The Spotlight Series highlights upcoming Latin Jazz musicians that have yet to reach national recognition. Many of these musicians thrive in local scenes and some tour in support of releases. All these musicians contribute greatly to the overall Latin Jazz scene, and they deserve our “spotlighted” attention.

Tudo Azul
Susan Pereira and Sabor Brasil
Riony Records
It’s easy for jazz musicians to incorporate Brazilian styles into the repertoire by utilizing the genre’s surface elements, but an artist with a broad perspective looks at the bigger picture. For years, jazz musicians have taken standards and thrown samba and bossa nova rhythms under the changes, despite a complete disconnect between the harmonic material and the rhythmic basis. At first this awkward combination was an opportunity to capitalize upon the bossa nova’s popularity as a dance form, and often times, the resultant rhythm section work clumsily supported the song with a cross between straight rock rhythms and latin-esqe syncopations. Singers became entranced with the rich melodies of Brazilian music, and numerous vocalists traveled through the Jobim songbook, forcing traditional jazz phrasing upon stylistically defined melodies. Times have changed, the use of Brazilian rhythms have become commonplace, and musicians have become more educated about the construction of Brazilian rhythms. Musicians align melodies and arrangements with Brazilian rhythmic structures and rhythm section players play genres with a more authentic feel. Still, a cultural disconnect occurs for most jazz musicians; they have a limited number of Brazilian styles at their fingertips and their knowledge of Brazilian repertoire covers a small area. They don’t understand the important balance between vocalists and instrumentalists within the music and how both types of musicians can support one another. These deeper insights emerge within musicians that take the time to step back and view the bigger picture of Brazilian music and then explore its relationship with jazz. Pianist and vocalist Susan Pereira and her group Sabor Brasil demonstrate this broad vision on Tudo Azul, developing a musical approach that respects the large world of Brazilian culture while staying firmly rooted in jazz aesthetics.

Traditional Brazilian Song With Jazz Influences
Pereira stays close to a traditional interpretation of Brazilian song on many pieces, always adding an interpretive touch of jazz influences. The rhythm section plays a racing rhythm behind Pereira’s stretched lyric before adding a new momentum with an up-tempo samba on the Jobim & de Moraes tune “O Morro Não Tem Vez,” while the horn players push the whole group forward with abrupt punches. Trumpet player Claudio Roditi builds a potent statement with distinct rhythmic phrasing around the samba rhythm while pianist Dario Eskenazi tears through the changes with running lines and a bebop flair. Pereira jumps into an energetic scat grounded by an inventive lyrical nature, engaging her husband, drummer Vanderlei Pereira in a stylistically strong rhythmic conversation. Guitarist Romero Lubambo keeps a steady bossa nova rhythm while Pereira lusciously winds the melody around the groove on Rosa & Vadico’s “Feitio de Oração” until bassist Kip Reed and Vanderlei Pereira step into the mix. As Lubambo keeps the momentum flowing with his gentle percussive comping, Pereira displays a lyrical approach to improvisation on the piano, spinning delicate melodies. Lubambo takes an extended turn at the changes, creating long lines of rich melodic material that touch deeply upon both jazz and Brazilian influences. Pereira boldly sings an unaccompanied call and response lyric, dedicated to the Candomblé deity Yemanjá on “Maracakim” before a huge batucada enters behind her. Saxophonist Laura Dreyer begins her improvisation slowly, only backed by percussion, developing an interesting statement that wanders through the rhythmic basis with a strong creative energy. A huge chorus joins Pereira as she returns to the main melody before she give the batucada a chance to highlight their powerful sound. Reed starts a lazy groove that finds its pace as the complete rhythm sections joins on “Na Baixa do Sapateiro,” giving Pereira an opportunity to indulge in a dark and intriguing tone that shapes her melodic interpretation. Eskenazi takes a slowly exploratory solo that cuts through the groove with a subdued momentum and touches upon the vast harmonic colors inherent in the song. Harmonica player Hendrik Meurkens follows with a slightly more rhythmic improvisation that combines the beauty of his instrument’s tone with his natural gift to find hidden melodies within chords. These pieces find Pereira strongly connected to Brazilian music and culture, proudly interpreting the music with a defined jazz edge.

Reaching Into Different Aspects Of The Music
Several tracks utilize different aspects of Pereira’s vocal skills, finding different ways to reach listeners beyond traditional Portuguese lyrics. Percussionist Joe Cardello maintains a steady 6/8 rhythm on shekere as Pereira enthusiastically digs into the English lyric on Milton Nascimento’s “Nada Será Como Antes,” before the rhythm section shifts the song into high gear with their entrance. Trombone player Luis Bonilla aggressively creates a solo statement with cutting rhythmic ideas, long virtuosic stretches of constant notes, and a brash tone that can’t be ignored. Eskenazi immediately contrasts Bonilla with space and a rich piano sound before exploding into broad attacks of note flurries, sharp rhythms, and harmonic tension. The thick sound of a samba school rises into prominence on “Ascensão” until Pereira bursts into the main melody with scat closely supported by the rhythm section. After winding through a complex melody, Pereira leaps into a piano solo that maintains the song’s inertia with a keen sense of rhythm, timing, and melodic development. Guitarist Mark Lambert takes his time getting into his improvisation, combining influences from blues, jazz, and rock into an edgy solo that contributes a distinctly different voice to the track. Pereira’s clever arrangement introduces a variety of textures and colors into “Our Day Will Come,” creating an outstanding feature for her engaging vocal tone and thoughtful phrasing. The understated setting inspires a different side to Bonilla’s musicianship, encouraging him to construct a beautiful and lyrical melody full of long notes and dynamic shape. Lubambo takes a more assertive approach, spinning long rhythmically interesting lines that sit perfectly within the song due to the subtle tone of his acoustic guitar. Pereira successfully integrates English lyrics, creative arrangements, and varying textures into her musical mixture, reaching out to a wider audience without loosing her artistic integrity.

Focusing Upon Instrumental Sides Of The Music
Pereira steps back into the ensemble on some pieces, letting her instrumentalists take the lead. A thick layer of nature sounds gives way to Pereira’s rhythmically contagious piano part on “Baião da Chuva,” which blossoms into a dynamic texture fueled by the give and take between Dreyer’s flute and Pereira’s piano. As the rhythm section rolls along behind her, Dreyer develops an engaging solo full of life and vitality, grounded by a rhythmic momentum that plays off the baião groove nicely. The rhythm section shrinks to Lambert’s acoustic guitar and caxixi behind Reed’s melodic bass solo, giving him the space to display an able set of improvisatory chops. Pereira simultaneously scats and plays piano through a twisting melody on “West End P.A.” as the rhythm section finds a balance between sharp breaks and a funky partido alto groove. Bluesy ideas intertwine around Pereira’s smart phrasing on her improvisation, allowing her to define stylistic changes beautifully without loosing the integrity of her lines. Lambert’s slightly distorted electric guitar adds a rock edge to the tune, playing upon the funky foundation with a blend of blues and jazz tinged melodies. Vanderlei Pereira pushes the band into a blazingly up-tempo samba on “Tudo Azul,” as Roditi and Dreyer wind through a catchy melody that integrates the best qualities of classic jazz melodies and Brazilian rhythmic structures. A rich set of moving chords sit at the song’s core, allowing Roditi to tear through his improvisation with a hard bop intensity that resonates with the fire and creativity of an early Blue Note session. Dreyer captures Roditi’s energy, racing nimbly through the changes with a bebop flair before turning the spotlight over to Pereira, who lights up the piano with her mastery of the music’s rhythmic language. These songs show Pereira’s broad perspective upon the music, which allow her to tap into the music’s instrumental as well as vocal sides.

Looking At The Bigger Picture of Brazilian Jazz
Pereira and her group look at the bigger picture of Brazilian Jazz on Tudo Azul, delivering a solid set of music that authentically connects with Brazilian music and jazz on many levels. As both a pianist and vocalist, Pereira demonstrates a deep connection to the nuances of each style’s rhythmic structure, allowing her to phrase melodies and solos with a fluid voice. There’s never any doubt about her place within the genre; the rhythm section could disappear and Pereira’s phrasing would still sound solidly Brazilian at its core. Pereira’s broad harmonic vocabulary informs her improvisations, fuels some rich piano accompaniments, and supports her intriguing songwriting voice. Whether she scats of plays the piano, each improvised statement winds around the chord changes with creative energy and maintains the long standing tradition of long captivating Brazilian melodies. Pereira displays impressive songwriting abilities at every turn, capturing the necessary harmonic complexity of a jazz context while staying melodically and rhythmically rooted in Brazilian culture. Vanderlei Pereira provides a reliable foundation throughout the album, constructing authentic and exciting rhythm section parts behind the compositions, ensuring the clear communication of the rhythmic language. Pereira employs a variety of heavy hitting guest artists, who pull out all the stops. Roditi plays with conviction and style while Lubambo infuses the music with the class and rich connection to tradition that sits in all his work. There’s an outstanding combination of so many elements on Tudo Azul, that the overall view of the music can be breathtaking - in order to take it all in, we should follow Pereira’s lead, step back and look at the rich quality of Brazilian Jazz’s bigger picture.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Album of the Week: Brazilliance x4, Claudio Roditi
Album of the Week: Samba To Go!, Hendrik Meurkens
Album of the Week: Live At Jazzbaltica, Trio Da Paz & Joe Locke
Album of the Week: Lua e Sol, Mark Weinstein

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