Search - Luciana Souza :: Tide

Distinctive jazz performances.

for jazz music's sake | Warsaw, Poland | 05/31/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The wide-ranging Brazilian singer Luciana Souza and producer Larry Klein (in real life they are husband and wife ) work together often and enjoy a remarkable understanding.

They harmonise readily, with Luciana's smooth, alluring coppery tone tempering Klein's jazzier edge while Klein's production gives a rare rhythmic sureness to the tracks they 're playing.

"Tide" is Luciana's second album with Klein for Verve records.

I's just as grown-up a sketchbook as you'd expect, most of the tracks being written Joni Mitchell's ex, Larry Klein.

The whole album has a Brazilian jazz/Tropicalia slant.

Keyboardist Larry Goldings, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, guitarists Larry Koonse or Romero Lubambo, percussionist Cyro Baptista, and Klein on electric bass guitar are the strength of the album.

Of course it's all played immaculately : how could it not be when you've got musicians like that on your side.

Both the vocalist and the band are on top of their game in this smoothly elegant collection of terrific, but not overly-exposed songs. This is an inventive and charming selection of material which will get some deserved attention.

The arrangements are lean and tasty, and are played with restrained elegance.

True spontaneity is the quality Luciana Souza is after, and her singing is heartfelt, assured, with a beautifully articulated intimacy, which reconnects her to her first albums and her roots.

The highlights "Our Gilded home" and "Tide" are indeed great showcases for her unfussy but affecting delivery.

The vibrant "Adeus America/Eu Quero Um Samba", the nicely rhythmic "Sorriu Para Mim", the upbeat "Fire & Wood" and the lovely Brazilian vibe "Chuva" are other great moments of the album.

All in all, this is a striking, immediately likeable album with an engaging yet relaxed musicianship, accomplished performers, offering up a delightful selection of tracks and providing the perfect form of entertainment, which is so rare to find in the current chart/market discography.

The New Bossa Nova

Rio

My One and Only Thrill

Bare Bones"

Beauty Abounds

Rick Cornell | Reno, Nv USA | 08/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was not particularly kind to Luciana Souza's last release, "The New Bossa Nova" - and you in Ammyland were not particularly kind to me. Come, let us reconcile together. This c.d has abundant beauty. We simply cannot disagree.



The whole album is excellent, but there are some truly tremendous cuts on this one. Consider: the alpha-wave altering "Love Poem-65"; the expansive "Chuva"; the "saudade"-tinged "Once Again," but sung in English; the whipping sambas, "Adeus America & Eu Quero Un Samba" (a great tune for a samba in next season's "Dancing With the Stars"!) and "Sorriu Para Mim";



And my favorite here, the title track. "Tide" is one of those rare songs that just stops time. Don't listen to this while driving on the freeway!



Once again, the great Romero Lubambo fits Ms. Souza's voice like a spandex glove. There is no better guitar-voice duo in the business. Listen to how they whip along in unison on "Sorriu", for example, and prepare to be impressed. And Larry Goldings on organ, husband Larry Klein (who also produced, naturally) on bass, Vinnie Colauta on drums and Cyro Baptista on percussion consistently add stimulating musical colorations.



I thought "Neruda" was one of the best releases in 2004. Ditto "Tide" for 2009. Bravo, tutti. RC"

Tide

Eduardo N. Marcos | Sao Paulo Brasil | 08/23/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"O Disco compacto é muito bom, mesmo. Um dos melhores dessa cantora que eu gosto muito. Um pouco de música popular brasileira com muito jazz. A voz sempre muito agradável dessa cantora. Os músicos que a acompanham nesse disco também são excelentes. Acho que ela acrescenta algo as músicas que canta, mesmo quando canta coisas já bastante conhecidas.

"