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Helio Alves and Duduka Da Fonseca (HD2): Songs from the Last Century

By Dr. Judith Schlesinger
July 20, 2013
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Helio Alves and Duduka Da Fonseca (HD2): Songs from the Last Century

One of the many delights of writing for All About Jazz is stumbling upon a great CD from the past, and being able to bring it to an audience that might have missed its debut. It's clear that Songs from the Last Century is one of these rare gems—even before a single note is heard, the list of players and songs suggests that something very special is going on.

For one thing, the leaders are the superb pianist

Helio Alves

piano
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Helio Alves and drummer

Duduka Da Fonseca

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Duduka Da Fonseca (hence HD2), who are known as two of the greatest emissaries of Brazilian music and its happy cross-fertilization with American jazz. For this 2005 CD, they gathered together the formidable bassist

Eddie Gomez

bass
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Eddie Gomez, notably from the

Bill Evans

piano
1929 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Evans trio; the legendary saxophonist

Phil Woods

saxophone, alto
1931 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Phil Woods; the brilliant arranger of the string quartet, guitarist

Oscar Castro-Neves

guitar
1940 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Oscar Castro-Neves, and two wonderful singers,

Maucha Adnet

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Maucha Adnet and Paulo Jobim, whose sultry blend evokes the iconic sound of the great

Antonio Carlos Jobim

piano
1927 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Carlos Jobim. That's no surprise, since Adnet recorded and toured with Jobim's Banda Nova for the last decade of his life, and Paulo is, quite audibly, his son.

The ten tunes are imaginative and wide-ranging, from the churning opener, "Three Views of a Secre,t" by

Jaco Pastorius

bass, electric
1951 - 1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Jaco Pastorius, with its masterful Woods commentary, to the closer, the beloved "Very Early" by

Bill Evans

piano
1929 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Evans, transformed here into a lilting samba with Gomez supplying a strong presence and a powerful solo. The journey also includes an exceptionally tasty tropical take on

Toots Thielemans

harmonica
1922 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Toots Thielemans's signature "Bluesette," with Da Fonseca and Alves joyfully playing off each other, and a soulful "These Foolish Things," which Adnet has said is one of Jobim's favorite songs (another, for the record, is "I Concentrate on You," which he reportedly wished he had written).

Jerome Kern

arranger
1895 - 1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays" is also in the mix, along with familiar compositions by Brazilian giants

Hermeto Pascoal

multi-instrumentalist
1936 - 2025

" data-original-title="" title="">Hermeto Pascoal,

Toninho Horta

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Toninho Horta,

Egberto Gismonti

guitar
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Egberto Gismonti, and of course Jobim, whose "Sabia" takes on new dimensions with the contributions of Woods and strings (and those are real strings, not synth pads). In sum, Songs of the Last Century is an unusually creative blend of the sound and sensibilities of north and south, and played with great musicality, taste, and swing.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Three Views of a Secret; Blusette [sic]; Sabia; Bebe; Meu Canario Vizinho Azul; Yesterdays; Beijo Partido; Frevo; These Foolish Things; Very Early.

Personnel

Helio Alves

piano

Helio Alves: piano; Duduka Da Fonseca: drums; Eddie Gomez: bass; Phil Woods:alto saxophone; Oscar Castro-Neves: string arrangements; Maucha Adnet: vocals; Paulo Jobim: acoustic guitar, vocals; Joyce Hammann: violin; Dave Eggar: cello; Mark Feldman: violin; Kenji Bunch: viola.

Album information

Title: Songs from the Last Century | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Blue Toucan Music

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