Renee Rosnes | Crossing Paths

Some paths meet at a single crossroads then move on along their predetermined journeys. Others crisscross again and again, each juncture altering their directions and destinations until the two become indelibly intertwined.

The latter has been the case for the renowned pianist and composer Renee Rosnes and her lifelong love of Brazilian music. The two converge with stunning results on Crossing Paths, Rosnes’ new release for Smoke Sessions Records, instantly marking a highlight of her already remarkable career.

The album, due out December 6, 2024, finds a stellar band exploring masterpieces from the songbooks of Brazil’s most revered composers, entrancingly melding the beguiling rhythms of bossa nova, frevo, samba, afoxé, and other styles with Rosnes’ visionary approach to modern jazz. The pianist is joined by a phenomenal band mixing American jazz masters (saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Steve Davis, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Adam Cruz) with contemporary Brazilian voices (guitarist Chico Pinheiro, percussionist Rogério Boccato and vocalist Maucha Adnet) and the classical flutist Shelley Brown, who is a longtime member of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra.

Thrillingly, the album is graced by special guest appearances from legendary artists and composers Edu Lobo and Joyce Moreno, who perform their own classic songs. Both provide a direct link from Rosnes’ contemporary interpretations to “the second generation” post Bossa Nova era, granting this gorgeous new album the imprimatur of some of the music’s pioneering artists.

Like most North American listeners, Rosnes’ path first crossed that of the great Brazilian composers through the immortal songs of Antônio Carlos Jobim, soon followed by Native Dancer, Wayne Shorter’s classic 1975 collaboration with Milton Nascimento. Her passion was truly ignited in her late teens when she discovered the iconic singer Elis Regina, who became a superstar in her native Brazil before her tragic death at the age of 36.

“I love her music,” Rosnes marvels. “Hearing Elis sing made an instant and indelible impact on me. Several of the songs and composers on this recording, I initially discovered through her recordings.”

While Crossing Paths is the first project that Rosnes has wholly dedicated to Brazilian music, it’s far from her only exploration of the songbook. Her adoration of the music can be traced throughout her career. Her Juno Award-winning 1996 Blue Note album Ancestors opened with Edu Lobo’s “Upa Neguinho,” and 1999s Art & Soul included Egberto Gismonti’s “Sanfona.” Jobim’s catalogue is represented by “Modinha” on Manhattan Rain (2012) and by “Double Rainbow” on her 2010 two-piano outing with husband Bill Charlap, Double Portrait.

Rosnes’ most extensive opportunity delving into the repertoire came in 1998 when she was enlisted by Joyce Moreno (also known by the one-word sobriquet Joyce) for the singer-guitarist’s 1998 tribute album, Astronauta: Canções de Elis [Songs of Elis]. For that outing, she split piano duties with the late, great Mulgrew Miller and was thrilled to record the Jobim classic “Waters of March” with bossa nova titan Dori Caymmi sharing vocal duties.

“I was honored to have been a part of Joyce’s special tribute to Elis,” Rosnes recalls.

Moreno, now 76, returns the favor on Crossing Paths to sing a mesmerizing rendition of her song “Essa Mulher,” originally recorded as the title track of a 1979 Elis Regina album and a year later by Moreno herself on Feminina. The first verse unfolds as a graceful, delicate piano/voice duet before the band enters gently, highlighted by Davis’ sensitive trombone accompaniment.

The album’s other special guest, Edu Lobo, joins for two of his own gems. His relationship with Rosnes began when she received an Instagram message from the singer-songwriter praising her recording of “Upa Neguinho.” A digital pen pal friendship was struck up, bearing fruit on his pair of striking vocals on “Pra Dizer Adeus” and “Casa Forte.” Rosnes’ own voice can also be heard on “Pra Dizer Adeus” as she sings along in unison with her improvised piano solo. At 81, Lobo’s voice is only enriched by age, vividly conveying the songs’ emotional complexity despite language barriers.

Crossing Paths opens with a spirited take on Gismonti’s “Frevo,” with Rosnes, Pinheiro, and Brown as the fluid frontline. Brown is one of Rosnes’ oldest friends, dating back to their days as roommates at the University of Toronto. The session offered Rosnes her first opportunity to play with Pinheiro, surprisingly given how magically their two voices combine on their exhilarating duet inventions here, which follow a virtuosic turn by Patitucci on electric bass.

“There’s a wildly compelling athleticism to Egberto Gismonti’s music,” says Rosnes. “Whether listening to it or playing it, you get pulled into a strong vortex of energy.”

Caetano Veloso’s “Trilhos Urbanos” is a Brazilian anthem depicting the bustling streetcars of his Bahia hometown, Santo Amaro, here fueling lively solos by Davis, Pinheiro, and the leader. While she could have opted for any number of familiar Jobim melodies for the date, Rosnes chose the more obscure “Canta, Canta Mais.” The song is stirringly rendered by the Rio-born contralto Maucha Adnet, who spent ten years singing with Antonio Carlos Jobim and his Nova Banda. Adnet invited the band to join her with vocals, in keeping with the lyric (which translates as, “Sing, Sing More”). The album concludes with a return to Jobim for “Caminhos Cruzados,” which translates to “Crossing Paths” featuring a second intoxicating Adnet vocal and a poignant piano solo.

“There’s a certain vulnerability to Maucha’s voice,” Rosnes says. “Even though I’m not conversant in Portuguese, it’s easy to hear that she is a gifted storyteller. There is a beautiful humanity and spirituality coming through the lyric.”

Chris Potter joins the ensemble for three tracks. Lobo’s classic “Casa Forte” features a sprightly soprano solo leading directly into Rosnes dancing across the keys. Gilberto Gil’s “Amor Até O Fim” finds his muscular tenor sparring with Rosnes’ grooving Rhodes, while Milton Nascimento’s “Estórias da Floresta” reprises the tenor/Rhodes combo over an evocative rhythm forest conjured by Cruz and Boccato. The piece comes from Nascimento’s 1990 album Txai, which was inspired by the composer’s desire to bring more attention to the plight of the Amazon rain forest and its indigenous people.

The song’s environmental concerns resonate with Rosnes’ own, which she’s expressed on albums like her 2018 Smoke Sessions release Beloved of the Sky.

While Crossing Paths could be seen as a departure for Rosnes, it arrives as the culmination of a long-held dream, realized brilliantly. “This project was sparked in my mind about three decades ago,” she says. “I’ve always been passionate about the music of Brazil, and finally, the time felt right to embark on it. With this band, I knew I was with players who hold great respect and love for this music, and that together we could make these songs come alive in the way I had imagined.”