Search - Till Bronner :: Rio

A summery, elegant Brazilian affair.

lovebeauty | San Diego,CA | 12/24/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are good records that you will play for a few days, maybe a few weeks before they fade to black. Then you have that great record that you have been playing for weeks. The weeks turn into months and before you know it you have a future classic in your possession that you can't put down.

Till Brönner's new release "Rio" would belong to the latter.

"Calling Till Brönner the new aspiring German trumpet talent is obsolete, since he has sold more records than any other German jazz musician. He plays big time now and is well known on the New York jazz circuit, which itself is top of the crop".- ME SOUNDS/Rolling Stone.

Born in 1971 in Viersen, Germany and raised in Rome, Italy, Till experienced his outset with the help of Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker

In the smooth jazz arena there are limited opportunities for exposure. Other than artists such as Chris Botti, Rick Braun and Greg Adams, the list becomes very short. Till is definitely in a very elite group of specialized musicians.

On this album are performing guest-musicians like Melody Gardot, Kurt Elling, Annie Lennox, Sergio Mendes, Aimee Mann, Milton Nascimento, Vanessa da Mata and Luciana Souza.

As the title "Rio" may suggest, the young, handsome and talented 37 year old trumpeter makes an easy dive into the Brazilian music world, recreating in the studio the sensual vibe of bossa nova, taking inspiration from some of the greatest Brazilian classic tunes by legendary Brazilian arists.

You may be a little puzzled by the unlikely mix of Annie Lennox and Milton Nascimento as lead vocalists on "Mysterios", a Nascimento composition, and you may like Till's breathy trumpet sound that stops attractively short of sloppy.

On "Sim Ou Nao", the American vocalist Kurt Elling achieves near mastery and the Brazilian chanteuse (and current wife of producer Larry Kline) Luciana Souza is not too far behind Elling on "Aquelas Coisas Todas".

His interpretation of "Café Com Pao" is beatifully understated.

Till brought out the best his skills could offer. And Larry Kline made sure he was accommodated.

If I were in Larry Klein's shoes, I would have suggested Till to pick up a couple of vocalists who would fit perfectly in this nice album : American/Italian Rossana Casale Jazz in Me and American Regina Belle (check her take of Jobim' "Corcovado" on Lazy Afternoon), who have enjoyed the occasional foray into the Brazilian bossa nova music.

More than just recommended, I encourage a complete & thorough listen the minute you put it in your ipods or CD players. Sit back & chill.

Let the music drift you away...

The result: "a relaxed summer-album with Brasilian music produced by Larry Klein, an all-star-album between Jazz, Bossa Nova, Samba and Pop". Till (trumpet and Vocal) and Larry Klein (producer of ex-wife Joni Mitchell, Holly Cole, Julia Fordham, Mary Black, Herbie Hancock, Luciana Souza, Madeleine Peyroux and Tracy Chapman)) have made an album which displays great renditions, exceptional high quality musical arrangements & 13 tracks of soul-stirring, sensual, elegant performances from the fine line-up of musicians & singers listed above.

Have a pleasant listening.



Oceana

Bossa Nova"

A "Must-Have" for lovers of Brazilian Jazz

Donnagene O. Palmer | Warren, OH | 02/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For anyone not familiar with the work of Til Bronner, this CD is a great introduction, especially for those who love jazz with a samba beat. It's one of the ten to take with you to the "desert island." His sound is reminiscent of Chet Baker's, and the guest is a compliment to the project."