About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Vocalist Luciana Souza brings a brainy New York sensibility to everything she records, and this set of classic and original sambas, her second such project, is no exception. Best known for her musical settings of the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop and Pablo Neruda, Souza relaxes into a more traditional kind of Brazilian singer on these outings, where her strong alto recalls the jazz-inflected phrasing of favorites such as Joyce and Elis Regina. But her wide-ranging influences surface on compositions written with the guitarist Swami Junior, which incorporates classical-style vocalizing. Her sorrowful reading of the gorgeous Jobim ballad "Modinha," though, is of a piece with elegiac works by Brazil's pop masters. Fans of choro and Brazilian guitar will be excited to hear Souza connect with a range of instrumentalists, including the aforementioned Swami Junior and the ubiquitous New York–based guitarist Romero Lubambo, as well as Marco Fereira and Guilherme Monteiro. For all the cerebral energy Souza puts into these voice and instrument conversations, Duos II is effervescently easy to enjoy. Mark Schwartz, Barnes & Noble

Customer Reviews

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