It is – and always be – perplexing why in cultural topography as vast and variegated as Brasil is, why contemporary musicians seem to gravitate towards the music of Antônio Carlos Jobim [perhaps a handful of others] particularly when creating a so-called “new” staging or performance of modern Brasilian musical repertoire. What’s infinitely worse is that while there always seems to be a relative glut of “Jobim’s music reinterpreted” there is almost always nothing new there.

However, two years ago, as if by magic up comes a recording by the Doug Richards Orchestra entitled Through a Sonic Prism: The Music of Antônio Carlos Jobim landed from the holy waters of Rio to dazzle the senses like no Jobim repertoire has ever dazzled before. But before doing the inevitable – i.e., doing a deep-dive into this fascinating recording of Mr Jobim’s music, one needs to undertake a review more pressing, that of an equally magical recording by the brilliant composer, pianist and orchestrator Jon Gold, a worthy honorary Brasileiro if ever there is one.

Mr Gold’s album is entitled Chasing Echoes. It almost didn’t get released because the artist was so diffident about it a scratch disc appeared in my mailbox. Then Mr Gold – mysteriously – decided to pull its release. Several months later he, happily, had a change of heart and the recording reappeared. Just as well because once again Mr Gold has hit this one out of the park.

Placing Mr Gold’s whirlwind imagination in his original music in Chasing Echoes and holding a torch for his genius alongside the results of Doug Richards’ interpretations of Mr Jobim’s music is certainly worthy of a few words in humble appreciation.

Let’s begin with Mr Gold’ gorgeous music that cascades in tantalising, elliptical cascades – its breathless  tempi eminently suited to Chasing Echoes. And even when the pianist’s “chase” slows to a shimmering musical still-life the composer animates the music with wisps of mystical melodicism. In both cases, like a true Brasileiro, Mr Gold draws you into the music’s inner Brasilian universe with subtle ingenuity.

The super-gliding ringing in of the emotional and structural changes and gestures is beautifully executed as Mr Gold and the performers beckon us to listen to the music [and its slip-sliding shimmer] from the propulsive opening and progress of the opening track “Breaking the Ice” through his thoughtful character sketches “For Sergio Mendes,” the wistful “Fantasie,” the childlike other-worldliness of “Pegasus,” until he tantalises us with the rhythmic mesmerism of “Nine for MZ.”

The true authenticity of Mr Gold’s Brasilian voice grows more celebratory as he launches into his unique vibe of tumbling pianism which gets more and more delightfully and childlike as he and his co-producer and musical doppelgänger, drummer Mauricio Zottarelli.

That leads to one beautifully tantalising song after the other beginning with the stoic “An Eon of Ages” and hurtles magically through “Chasing Echoes,” the Straussian “Tone Poem for the Americas” until it reaches [what one believes to be the apogee of the album – “Blues Pa’ de Serra,” a sizzling frevo and doffing of the proverbial hat to Hermeto Pascoal. And who could find a better dénouement to this album than in the mood-altering Phrygian episodes of “Athena’s Web.”

This is followed by the perfect finale to the album: a piece of music that echoes in the universality of Mr Gold’s Brasilian samba, “Friends Unlimited.” The music’s echo finds life in its “earth dancing” a geographical metaphor in which the ensemble seems divided into different tonal strata, whose shifting relationships [with chorale and all] evoke the massive natural forces that shape Mr Gold ’s Planet Brasil. On top of these teeming surface life of the  musical processes, Mr Gold creates a virtuoso orchestral superstructure whose riotous details suggest the red Brasilian earth in all its protean variety.

The Brave New World of Symphonic Jobim

Another Alegria e saudade Orchestration of quite another kind is what we find in Doug Richards Orchestra, Through a Sonic Prism: The Music of Antônio Carlos Jobim. It is the kind of orchestration that is evocative of the wave that lap on the shores of Brasil, the kind that probably had much to do with Mr Jobim’s impetus to write the kind of music that like George Gershwin’s music, would likely last until the end of the world as we know it.

This is probably why we cannot get enough of Jobim’s music; why arguably it is – like Mr Gershwin’s, and Charlie Parker’s and Duke Ellington’s and Thelonious Monk’s – among the most imitated, which is to say that there is some pretense of Mr Jobim’s music being “re-imagined” when in fact no fresh light is being shone on it – that too, even by many Brasilian artists. It seems that you cannot hide sycophancy even in the most genuine circumstances.

You would have to discount the Jobim repertory work of some ingenious Brasilian musicians such as Jovino Santos Neto, Duduka Da Fonseca, Mario Adnet and his family, and some of what has been committed to record by Antonio Adolfo.

Elsewhere in the world adulation has been bestowed on artists such as Joni Mitchell, so this kind of musical sycophancy is not unheard of. In fact, we seem to become immune to the prevalence of Modal Jazz equating to unabashed copying of McCoy Tyner or, as Charles Mingus once wrote in an sardonically entitled song “Gunslinging Birds” aka “If Charlie Parker Were a Gunslinger There’d Be a Whole of Dead Copycats.”

But here comes a beautiful breath of fresh air in the form of this recording by the Doug Richards Orchestra. What a stunning turn of events. Full disclosure: the discover that this was the music of Mr Jobim resulted in almost a year of being wrapped in reluctance to actually spin this disc. Such an irrational fear of there would be nothing new in it.

Imagine the shock and awe at finding this was absolutely not the case. Happily, so… In fact, quite the opposite was, and will continue to be true. The first part of the surprise is that not only is this symphonic Jobim, but also the fact that Mr Richards’ orchestrations are brilliant; that each these lush orchestrations are gorgeous in a post-Mendelssohnian way. This is sonic space not only prismatically, but also kaleidoscopically and superbly Antônio Carlos Jobim. In fact, they brought to mind two of Herbie Hancock’s brilliant works that were decades old, but timeless.

The firs of these is Gershwin’s World [Verve, 1998] and its bookend is River: The Joni Letters [Verve, 2007]. Both recitals are idiomatic transliterations of Mr Gershwin’s and Ms Mitchell’s soundscapes. And just like that so is Mr Richards’ recording, making it not only symbolic of Jobim, but – and this is what distinguishes it from any other Jobim repertory including that by Brasilians – also emblematic of the cultural topography of Brasil.

And then there is the fact that Mr Richards is complemented by the masterful vocals of Laura Ann Singh. The artistic sensibilities and proclivities of Mr Richards and Ms Singh are truly complementary of each other. For instance, the inspirational genius of the vocalist is such that she – as if by magic – ignites the complementary spark of ingenuity of the musician of the orchestra to interiorise Mr Jobim’s music and grow his world organically… beautifully and idiomatically.

This is to say the artistic sensibilities – his every sensory faculty – of Mr Richards are philosophically and psychologically imagistic. They create a wholly new musical palimpsest so ingenious and almost independent of Mr Jobim’s. There are other cases like this in music – Roswell Rudd’s, Steve Lacy’s, Buell Neidlinger’s and Misha Mengelberg’s music of Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols, but that’s another level of genius.

What impresses most about Ms Singh’s musicianship – and this is the key that unlocks the door to Mr Jobim’s fabled world – as she is able to make the listener aware of the emotional import of each lyrical phrase. The effect is to impose her will through the sonic prism of Mr Jobim’s world. In song after song, and variation after inexorable variation, Ms Singh is able to find a new tone colour, a different touch of subtle rubato.

In her hands this music is like a living thing; and one senses that with each spin of the record a new performance expression will emerge [and so it does!] so that yet again, one senses that in dark and light, in joy and wistfulness – in alegria e saudade – this music will be reborn again and again showing a strong feeling of lively Brasilian drama.

Ms Singh’s diction is flawless. And it is rendered with an impressive command of the larger paragraphs, as in the long melody that makes the characteristic dalliances of Mr Jobim’s music – well, authentically Jobim’s. Meanwhile, in the most familiar Jobim works, Ms Singh permeates the skin of Mr Jobim’s world and mesmerises the orchestra to following her the manner in which the piper of Hamelin did in his fabled world of long ago.

For instance, “Chega de Saudade,” “Insensatez,” and “A Felicidade” become tastefully and discreetly her own as her command of the music inspires an expressive arc of lyrical sound just as enthralling as the music that is performed by every section of the orchestra in order the heighten the expressive effect of Mr Jobim’s prismatic world. This results in a powerfully expressive Jobim-like Brasileiro world, an extremely persuasive symphonic and sonic prism just as promised in the mysterious title of this gorgeous one-of-a-kind album that we have been dying to have since we first heard the genius of Mr. Jobim, And now it is here…

^{Deo Gratis…}

John Gold: Chasing Echoes
Music – 1. Breaking the Ice; 2. For Sergio Mendes; 3. Fantasie; 4. Pegasus; 5. Nine for MZ; 6. An Eon of Ages; 7. Chasing Echoes; 8. Tone Poem for The Americas; Blues Pé Te Serra; 10. Athena’s Web; 11. Friends United.

Musicians – Jon Gold: piano and keyboards, compositions and co-producer; Toninho Ferragutti: accordion [9]; Jackson Lourençio: bass [6,7, 9, 10, 11]; Mark Egan: bass [1, 5]; Itaiguara Brandão: bass [2]; Michael O’Brien: bass [4]; Mauricio Zottarelli: drums and percussion, co-producer; Aquiles Faneco: guitars [2]; Leonardo César: acoustic guitar [3, 4, 10, 11]; Fabrice LaCourt: guitar [7]; Rodrigo Ursaia: saxophones and flutes [1, 7]; Jorge Continentino: saxophones and flutes [2, 9]; Arthur Calvacanti: soprano saxophone [11]; Miguel Vargas: flutes [6]; Paulo Oliveira: flute [11]; Will Allen Jr: horns [1, 5 – 7]; Alexey Zavgorodniy: violins and violas [4, 6]; Kateryna Mytrofanova: cellos [4, 6]; Marina Marchi: vocals [1, 7]; Juan Lucangioli: vocals [4, 5]; Zoë Fox: vocals [4, 10]; Madrigal CorDaVoz [Rio Claro, Brasil]: vocals [11].

Released: 2025
Label: Entropic Records
[JonStuartGoldMusic.com]
Runtime: 46:53 [approximately]

Doug Richards Orchestra: Through a Sonic Prism: The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim

Doug Richards Orchestra: Through a Sonic Prisim – The Music of Antônio Carlos Jobim
Music – 1. Chovendo na Roseria; 2. É Preceso Dizer Adeus; 3. Samba de Uma Nota Só; 4. Falando da Amor; 5. Chega de Saudade; 6. Insensatez; 7. A Felicidade; 8. Lígia; 9. O Grande Amor; 10. Sabiá; 11. Samba do Avião; 12. Se Todos Fossem Iguais a Você; 13. Meditação; 14, Retrato em Branco Preto. ,

Musicians – Doug Richards: arranger and conductor; Laura Ann Singh: vocals. Woodwinds – John Winn: lead alto saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet, Jim Nesbit: alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute and piccolo [1, 3, 6-9, 11, 12, 14], Lauren Serpa: flute and piccolo [2, 4, 5, 10, 13], J.C. Kuhl: tenor and soprano saxophones and bass clarinet, John Wittman: tenor and soprano saxophones, Rick Rieger: baritone and alto saxophones. Trumpets and Flugelhorns –  Roy Muth: lead [1, 3, 6-9, 11, 12, 14], Mike Davison: lead [2, 4, 5, 10, 13], saxophones and flutes [1, 7], Bob Miller, John D’earth, Taylor Barnett. Trombones – Bryan Hooten: lead, Pete Anderson, Toby Whitaker, Philip Jones: bass trombone. Piano and keyboard – Daniel Clarke [2, 4-6, 8-10, 12-14]; John Toomey: [1, 3, 7, 11]. Adam Larrabee: guitar; Randall Pharr: contrabass and electric bass;  Brian Jones: drums.

Released: 2023
Label: Independent
[dougrichardsmusic.com]
Runtime: 72:53

With the release of Bossa+ the carioca musician Sergio Pereira has added six atmospheric charts [and one resurrected from the catalogue of Harry Warren – and Mack Gordon] to the library of Brasilian bossa nova music. At the first listen it is clear that there is an extremely high degree of elegance and musicality at work here.

It is easy to discern this because clearly this music has been composed for friends who parley regularly. This has freed the composer from the demands of formality and allowing him to engage – and delight in – the essence of “carioca cool” which is the quintessence of the bossa groove.

But here Mr Pereira adds something more, and this is his idiomatic mastery of two streams of music that he intends to bring to bear on his music: a breezy Brasilian eloquence and a tumbling jazzy groove. The guitarist and violão player uses his command of both instruments and displays electric flashes of energy playing both while occasionally singing vocalise. The title of this release also speaks to the multiplicity of new musical paths that Mr Pereira  embarks on.

The apogee of this approach can be heard to perfection on “Saudades,” which also just happens to be an effable – almost evanescent expression – that defines an almost mysterious fleeting Brasilian emotion. Elsewhere music seems to capture the very flora and fauna of the composer’s native land. Several of the most poignant moments come during a songful tribute to Pat Metheny entitled “One for Pat,” and on the samba “Desamor.”

The music has been deeply interiorised by the performers who are, of course, fully attuned with the composer’s vision and artistry. It is easy to imagine this as being true of the drummer and percussionist Mauricio Zottarelli, who is [after all] an artistic twin of the guitarist and composer, having forged a musical alliance with Mr Pereira on other albums in the past. However, the splendid east with which the rest of the cast falls in with the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic demands of this music is admirable.

The music is gentle, touching and painted in sensible human proportions. It appears as if new paths have been carved out of old forests. Same old genes, newly expressed – especially on the parts of Mr Zottarelli, and guests Romero Lubambo, Ivan ‘Melón’ Lewis, Iván Ruiz Machado and José San Martin as the music here reveals new dimensions to the sonic miracles created by an incredibly special musician – Sergio Pereira.

^{Deo Gratis…}

Music – 1. Bossa; 2. Sea of Love; 3. One for Pat; 4. Montgo; 5. Saudades; 6. Desamor; 7. There Will Never Be Another You.

Musicians – Sergio Pereira: voice, guitars, violão, percussion and compositions; Chipi Chacón: trumpet and flugelhorn; Luis Guerra: piano and keyboards; Ariel Ramirez: electric bass; Mauricio Zottarelli: drums, percussion, arrangements and production. Guests – Romero Lubambo: violão [3, 5]; Ivan ‘Melón’ Lewis: piano [3]; Iván Ruiz Machado: contrabass [3]; José San Martin: drums [3].

Released: 2025
Label: Tiger Turn
[sergiopereira.com]
Runtime: 35:26

Every time that the inimitable Mafalda Minnozzi produces a new Brasilian recording she sets the bar higher – putting that bar so much higher that only she will probably surmount it… with her next album, no doubt.

No one should be surprised by the hyperbole. Ms Minnozzi is sublime on Riofonic. She combines the delicate and languorous Brasilian idiom with her own livelier Italian style. Her youthful voice and her duets – with the great Roberto Menescal – on Só Danço Samba, Telefon, Tu si ‘na cosa grande and Você sound pliant and delightfully fresh.

This disc is a triumph. The music – including music you may have heard many times before – the lyrical words of love, loneliness and loss, of joy, longing and hope seem written for her alone. Ms Minnozzi internalises each song as she waxes eloquent through the lyrics. This is, indeed, the case.

From her heart and out of her breath, each of these renditions become classic again. The reason? Each of the songs is born again with declamatory vocal ardour, accompanied by orchestral finesse thanks to arrangements of beckoning elegance.

As she soars upwards on every lovingly crafted phrase, Ms Minnozzi is once again as golden as ever in her top register, and equally untarnished as she swoops below. Ever the queen of precise diction in her [Brasilian] Portuguese, Ms Minnozzi waxes poetic in the evocative lyric of O Barquinho and the seductive intimacy of both Você and the beautifully sashaying Garota de Ipanema.

Paul Ricci’s sound world has obviously made a significant impression on the rest of the stellar cast of musicians. The clean, light-textured sound of these performances conveys the music’s unique emotion and yearning. Ms Minnozzi flies high above it all with musicianship that is passionate and ravishing.

There is no one like her who comes from outside Brasil who inhabits Brasilian popular song with the kind of understanding, depth of emotion, and rhythmic swagger as Mafalda Minnozzi. For this and every other reason that makes a recording great. Brava tutti…

^{Deo Gratis…}

Music – 1. Rio; 2. Corcovado; 2. Só Danço Samba; 3. Café South American Style; 4. Eu e a brisa; 5. O Barquinho; 6. Telefon; 7. Tu si ‘na cosa grande; 8. Postcard from Rio; 9. Você; 10. Postcard from Rio; 11. The Gentle Rain; 12. Garota de Ipanema; 13. Se é tarde me perdoa; 14. Água de Beber.

Musicians – Mafalda Minnozzi: vocals; Roberto Menescal: vocals [2, 6, 7, 9] and acoustic guitar [1 – 7, 9, 12, 14]; Paul Ricci: electric guitar and acoustic guitar [10, 12]; Kassin: electric bass [1 – 7, 9, 10, 12 – 14] Jorge Helder: contrabass [8, 11]; João Cortéz: drums and percussion; Jaques Morelenbaum: violoncello [11]; Rafael Rocha: trombone [7, 10, 13]; Marcelo Martins: tenor saxophone [10, 12], soprano saxophone [4], flute [6] and alto flute [5]; Jessé Sadoc: trumpet [10] and flugelhorn [13].

Released: 2025
Label: Musica Populare Italiana mpi2321
[mafaldaminnozzi.com]
Runtime: 56:18