a flow that unlocks notes on Sanna's piano in this wonderful way – sometimes tippling lightly, sometimes with more complicated phrasing – always full of color and imagination throughout. Titles include "Giro Chi", "Humbolt Street #63", "Isfahan", "NYC Subway Love", and "Reginella".  ~ Dusty Groove