Editorial Reviews

The music of Brazil, with its light swing and flowing melodies, lends itself well to smooth jazz adaptations, which is probably why Artemis Strategic Marketing chose to release an instrumental interpretation of some of its most famous pieces. Well-known composers Marcos Valle, Baden Powell, Djavan, Luiz Bonfá, and Ivan Lins all have songs included, although the absence of their voices, as well as those of Elis Regina and Beth Carvalho, is almost startling. The musicians on Music of Brazil try hard to replace the vocalists, and sometimes the saxophone can come close (like in "Samba em Prelúdio," for example), but nothing can quite capture the power or passion of a Brazilian singer, which is so intrinsic to the overall sound. The tracks on the album that are jazz guitar-driven rather than piano and tenor sax-driven are more successful at retaining the emotion felt in the original songs, and as a record for background music, Music of Brazil, along with the CD sampler of other selections from the World's a Stage series, isn't a bad pick, and is a gentle introduction to an expansive genre. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide All Music Guide

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