thedailychannel.com — music

Alma Brasiliera. by Paulo Moura

Something musically amazing is happening in Brasil. It's quite possible that it's been going on for quite some time, and we don't know about it. Let me digress

Remember Louis Armstrong? Silly question, I know. Well, about ten or 15 year before Louis went to Paris carrying jazz there with him, it turns out some Brazilian dude had already been there. Pixinguinha was his name, an improvisational flute and saxophone player who nourished the choro jazz form in Brazil. He played for decades and decades, and his band 'Os batutas' (eight cool guys) still exists.

Now there's a revival of choro in Brazil. Paulo Moura, one of the world's great clarinet players is playing some really cool stuff, along with 7 other cool guys.

The rhythms, the broad range of percussion, the festival energy of this music, all these make it interesting. The fact that Paulo Moura is a clarinet virtuoso doesn't decrease the interest (Paulo plays sax too). In fact, according to the liner notes, Paulo Moura is the only living woodwind player to have an annual music festival held in his name.

My reaction while listening to this CD?

Let's go!

Join the Choro revival! Samba your way to amazon.com and pick up a copy of Alma Brasiliera. by Paulo Moura

Reviewed Sunday May 5, 2002