Artist: Harry Allen's All-Star Brazilian Band
Title: Flying Over Rio
Year Of Release: 2014
Label: Arbors Records
Genre: Bossa Nova, Brazilian Jazz
Quality: 320 kbps
Total Time: 76:27
Total Size: 180 MB
Tracklist:
01. Double Rainbow (4:32)
02. A Ship Without A Sail (4:01)
03. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (7:09)
04. Bonita (4:50)
05. Girl From Ipanema (5:44)
06. Bate Papo (4:44)
07. Copacabana (5:57)
08. Tristeza De Nos Dois (4:31)
09. Eu E A Briza (4:17)
10. Mojave (4:52)
11. Flying Over Rio (4:52)
12. Serra De Estrella (4:08)
13. Lamento No Morro (4:45)
14. Piano No Mangueirra (5:08)
15. Love Dance (6:48)
Personel:
Harry Allen - saxophone
Duduka Da Fonseca - drums
Guilherme Monteiro - guitar
Maucha Adnet - vocals
Klaus Mueller - piano
Saxophonist Harry Allen has teamed with a Latin Group for this CD. A look at the playlist will reveal many by Jobim plus a few which don't normally get Bossa-Latin treatment. For example, there is "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" and "A Ship Without a Sail." Plus there are some originals by pianist Klaus Mueller, bassist Nilson Matta, and Harry. Drummer Duduka Da Fonseca supplied the title tune, "Flying Over Rio."
Pensacola Jazzfans will remember Harry Allen from his performances here. He played for our first Pensacola Jazz Party in 1989 at age 20! About four years ago he came for Pensacola JazzFest and his most recent visit was two years ago at our JazzFest along with pianist Rossano Sportiello.
The liner notes are by journalist/author Will Friedwald. He writes for the Wall Street Journal and his liner notes have garnered him ten Grammy nominations.
I reached Harry by telephone and he kindly answered questions for me about how this recording came to be. He had been playing with a Latin group so it was a natural progression that they would like to record. Guilherme Montiero, who became a professional guitarist in Brazil at age 15, was new to the group since the regular guitarist was unable to make the recording session. The name Klaus Mueller, the pianist, doesn't suggest Brazilian or Latin. However, Klaus' German family has lived in various places including Chile and Japan. Klaus studied piano wherever they resided.
The vocalist is Maucha Adnet. She performed with Antonio Carlos Jobim for the last ten years of his life. She sings in Portuguese as well as English and is married to the drummer Duduka Da Fonseca. I asked Harry how each of the four came to contribute tunes on this album. He replied that the group had been playing them regularly, so it was reasonable that these tunes should be included.
I asked about notable events in the studio. Harry reported that the tune "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" - the longest tune on the CD at 7:11-required the most arranging. He said he was especially pleased that "Girl from Ipanema" turned out so well. Since that is a much-recorded song, they didn't want it to sound like everyone else's. So, Montiero did a guitar solo introduction and thereby a unique presentation.
Another unique aspect of the recording session was that this was the last, or next-to-last, recording in the famous NOLA studio. This studio is on top floor of the Steinway Building and is located in the former residence quarters of the Steinway family. Harry was most complimentary of the staff and their equipment. Sadly, the studio is now closed as there are plans to renovate the building and add more floors.
