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Ithamara Koorax: All Around the World

By Chris M. Slawecki
November 20, 2015
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All Around the World represents several milestones for firebrand Brazilian vocalist

Ithamara Koorax

vocals
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Ithamara Koorax: It marks her twentieth release as a leader, celebrates the 25th year of her career, and, just like her first official release (Ithamara Koorax Live in Rio [1993, JVC]), All Around the World comes digitally straight from the soundboard, with no overdubs or other studio corrections.

Just as importantly, All Around the World truly embodies the global state of modern jazz. Koorax's band features many contributors from Brazil, including keyboardist Mario Castro-Neves and legendary percussionist

Dom Um Romao

drums
1925 - 2005

" data-original-title="" title="">Dom Um Romao, and its program features such famous Brazilian composers as

Antonio Carlos Jobim

piano
1927 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Carlos Jobim ("Agua de Beber") and

Marcos Valle

multi-instrumentalist
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Marcos Valle ("Black is Beautiful"). But her ensemble also includes musicians from Asia (Japanese bassist Mitsuru K. Natsuka) and Europe (English multi-instrumentalist

Mark Peterson

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Peterson and German keyboardist Ursula Lauren), and their repertoire also includes songs by American composers ranging from Richard Rodgers to

Herbie Hancock

piano
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Hancock to

Jimi Hendrix

guitar, electric
1942 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimi Hendrix.

Koorax and company fly directly into "Brazilian Birds/My Favorite Things" with a galloping rhythm from which her voice carves out the words "bites" and "stings" with its sharp and strong edges. Then they jump into the deep end of "Agua de Beber" with an inventive hip-hop arrangement that slows its flow into a very dramatic and dark, nearly theatrical piece; Koorax shreds the second verse with an agonized shriek for life-giving water, and chokes out her closing vocalese as if her parched throat has begun to clench and close up from the unrelenting desert heat.

Koorax's voice luxuriates in the melody of "Butterfly" (written by Hancock and

Bennie Maupin

woodwinds
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Bennie Maupin to showcase Maupin's soprano sax on The Headhunters' seminal Thrust [1974, Columbia]), arranged to allow all the sweetness and light of her voice to rise up and float, then echo and trail the bass line like a hopeful lover. "Black Is Beautiful" is another showcase for the show-stopping power of her voice, and you can easily hear

Patti Labelle

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Patti Labelle sing this song, in this way, in this arrangement.

Her traditional closer, "Mas Que Nada/A Carrocinha Pegou," bounces on hip-hop, Caribbean, and Brazilian rhythms shot through with turntable scratches and vocal loops. Koorax stretches out with animal-like growls and shrieks and cries and whistles, punching toe-to-toe with just drums and percussion in an incredible display of free-flying vocal improvisation.

Koorax has dedicated All Around the World to two keyboardists and two percussionists with whom she frequently performed and recorded, and have recently passed on: Percussionists Gaudencio Thiago de Mello and Jadir de Castro, and keyboard players Rodgers Grant and

Jose Roberto Bertrami

keyboards

" data-original-title="" title="">Jose Roberto Bertrami, who founded Brazilian fusion superpower

Azymuth

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Azymuth and who performed with the singer for more than two decades.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Brazilian Birds/My Favorite Things; Agua de Beber (Water to Drink); Primavera; Butterfly; Human Nature; Black Is Beautiful; Cala Boca Menino; Brazilian Rhyme/What's Going On; Ela e Carioca (She's a Carioca); A R? (The Frog); Up From the Skies; Mas Que Nada/A Carrocinha Pegou.

Personnel

Ithamara Koorax

vocals

Arnaldo DeSouteiro

producer

Jay Berliner: guitar; Jos�� Roberto Bertrami: keyboards; Mario Castro-Neves: keyboards; Jadir de Castro: congas, percussion; Gaudencio Thiago De Mello: percussion; Eloir De Moares: congas, percussion; Arnaldo DeSouteiro: percussion, producer; Rodgers Grant: keyboards; Manuel Gusm?o: bass; Mario Jansen: keyboards; Ithamara Koorax: vocals, percussion; Ursula Lauren: keyboards; Cesar Machado: drums; Hugh McCracken: guitar; Mitsuru K. Natsuka: bass; Jo?o Palma: drums, percussion; Mark Peterson: guitar, keyboards; Dom Um Rom?o: drums, percussion; Enio Santos: bass.

Album information

Title: All Around the World [Korea, Bonus Tracks] | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Jazz Vision Records

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