Paquito D'Rivera/Trio Corrente - Song for Maura - Sunnyside

[David Beckett]

Paquito D'Rivera and Trio Corrente - Song for Maura - Sunnyside

Paquito's from Cuba. But he's always loved Brazilian music. To my mind there's nobody who plays both the Cuban Clave rhythms AND the Brazilian music with quite this authority.

He's a national treasure, but the question is ...which nation? If there was an justice in the world, many nations would be squabbling for the right to issue Paquito D'Rivera postage stamps and put his face on banknotes.

This release is entirely Brazilian music, mostly played on clarinet. The version here of Pixinguinha's CHORO classic 1 x 0 is as compelling an argument for the genre itself as I've heard in months - and I listen to a lot of CHORO. The tricky melody is played with such coherence it sounds like song, but he plays the wheels off it.

Like CHORO? Just buy this one.
Like Bossa Nova, but aren't quite sure what CHORO is? Just buy this one.
Like virtuoso clarinet playing that would shame the songbirds in the Amazon? Just buy this one.
Wonder what all this has to do with JAZZ? Buy two copies and call me in the morning.

Tchau,
David

[Joe C.]

David, thanks for posting this review. I also love choro. I find it very hard to play but enjoy listening to it. I'm putting this CD on my "to get" list.

[Chazro]

Thx for the head's up! I've been listening to PDR since I 1st heard him with Irakere in the '70's. One of my favorite musicans, I own dozens of his recordings. This one comes out on Tues. to the general public, I'll be listening to it on Tues. Night!;)

[David Beckett]

Thanks Joe and Chazro.

Btw, I saw a group called Choro da Manha last night. Ze Mauricio, the poet of the pandiero is in the band. Michael Zsoldos on soprano saxophone, and Jason Ennis on guitar. The fouth member was a sub (who impressed the hell out of me. Who could/could sub in a band playing Pixinguinha and Jacob Do Bandolim tunes?!). They'll record within the year, I believe, but meanwhile they're really worth keeping an eye out for in NYC. There's a terrific clip of them playing Chochichando on YouTube which I can't recommend highly enough... although my apologies in advance because you'll have the tune stuck in your head for a week solid, I'll wager...

Best,
David

#GotChoro ?

[Joe C.]

Hi David, yes this is a wonderful group. Ze was on my last CD, Poet of the Pandeiro is an apt title for him. And Jason is a wonderful 7 string player. I look forward to any recording they make. Ok, now I have to go practice.

[bluenoter]

Btw, I saw a group called Choro da Manha last night. Ze Mauricio, the poet of the pandiero is in the band. Michael Zsoldos on soprano saxophone, and Jason Ennis on guitar. The fouth member was a sub (who impressed the hell out of me. Who could/could sub in a band playing Pixinguinha and Jacob Do Bandolim tunes?!). They'll record within the year, I believe, but meanwhile they're really worth keeping an eye out for in NYC. There's a terrific clip of them playing Chochichando on YouTube which I can't recommend highly enough... although my apologies in advance because you'll have the tune stuck in your head for a week solid, I'll wager...

Here's a link to it.

Choro da Manhã performing the classic, "Cochichando" by the great Pixinguinha. Recorded in a concert at The College of Charleston, Charleston, SC on March 24th 2013. Zé Mauricio, Pandeiro; Michael Zsoldos, Soprano Saxophone; Richard Miller and Jason Ennis, Violão de Sete Cordas (7-string Guitars). http://www.jasonennis.com/chorodamanha

Unschooled as I am, my only point of reference seems to be some of the tunes on Laurindo Almeida/Bud Shank -- Brazilliance, Vols. 1 & 2. Do y'all know that music?

[David Beckett]

Thanks Bluenoter


...and thanks for putting that clip here. Ain't it grand?

I wish I had those Braziliance recordings here right now...
If you like those, you like Choro is my guess.
I saw Bud Shank just a few years ago and he was having a lot of fun.

I think there are a couple of Choro pieces on those recordings. But if I'm not mistaken, those recordings are great and very early examples of what would shortly be called Bossa Nova around the world.

Bossa Nova came from (among other things) Choro.

Bossa nova is a little more than half a century old. Choro is over 100 years old and undergoing something of a resurgence in Brazil - and elsewhere too.

I'm really just beginning to explore Choro in the last 6 years or so. But it's exciting to me in the way beginning to explore Jobim and Bossa Nova was when I discovered it in the late 1970's.

Know the tune Tico Tico? It turns out, that's a CHORO!

For the last few years, I've been opening my show with a half hour or so of Choro and other Brazilian music... It sets a fantastic mood and gets the phone ringing.

Db

[Chazro]

So I was looking for a video featuring Paquito playing with Anat Cohen's Choro Ensemble (could've sworn I saw one awhile back but....) and came across this one instead. It's not Choro but.....dayum, it's good!;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6V030_W ... detailpage

I'm sure that if yr a fan of Choro you've probably heard the Choro Ensemble but if you haven't, 'The Choro Ensemble - Nosso Tempo', is a tremendous record! BTW, totally immersed in 'Song For Maura', what a score!

[Mike Schwartz]

So I was looking for a video featuring Paquito playing with Anat Cohen's Choro Ensemble (could've sworn I saw one awhile back but....) and came across this one instead. It's not Choro but.....dayum, it's good!;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6V030_W ... detailpage

I'm sure that if yr a fan of Choro you've probably heard the Choro Ensemble but if you haven't, 'The Choro Ensemble - Nosso Tempo', is a tremendous record! BTW, totally immersed in 'Song For Maura', what a score!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6V030_WP78

[David Beckett]

So I was looking for a video featuring Paquito playing with Anat Cohen's Choro Ensemble (could've sworn I saw one awhile back but....) and came across this one instead. It's not Choro but.....dayum, it's good!;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6V030_W ... detailpage

I'm sure that if yr a fan of Choro you've probably heard the Choro Ensemble but if you haven't, 'The Choro Ensemble - Nosso Tempo', is a tremendous record! BTW, totally immersed in 'Song For Maura', what a score!

Thanks Chazro!

Nosso Tempo is really the recording which started my present day obsession with Choro. I'd heard it before, but that one brought a lot of things into focus for me. Ze Mauricio is the pandiero player on that record as well as in the group Choro da Manha. Which is a terrific coincidence. I'm glad you're digging Somg For Maura.

[David Beckett]

So I was looking for a video featuring Paquito playing with Anat Cohen's Choro Ensemble (could've sworn I saw one awhile back but....) and came across this one instead. It's not Choro but.....dayum, it's good!;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6V030_W ... detailpage

I'm sure that if yr a fan of Choro you've probably heard the Choro Ensemble but if you haven't, 'The Choro Ensemble - Nosso Tempo', is a tremendous record! BTW, totally immersed in 'Song For Maura', what a score!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6V030_WP78

That's fabulous Mike! Thanks!

[David Beckett]

By the way - I didn't know this until last Sunday
when Ze Mauricio - The Poet of The Pandiero - let
me buy them from him, but The CHORO Ensemble
has TWO recordings made prior to Nosso Tempo. They're
absolutely wonderful, naturally. They have a website.
Thank goodness I was able to get to that
CHORO da Manha gig, see Ze and the rest of the players and
buy the two cd's. I'll work a couple of tracks
into my show on Wednesday...

[Chazro]

Wazzup David! Just received notice of this show featuring Anat Cohen & Choro Adventuroso! The show's in NYC so I ain't making it but I'm left hoping that there's a record sometime in the future to look forward to!

http://54below.com/wordpress/?artist=an ... aventuroso

While we wait, you might want to check out this new record I bought yesterday from Brazilian sax ace; Leo Gandelman - 'Ventos do Norte' - Great music that I'm guessing you'd enjoy!