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Antonio Adolfo: Carnaval - The Songs Were So Beautiful

By Pierre Giroux
August 10, 2025
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Antonio Adolfo: Carnaval - The Songs Were So Beautiful

Veteran pianist, composer, and arranger

Antonio Adolfo

piano
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Adolfo has long been a master at capturing the essence of Brazilian music through a jazz perspective. On Carnaval (The Songs Were So Beautiful), Adolfo draws on a wide range of traditional Brazilian carnival styles— sambas, marchinas, marchas-rancho, and frevos—to create a vibrant and richly textured album that bursts with celebration while leaving space for nuance and reflection. This is not a jazz adaptation of Brazilian music; it's Brazilian music elevated with jazz sophistication and harmonic depth, performed by a stellar group of musicians, including guitarist

Lula Galvão

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Lula Galv?o, bassist

Jorge Helder

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Jorge Helder, drummer

Rafael Barata

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Rafael Barata, trumpeter

Jesse Sadoc

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Jesse Sadoc, alto saxophonist

Idriss Boudria

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Idriss Boudria, tenor saxophonist

Marcelo Martins

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Marcelo Martins, trombonist

Rafael Rocha

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Rafael Rocha, and percussionist

Andre Siqueira

percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">Andre Siqueira.

In this nine-track release, the song titles are presented in English translations from the Brazilian Portuguese for ease of reference, beginning with the opening track "I'm Going With This One." It opens with Adolfo's grounded piano, which sets the tone with rhythmic momentum. Sadoc and Boudria offer bright syncopated phrases that complement the distinctive rhythm of the number. "Vassourinhas Carnaval Group" is a frevo, a vibrant Brazilian dance usually performed at Carnaval, which Adolfo recasts with intricate horn voices and a swing feel. Galv?o and Martins weave sinuous patterns that seem to dance in the air, complementing the number's exuberance.

There is a bittersweet beauty to "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not," a composition that sways like a slow marcha-rancho, reflective and delicate. The horn arrangement is sublime—melancholy without being maudlin. Adolfo's touch is restrained and emotional, embracing the sadness lurking behind the pageantry. "It's Going To Be OK" reintroduces upbeat optimism. It grooves with a samba flavour, but Adolfo adds subtle harmonic twists that make it distinctly his own. The brass section, especially Rocha's trombone, adds warmth and humour. "Ode To Mangueira" honours one of Rio's iconic samba schools. The arrangement is lush and stately, echoing the grandeur of a samba-enredo. It has a ceremonial gravitas but also intimacy—Adolfo never sacrifices feeling for form.

Finally, "Now It Is Ashes" closes the album on a reflective note. The names for the phrase Brazilians use on Ash Wednesday ( Agora ? Cinza) gently acknowledge the ephemeral nature of joy. The melody is wistful, even mournful, but resolute. Carnaval may be over, but the music lingers—deeply felt and masterfully played.

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Track Listing

? Com Esse Que Eu Vou (I'm Going With This One); Vassourinhas (Vassourinhas Carnaval Group); Oba (Breath of the Jaguar); Mal-Me-Quer (She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not); Vai Passar (It's Going To Be OK); As Pastorinhas (Girl Singers of Carnaval); Exalta??o ? Mangueira (Ode to Mangueira); A Lua ? Dos Namorados (The Moon Belongs to Lovers); Agora ? Cinza (Now It Is Ashes).

Personnel

Antonio Adolfo

piano

Lula Galv?o

guitar

Jorge Helder

bass, acoustic

Rafael Barata

drums

Jesse Sadoc

trumpet

Idriss Boudrioua

saxophone, alto

Marcelo Martins

woodwinds

Rafael Rocha

trombone

Andre Siqueira

percussion

Additional Instrumentation

Antonio Adolfo: producer, arranger.

Album information

Title: Carnaval - The Songs Were So Beautiful | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: AAM Music

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