Hybrido From Rio to Wayne Shorter (AAM Music)
Antonio Adolfo
Released April 7, 2017
Grammy Nominee for Best Latin Jazz Album 2018
DownBeat Four-and-a-Half-Star Review
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ljWdVw6p4OnL9nrw5jfVLdbrrSe8xPZ0k
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/0l5kBbR0eJlWy9zaEjSnR3?si=9cq0XgkOQyyX_tvsx0AJ1Q
About:
The mixing of races and different cultures is irreversible in today’s world.
In music, this trend has been happening for a long time and has resulted in a very healthy hybridism of different musical genres.
The improvising musician can experience this richness intensely, because while he creates there is no time to produce this or that label. On the contrary, he can accommodate different sounds and cultures immediately, even without realizing it.
It is a very difficult task to describe what is happening in an interaction between musicians without experiencing it — as is the case with the musicians on this CD.
The music of the great Wayne Shorter is predominant in this recording. It has especially inspired me through his melodies and harmonies, which have continued to influence musicians of several generations and continents.
On the other hand, music from different cultures has also influenced him, whether in his compositions or magisterial interpretations as a saxophonist, during the last several decades.
The repertoire presented here is mostly from the ’60s and — as incredible as it may seem — is of an unusual relevance, giving us the chance to travel musically, infinitely.
I was also ‘hooked” as a composer and arranger, and encouraged to create something that would fit into this healthy mix.
Finally, the musicians and I gave the musical mixture our viralata (mongrel) and mestizo touch, to translate it into what is presented on this new CD, HYBRIDO – from Rio to Wayne Shorter.
Antonio Adolfo
Track Listing:
1. Deluge (Wayne Shorter) 5:50
2. Footprints (Wayne Shorter) 6:08
3. Beauty and the Beast (Wayne Shorter) 6:49
4. Prince of Darkness (Wayne Shorter) 6:03
5. Black Nile (Wayne Shorter) 4:52
6. Speak No Evil (Wayne Shorter) 7:39
7. E.S.P. (Wayne Shorter) 6:28
8. Ana Maria (Wayne Shorter) 6:40
9. Afosamba (Antonio Adolfo) 4:20
Personnel:
António Adolfo: piano and arrangements
Lula Galvão: electric guitar
Jorge Helder: double bass
Rafael Barata: drums and percussion
André Siqueira: percussion
Jessé Sadoc: trumpet
Marcelo Martins: tenor/soprano saxes, flute
Serginho Trombone: trombone
Claudio Spiewak: acoustic guitar (3)
Zé Renato: vocals (2)
Recorded 2016 December, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Production: António Adolfo
Recording Engineer: Roger Freret
Second Recording Engineer: Leo Alcântara
Mixing: Claudio Spiewak
Mastering: Ron McMaster
Cover Design: Julia Liberati
Illustration: Bruno Liberati
Review:
If ever there was a burnished glow to Brasilian music, it is here on Hybrido – From Rio to Wayne Shorter by Antonio Adolfo. It is a very different kind of shimmer than what exists in Wayne Shorter’s originals. Adolfo’s interpretations have the rhythms of Brasil whispering within them, while his finely honed pianism recreates them anew with Marcelo Martin’s playing the part of Shorter, but in his (Martins’) own uniquely singular voice. Shorter’s imposing music is played respectfully and – more importantly – with a great deal of affection, their classic melodies inspiring exquisite figurations, marvelous contouring of melody and cross-rhythmic phrasing and pulses carefully built into these exquisite versions on Hybrido – From Rio to Wayne Shorter.
It is entirely possible to imagine Antonio Adolfo in Wayne Shorter. The pianist is a celebrated virtuoso, pedagogue and composer in his own right. Using his white-hot technique in these re-imagined Wayne Shorter originals, he reveals how to interpret music of an ultimate inwardness and confidentiality with sublime mastery, almost lost in meditative reflection. Certainly you will rarely hear if ever hear Wayne Shorter’s introspection caught and held with greater affection and finesse. How vividly Antonio Adolfo responds to each one of them vividly and with composerly perfection with familiar patterns of lyricism. How caressingly he embodies Shorter’s spare outlines in his own response to them in “Afosamba”; a dream performance that captures all of Wayne Shorter’s tranquility and rippling melodies unfaltering rhythmic majesty married to poise and translucency.
Wayne Shorter’s music is easily among the greatest music of the 20th and 21st centuries along with that of Thelonious Monk’s and Herbie Nichols’. Shorter’s music is frequently attempted and, though not as difficult as Monk’s and Nichols’, is still difficult to master. Himself a great lover of the magic of Brasil, he released an iconic homage to Brasil with Native Dancer and collaborates often with Milton Nascimento and others. But rarely has a Brasilian attempted to penetrate the mysteries of his music. So this album is not only a long time coming, but also somewhat of a rarity. Few could have shown – or picked a better place to show – how elemental it is that Brasilian ‘saudade’ can be a part of “Ana Maria”, for instance, Or how “Footprints” can be reminiscent of Ipanema a heightened feeling with the airy vocals of Zé Renato. And on and on it goes, song, after song through every piece.
But make no mistake; while this is Antonio Adolfo’s masterpiece (another in his long line of masterpieces actually) and it may just be his finest to date, he is, by no means the only one who shines on the recording. Marcelo Martins acquits himself with flying and vivid colours. Trumpeter Jessé Sadoc and Serginho Trombone are hypnotic through their performances as are guitarists Lula Galvão and Claudio Spiewak (who also mixed Roger Freret’s phenomenal recording). And expectedly, bassist Jorge Helder, drummer and percussionist Rafael Barata together with André Siqueira play with fine-spun brilliance as well. Wayne Shorter has received many glowing tributes, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find one that sparkles more gem-like than this priceless one by Antonio Adolfo.
Raul da Gama (Latin Jazz Network)
