By Brooks Geiken

Any aficionado of Brazilian music and jazz will find plenty to be delighted by in these three discs. 

Suddenly, apparently at the whim of the zeitgeist, a number of Brazilian musicians are releasing significant recordings. One of the most impressive is Vã Revelação (Vain Revelation), the new album from singer Bruna Black and Grammy-nominated composer/John Finbury (lyrics were written by Black, Vitor Ramil,  Apoena Frota, Thalma De Freitas, Alexia Bomtempo, Caro Pierotto & Grecco Burrato). Black is a vocalist who specializes in caressing tunes into lulling life, and this splendid effort comes off as a return to the ’60s, when it seemed that every song that came out of Brazil was a hit. Black and Finbury don’t pull this off alone. They are assisted by a group of brilliant musicians: Chico Pinheiro, guitar, Duduka Da Fonseca, drums, Vitor Gonçalves, piano, Rhodes, and accordion, Rogério Boccato, percussion, and jazz bassist John Patitucci. These musicians bring a wealth of experience to this special record.

The title tune, “Vã Revelação,” cooks at a medium tempo, the better to showcase Black’s nuanced phrasing and Finbury’s gorgeous melodies. On both “Vã Revelação” and “Pérolas” (Pearls), guitarist Pinheiro solos briefly, enhancing the atmosphere. The band kicks it up a notch on “Para Me Entender” (So That You Understand Me). Black loosens up her delivery and the band responds in kind. In “Inverno de Nós Dois” (Our Winter) Finbury’s music addresses the trauma of a love that has ended. Black and Patitucci make notable contributions, the former via her deft delivery of the hauntingly sad lyric, and a bass solo that heightens the melancholy.

Love songs and variations on the theme of desire populate the rest of the album. “Nosso Cais” (Our Pier), “Uma Noite Com Você” (A Night With You), “Romântico Calor” (Romantic Heat), and “Será” (Could It Be) look at romance from several different perspectives.

The final song on Vã Revelação, “Chão de Nuvem” (Cloud Floor), bounces along slowly, pushed by Gonçalves on accordion and Pinheiro on guitar.  The chorus at the song’s end makes use of all the musicians, who sing along in perfect harmony. It is a fitting way to end a beautifully conceived album, brought to life by the superb singing of Black and the passionate words of its lyricists, including Black. Vã Revelação only contains nine songs — it left this listener wanting much more.

Educator, composer, arts administrator, and trombonist Felipe Brito’s debut record, Não Deixe Para Amanhã (Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow), will also turn heads and ears. The six compositions are nicely varied, elements of modern-infused music that draws on Brazilian music genres, including samba, bossa nova, maracatú, and alujá.  The result is a wonderful, bright, and powerful musical stew with all the right ingredients in the proper proportions.

The opening track is “Vai” (Go!), and the band (Brito on trombone, Raphael Ferreira on tenor and soprano saxophones, Fabio Leandro on piano, Jackson Silva on bass, and Rodrigo “Digão” Braz on drums) kicks it into high gear right from the jump. Brito makes the first statement, displaying his great brassy range; Ferreira and Braz follow, trading four-bar phrases. On “Aos Amigos da Vida” (“To Friends For Life”), the band gets to stretch out a bit more, and Silva takes an extended solo. The dialogue between Brito on trombone and Ferreira on soprano is well executed.

Perhaps the best example of Brito’s trombone skills comes on the tune “Pegada.” His solo launches the proceedings into another dimension. “Não Deixa Cair” (“Don’t Let It Fall”) is a rip-roaring fast tune with a great Fender Rhodes solo by Leandro. A nod to bossa nova, “Chiquita Hermosa” (Beautiful Girl), catches fire as it shifts the focus from Brito to Ferreira.

Brito’s sublime writing/arrangement chops are evident in the title song, “Não Deixe Para Amanhã.” Of particular interest: the sassy soprano of Ferreira and the acoustic piano of Leandro. The ensemble performances reach their peak here. Special mention should go to the bass and drums — Braz and Silva push the music along by applying just the right amount of spice.

In his debut recording, Brito explores some great Brazilian grooves via a super-charged group of first-rate musicians. Any aficionado of Brazilian music and jazz will find plenty to be delighted by.

Pianist and bandleader Antonio Adolfo delves into the past in his latest CD, Love Cole Porter. For those who are not very familiar with Brazilian musical history, the idea of giving 10 Cole Porter tunes a full Brazilian treatment might seem to be an outlandish idea. The fact is, Antonio Carlos Jobim and other Brazilian composers were enamored with Porter’s music, to the point that it influenced the development of bossa nova. For Adolfo, it was natural to want to revisit the melodies he heard as a child and bring them to life once again.

Adolfo has assembled a stellar cast to play these songs: Jessé Sadoc on trumpet, Danilo Sinna on alto saxophone, Marcelo Martins on tenor and soprano saxophones and flute, Rafael Rocha on trombone, Lula Galvão on guitar, Jorge Helder on bass, Rafael Barata on drums and percussion, and Dada Costa on percussion.

Starting with “Easy to Love,” Adolfo’s punchy horn arrangements speak directly to how Porter’s melodic gifts resonated with Brazilian sensibilities. The heady jazz influence of Martins on tenor and Rocha on trombone provides a sonic one-two punch. A favorite of singers and instrumentalists, Porter’s “I Concentrate on You” is supplied here with a subdued bossa nova tempo. Big band Brazilian swing comes through loud and clear during “I Love You,” which is highlighted by a blistering solo from Sadoc. In his version of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” Adolfo chooses a lush approach that focuses on his piano and Martins’s floating soprano. The percussion section, Costa and Barata, get an opportunity to show off their collective chops in “Love For Sale,” as does Galvão on electric guitar. On the final selection, “You Do Something To Me,” Sinna is given a chance to shine on alto sax. And the percussion section proffers a lesson on how a real samba is played.

Throughout the recording, bandleader Adlolfo’s piano work is characterized by subtle, understated grace. Love Cole Porter lives up to its title and then some: a selection of the composer’s most memorable songs are treated with dazzling affection.

Brooks Geiken is a retired Spanish teacher with a lifelong interest in music, specifically Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and Black American music. His wife thinks he should write a book titled “The White Dude’s Guide to Afro-Cuban and Jazz Music.” Brooks lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.