– THE QUIET RIOT –

I’m not watching City of God. I’m just not doing it. Never have and never will.

Despite a million recommendations from people whose opinions I respect (and a few others who told me that Wolf of Wall Street was good… the dicks), I’m not watching City of God because that’s not a vision of Brazil I want to have in my skull.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m aware that life is pretty blimmin’ hard for kids in the favelas of Rio – and I’m generally in favour of art that confronts the hard truths rather than glossing over them – but that’s not the vision I want to have in my head when I think of Brazil.

What I want is the vision that comes to me through the work of Angela Turone and Chris Platt. The world of Caipirinhas, of the big man on the top of the mountain and of Bebeto doing that funny baby-swinging celebration at the ‘94 World Cup.

On their new album, Sounds of Brazil, Toronto-based vocalist/pianist Turone and guitarist Platt conjure up the Brazil of a thousand adverts… one filled with endless white beaches weaving their way into the distance while exotic dark-skinned beauties frolic in the foamy waves (they really should gather up those coconuts before they drift out to sea).

A Felicidade is a juicy, jazzed-up take on the Antonio Carlos Jobim classic; one that leans into its horns hard and blindsides you with its angular rhythms. Now that’s the sort of Brazil I’m buying.

If you like this try my review of Baby, Come To Me by Eliane Elias.

Sounds of Brazil is out now (self-released).

HEAR MORE HERE

TEYANA TAYLOR: MADE IT
COMPRO ORO: BEN
GIA MARGARET: FOR ZOYA IN CHINA
KELEKETLA!: FUTURE TOYI TOYI

THE OUTRO

And so we reach a cease-fire for this week.

You can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the Future Jazz Playlist on Spotify itself.

And, as a special treat, you can find these five selections featured on the wonderful Jazzfuel New Jazz Releases playlist. Find out more about founder Matt Fripp and the site he set up to support and celebrate the global jazz community at https://jazzfuel.com/

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), please engage in dialogue with me @45rpm_Reviews on Twitter. And, if you’d like to receive updates weekly, please subscribe to the email list to get these recommendations sent to your inbox weekly.

Until next time, love and noise.

– SV –