1. A Felicidade (Happiness)
2. Correnteza
3. Sò Tinha De Ser Com Você
4. Medo De Amar (Surrender The Soul)
5. O Morro Não Tem Vez (Favela)
6. Estrada Branca (This Happy Madness)
7. Outono (Stay)
8. Double Rainbow
9. Imagina
10. Desafinado (Slightly Out Of Tune)
11. Pra Dizer Adeus (Time To Say Goodbye)
12. Vivo Sonhando (Living On Dreams)
13. Estrada Do Sol
14. É Com Esse Que Eu Vou
Karrin Allyson - Vocals,
piano
Rod Fleeman - Acoustic guitar (tracks 1-5,
7-12, 14)
Gil Goldstein - Piano, accordion (tracks 1,
2, 4, 6, 9-11, 13, 14)
David Finck - Bass
Todd Strait - Drums (tracks 1-12, 14)
Michael Spiro - Tamborim, shaker, pandeiro,
surdo (tracks 1, 3, 5, 12, 14)
Steve Nelson - Marimba, vibraphone (tracks
2, 5, 9, 10, 13)
Karrin Allyson is one of
my favourite jazz singers. For a start, she's
a genuine jazz singer, rather than the imitations
that so many vocalists are - pretending to
be jazzy when they are nothing of the sort.
In addition, Karrin sings in tune and with
heartfelt emotion. Above all, perhaps, is
the unique quality in her voice: a slightly
breathy, very seductive tone. So I was looking
forward to this, her latest album, which consists
entirely of Brazilian songs. Her repertoire
has always included material from Brazil,
so she is very familiar with such songwriters
as Antonio Carlos Jobim, whose compositions
make up the majority of this CD.
So why have I got reservations
about this album? Because Karrin sings many
of the songs in Portuguese - or in a mixture
of English and Portuguese. It feels rather
like going to see an opera sung in a foreign
language and trying to work out the plot.
It doesn't present too many problems with
songs like Favela and Desafinado,
because these are familiar Jobim compositions
which sound like old friends. And when English
is used at least partially, it assists appreciation
as well as comprehension. So, for example,
tracks four and six have a poignancy which
touches the heart, especially as sung with
gentle grace by Karrin.
Of course, one can just lie
back and enjoy the warmth of Allyson's marvellous
voice without bothering about what the words
mean, but the Portuguese is still a hindrance
to those of us (like myself) whose knowledge
of the language is restricted to "Obrigado!"
(or to Karrin Allyson: "Obrigada!").
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Concord
Jazz 0888072304284
