Search - Mario Adnet :: Jobim Jazz

Jobim and Jazz- Now there's a combination

James Lamperetta | Upstate, NY | 02/22/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This past January marked the 80th birthday of Antonio Carlos Jobim who died in NYC in 1994 at the age of 67.

Combining this milestone with his passion for Jobim's music, guitarist Mario Adnet serves up "Jobim Jazz," a highly personal glimpse of the oeuvre of Brazil's most famous musical export.

For almost fifty years Jobim's songbook has been a staple of the jazz canon. Adnet emphasizes the "jazz" aesthetic of ACJ's compositions by cloaking them in thoughtful, nuanced brass arrangements that utilize various combinations of flutes, French horn, saxophones, bass trombone, trumpet, and flugelhorn.

Although "The Girl From Ipanema," "One Note Samba," "Desafinado" and other hits are conspicuously absent, Jobim's catalog still provided Adnet with a plethora of top-shelf material from which to draw. Six of the thirteen tunes have their origin in film. Among them are the confident strut of "Frevo de Orfeu" from "Black Orpheus," and a pair of tunes from "The Adventurers"- the soulful, swinging "Polo Pony" and the introspective "Sue Ann."

"Tema Jazz (Jazz Theme)" is referenced as the only explicit citation of "jazz" in Jobim's work. Here it benefits greatly from a comparatively lean treatment which finds two flutes, two guitars, tenor sax, and rhythm section giving voice to its buoyant theme.

Lush, intricate arrangements of the ballad "Rancho nas Nuvens" and the waltz "Valsa de Porto das Caixas" highlight not just the depth and beauty of Jobim's compositions but also the deft touch Adnet brings to this tribute.

Venturing down paths less-traveled Adnet provides a revelatory glimpse of a legend while providing a place to discover or discover anew the works of a true master."