Brazil is leading the
world per capita in coronavirus cases making it unlikely that people will be
cramming into a concert venue anytime soon to hear live music. Then there is
the recent unrest that erupted in response to civil injustices in the US that
bodes to spark meaningful change around the world. These are the events that
inspired contemporary jazz pianist Ricardo Bacelar to release a new version of
the Milton Nascimento classic “Nothing Will Be As It Was (Nada Sera Como
Antes)” as a single ahead of the release of his “Live in Rio (Ao Vivo No Rio)”
album, which drops August 21 from Bacelar Productions.
“‘Nothing Will Be As It Was’ summarizes the existential
questions raised globally by the coronavirus pandemic. Add to it the civil
injustice and unrest that has surfaced over the last couple of weeks with Black
Lives Matter, which is an especially important movement. We’re talking about
the subject here in Brazil, too. We have a lot of problems with racism here,
but our people have not yet taken the streets to protest and have social
demonstrations. The world is watching the United States and people are talking
about these issues everywhere,” said Bacelar who produced the 11-song “Live in
Rio” collection.
Bacelar’s 2018 album, “Sebastiana,” contains a very
different version of “Nothing Will Be As It Was,” which was sung in English by
American singer Maye Osorio and accompanied by an animated video that suited
the pop-electronic rendition of the song. The new live version has a different
arrangement and features Bacelar dueting with Brazilian vocalist-pianist Delia
Fischer in Portuguese backed by a jazz band.
“I chose to release this single thinking about this moment
and the lyrics of the song. The lyrics are like a photograph of the moment.
It’s a very famous song in Brazil that was originally recorded in 1976 when we
were under a military dictatorship. The lyrics say ‘I know that tomorrow
nothing will be like before, What news of my friends will they give me? What
news of you will they give me?’ People were disappearing at the hands of the
dictatorial military regime. And now people are disappearing – dying – because
of the virus. Everyone in Brazil, the United States and all over the world have
lost friends due to the virus,” said Bacelar.
“Live in Rio” was recorded in May 2018 at The Blue Note in
Rio while Bacelar was promoting “Sebastiana.” He trimmed the 17-song set to the
eleven tunes that appear on the live record feeling that the selected song list
on the disc represents a balanced sampling of his repertoire and body of work.
The outing includes tunes penned by Brazilian icons Nascimento, Tom Jobim, Gilberto
Gil and Flora Purim along with American greats Benny Golson, Horace Silver, Pat
Metheny and Chick Corea. Also included is a composition that Bacelar wrote with
producer Cesar Lemos (Ricky Martin, Paulina Rubio) titled “Sernambetiba, 1992”
from “Sebastiana.”
“I love the sound of the album because you can hear the
energy of the live performance and the sound of playing in a jazz club. The
Blue Note isn’t a big place – about 300 people – so you can hear the ambiance
of playing in a small club. The microphone on the piano picked up the other
instruments like the drums and saxophone because it’s a small place. The sound
is very different than what you get in the studio where the sound is more clean,”
said Bacelar who was accompanied by guitarist João Castilho,
saxophonist-flutist Danilo Sina, double bassist Alexandre Katatau, drummer
Renato Endrigo and percussionist André Siqueira.
The idea of dropping the live album now began earlier in
quarantine when Bacelar sat to record a solo piano piece for his social media.
It made him think about the isolation people were feeling and the role live
music plays and the unique energy it possesses.
“The time in isolation is accompanied by multiple
experiences and music is a fundamental vehicle for perception, connection and
the formation of perspectives that bring meaning to the events on personal,
spiritual and emotional levels. I wanted to remind people of the sound of live
music. People need the warm sound and feelings of live music as opposed to the
electronic stuff we hear on studio recordings. By listening to this live album,
you can embrace the warm sound from the safety and comfort of your home.”
As an artist, Bacelar wants “Live in Rio” to be viewed as
more than just a live recording. He wants the album to have impact, to say
something, which is clearly reflected in his choice of the first single.
“The album is not only about the songs. Without art and
abstraction, life is meaningless. Artists have to have a position, make a
statement about something and have a voice – not just sing and play piano. The
album is a concept – with the arrangements, the cover, the lyrics. It’s important
to me to send an important message.”
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