Ever since its creation nearly 60 years ago, bossa nova has
been celebrated as a lyrical fusion of American jazz and Brazilian samba. The
family tree of both of those musics, however, can be followed back to their
African roots. With her gorgeous new album Quatro (Bossa Nova Deluxe), the
Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based vocalist Douyé brings the conversation full
circle, instilling an extra helping of African rhythm and electricity into the
tropical cool of bossa classics by Antonio Carlos Jobim along with reimagined
jazz standards.
For Quatro (Bossa Nova Deluxe), due out April 5, 2019 via
Rhombus Records, Douyé enlisted the talents of several renowned
arranger/musicians, each of whom provided unique but equally stunning settings
to showcase her entrancing voice. All of them converge through the singer’s
unique vision, which filters their diverse approaches through a distinctly
personal perspective.
“I didn't want to make a typical bossa nova album like I’ve
heard ten trillion times before,” she says. “I wanted to add my own thing to
it: my own identity, my own sound, my own style. The true essence of this
project is my African heritage. As an artist, part of my duty is to infuse my
heritage and identity into my music.”
Jazz and bossa nova are as much part of Douyé’s musical
upbringing as the music of her Nigerian home, making the blend a perfect fit.
She grew up surrounded by the sounds of her father’s extensive jazz collection,
which ran the gamut of genres and styles. “Bossa nova is a sound that I’ve
lived with from childhood on,” she recalls. “My dad would play all kinds of
jazz from African jazz like Fela Kuti to more traditional American and European
jazz to Latin and Brazilian jazz.”
Douyé repaid her father for his profound influence with her
last album, Daddy Said So, and honors him in the context of her latest endeavor
through a simmering Latin jazz take on the Horace Silver favorite “Song For My
Father.” She’d begun writing her own music as a child, singing in church choirs
as well as mimicking her father’s albums. As she split her time between Lagos
and England throughout her youth, Douyé dreamed of pursuing her passion for
music in the States.
She eventually moved to L.A. to study at the Musicians
Institute as a vocal major. While there she met and formed a musical
partnership with songwriter Terry Shaddick, best known for composing the
massive hit “Physical” for Olivia Newton-John. Together the two penned all of
the original music for her first two albums, Journey and So In Love, and
they’ve continued to maintain a close artistic relationship as Douyé has moved
away from soul and R&B and into jazz.
It took a visit to the Brazilian state of Bahia, with its
heavy concentration of people and customs of African descent, to inspire her to
craft her own take on the bossa tradition. “I remember going to Bahia and
seeing that these people looked like me,” she says. “That made me realize that
I can marry this African sound with the bossa nova. I didn't want the album to
be just cool jazz, where you sit back and go to sleep – I wanted it to have a
little bit more rhythm and energy to it.”
The versatile pianist John di Martino (Jon Hendricks, Pat
Martino) offers thrilling interpretations of several songs (including the
aforementioned “Song For My Father”) for an all-star combo that includes
Brazilian drum great Duduka Da Fonseca, bassist and longtime Mingus Big Band
music director Boris Kozlov, and Weather Report/Ahmad Jamal percussionist
Manolo Badrena. His contributions are highlighted by a swooning version of
Jobim’s “How Insensitive.” Jed Levy’s flute weaves around Douyé’s vocal on
“Summer Samba (So Nice).”
The album receives a big band jolt from the charts of
drummer Zack O’Farrill, who Douyé refers to as “my Nelson Riddle.” The two had
worked together on Daddy Said So and forged a collaboration that the singer
likens to that between Frank Sinatra and his most acclaimed arranging partner.
“We’re very close,” she says. “He understands me perfectly and knows how to
capture what I’m trying to do.” O’Farrill’s efforts include a thrilling “Agua
De Beber” that spotlights the deft trumpet playing of David Adewumi, a pulsing
take on Horace Silver’s “Nica’s Dream,” and a vivid elaboration of Jobim’s “One
Note Samba” propelled by the arranger’s intricate rhythms. Bassist Phil Small
also provides a sultry rendition of “Lover Man” for the large ensemble.
Hailing from Brazil, guitarist Angelo Metz contributes four
Jobim classics that most closely adhere to the bossa form, including “Triste,”
“Corcovado,” “Wave,” and the immortal “Girl From Ipanema.” His formidable
quartet includes renowned Venezuelan pianist Otmaro Ruiz and Colombian-born
saxophonist/flutist Justo Almario, who enjoyed a long association with Mongo
Santamaria. Drummer Evan Hyde brings a laid-back swing feel to “Watch What
Happens;” pianist Mike Eckroth adds a lush “Once I Loved” featuring a
heartbreaking flugelhorn solo by Freddie Hendrix; Brazilian guitarists Marcel
Camargo and Romero Lumbarbo pair with the singer for intimate versions of
“Desafinado” and “Dindi,” respectively.
Quatro is the Portuguese word for “four” – a reference to
Douyé’s birthday, January 4, which she’ll celebrate slightly belatedly with the
release of this heartfelt new album. It’s more of a gift for listeners, though:
a lush and soulful excursion for jazz lovers, a delectable new twist for
aficionados of bossa nova.
Douyé · Quatro (Bossa Nova Deluxe)
Rhombus Records · Release Date: April 5, 2019
