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Rodrigo Lima: Saga

By Chris M. Slawecki
April 17, 2015
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"I fell in love with the jazz guitar—all kinds of jazz guitarists, from

Jim Hall

guitar
1930 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Hall to

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny to Luis Bonf��, by listening to their records," explains Brazilian composer, arranger, bandleader and guitarist Rodrigo Lima. Saga luxuriously extends this jazz guitar love affair across the American and Brazilian continents—it was recorded in New York, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba—and across the two CDs of Lima's utterly magnificent recorded debut.

Producer Arnaldo DeSouteiro elegantly (but not overly) produced Saga into the warm and lush yet concise jazz sound of the best CTI Records, Verve Records and other

Creed Taylor

producer
1929 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Creed Taylor productions, and teamed with Lima to assemble an all-star ensemble for these sessions: It features guest appearances by clarinetist and saxophonist

Anat Cohen

clarinet
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Anat Cohen flutist

Hubert Laws

woodwinds
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Hubert Laws, vocalist

Ithamara Koorax

vocals
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Ithamara Koorax, vibes player

Mike Mainieri

vibraphone
b.1938

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Mainieri and arranger and conductor

Don Sebesky

arranger
1937 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Sebesky, plus two songs specifically composed for Saga by Brazilian musical legend

Hermeto Pascoal

flute
b.1936

" data-original-title="" title="">Hermeto Pascoal. Except for Pascoal's songs, Lima either wrote or co-wrote every tune.

"Brahms," a twenty minute Brazilian jazz interpretation of Brahms' Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Movement 3, is the centerpiece of this set, a genuine triumph of musicianship and taste that Lima describes it as "a gift for our friend

Raul De Souza

trombone
b.1934

" data-original-title="" title="">Raul De Souza," who is given two choruses to improvise on trombone. Lima's acoustic guitar rings as clear as a harp, overflowing with Metheny's gentle soul and Hall's direct warmth but with a passionate almost wild element in his playing too. Everything about "Brahms"—the drummer's pliant but insistent beat, the vibes' and keyboards' cool and rippling sounds—fits together perfectly.

"Both Rodrigo and I are big fans of the late guitarist Jim Hall—especially his Concierto album for CTI, which includes a 20-minute jazz version of Joaquin Rodrigo's 'Concerto de Aranjuez," DeSouterio explains. "That track was the basic inspiration for our adaptation of Brahms' Symphony No. 3 in terms of having great improvisers doing loose solos over a sumptuous composition."

Even better, there are also sixteen other compositions to enjoy. In "Flying Waltz," Laws' flute solo and Lima's acoustic guitar solo each seem to breathlessly hover above Sebesky's pliant, heavenly string arrangement, which he conducts himself; eight minutes opens up just enough time for "Flying Waltz" to lugubriously meander in and out of your ears, like a country stream with no particular place to go.

Uruguayan keyboardist

Hugo Fattoruso

multi-instrumentalist
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Hugo Fattoruso, who has played so long with so many Brazilian musicians that most people assume he's also from Brazil, further illuminates several tunes: His harpsichord dazzles "Brasileir?o" with a melody as nimble as "The Flight of the Bumblebee" and lends a new sound to the lively fusion jazz "Samba da Mistura," while his synthesizer explores the colorful outer limits and inner corners of the quicksilver "OPA!," quicksilver jazz-rock fusion named by Lima to honor the jazz-rock fusion band that Fattoruso led in the 1970s and 80s.

There is so much more to write about if there were only space and time. "It was a very special joy to work with Rodrigo Lima," DeSouteiro concludes. "He's one of the most talented composers and instrumentalists I've ever met. His creativity is astonishing. For sure, Saga is one of the best albums I've ever produced." After even just one listen, you will be sure to agree.

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Track Listing

Disc 1: Can??o Praieira; Novos Cariocas (Anat's Song); A La Vuelta; Brasileir?o; Flying Waltz; Altinho; Vida Nova; Pilotos; Opa!; ?nima 2; Palinha do Vinho. Disc 2: Brahms; Porta Aflora; A Velha Sozinha; Tango; Samba da Mistura; Nosso Borogod�� Coi��.

Personnel

Rodrigo Lima

guitar, acoustic

Hugo Fattoruso

multi-instrumentalist

Don Sebesky

arranger

Hermeto Pascoal

flute

Hubert Laws

woodwinds

Mike Mainieri

vibraphone

Arnaldo DeSouteiro

producer

Raul De Souza

trombone

Anat Cohen

clarinet

Ithamara Koorax

vocals

Sammy Figueroa

percussion

Aline Morena

vocals

Frank Herzberg

bass, acoustic

Ze Eduardo Nazario

drums

Jamil Joanes

bass, electric

S��rgio Barrozo

bass, acoustic

Cesar Machado

drums

Laudir de Oliveira

percussion

Joao Palma

drums

Lulu Martin

piano

Alice Hamlet: cello; Gene Back: violin; Luis Barcelos: bandolim, cavaquinho; Sergio Barroso: acoustic bass; Sofia Ceccato: flute; Anat Cohen: clarinet, tenor sax; Laudir DeOliveira: congas, cuica, percussion; Arnaldo DeSouteiro: arranger, bells, percussion, voices; Hugo Fattoruso: accordion, harpsichord, acoustic piano, electric piano, synthesizer; Sammy Figueroa: percussion; Frank Herzberg: arco bass, acoustic bass; Jamil Joanes: electric bass; Ithamara Koorax: vocals; Hubert Laws: alto flute, flute; Rodrigo Lima: charango, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, piano, triangle, viola caipira, vocals, whistle; Carol Ma: violin; Cesar Machado: drums; Mike Mainieri: vibraphone; Lulu Martin: electric piano; Aline Morena: vocals; D��bora Nascimento: bassoon; Z�� Eduardo Nazario: caxixi, drums, percussion, tabla, vocals; Jo?o Palma: drums, voices; Carol Panesi: flugelhorn, keyboards, trumpet, violin; Hermeto Pascoal: melodica, piano, voices; Janaina Botelho Perotto: oboe; Kerrick Sasaki: viola; Don Sebesky: arranger, conductor, string arrangements; Raul de Souza: trombone; Trio Capitu; Ajurin? Zwarg: drums, soprano sax; Itibere Zwarg: electric bass, cello; Mariana Zwarg: flute, piccolo, tenor sax.

Album information

Title: Saga | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Jazz Station Records

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