To Jobim With Love＜限定盤＞

ブラジル・ミナスジェライス州出身の卓越したエレキ&ナイロン弦ギタリスのトニーニョ・オルタによる2008年のアントニオ・カルロス・ジョビンへの壮大なトリビュートは、北米未発表の真のイベント録音である。多くの音楽関係者からトニーニョの最高傑作、そしてジョビン・トリビュート盤の頂点と評され、ブラジル音楽ファン必携の至高のサウンド体験!ゲストにはガル・コスタ、ボブ・ミンツァー、デイヴ・キコスキが参加。
パット・メセニーはオルタの影響を受け、「ボサノヴァ・ギタリスト界のハービー・ハンコック」と称賛している。トニーニョはミルトン・ナシメント、エリス・レジーナ、ガル・コスタ、セルジオ・メンデスなどブラジル音楽界の巨匠たちと共演し、録音や編曲を手掛けてきた。豊かなメロディと美しいハーモニーで長年知られるホルタが、珠玉の録音作品を生み出した。

Toninho Horta has been a reliable sideman and occasionally a leader in his lengthy career playing contemporary Brazilian music. The acoustic and electric guitarist has a quiet intensity that reflects the passion and verve of genius composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. This tribute to Jobim is quite laden with string charts, most done quite tastefully, rarely overarranged, and pleasantly emphasizing a flute section. Horta has an impressive complementary combo of pianist Dave Kikoski, bassist Gary Peacock, percussionists Paulo Braga and Manolo Badrena, special guests as saxophonist Bob Mintzer, harmonicist William Galison, trumpeter Glenn Drewes, Charles Pillow on oboe, John Clark on French horn, and several members of the large Horta family. Gal Costa sings in a choir, or individually for the CDs sweetest and beautiful moments - where flutes accent but do not swarm during a great take of No More Blues, and the simple Modinha with only Hortas guitar where you clearly hear the depth of both artists souls. Herat is an accomplished singer, heard in melancholy strains for Without You, or in brighter spirits with wordless and worded lyrics for the sensual Agua De Beber. And the hits keep on comin with a no-frills take of Desafinado with strings and choral vocals melding beautifully, while the restraint of Meditation echoes the holding back on love until the right moment in time. Mintzers cameos on Hortas original Infinite Love and the Paulo Horta/Donato Donatti tune Promises I Made show the neo-bop tenorman as a player who has his heart in the right place. Only during Hortas tiny notes on Portrait in Black & White and Kikoskis always brilliant pianistics for If Everyone Was Like You do the strings bury the solo instrumentalists. This is a good outing for Horta and friends, perhaps a tad self-indulgent or overproduced, but only by degrees. Those who are just discovering this Brazilian jazz giant should explore his discography, but this CD is a fine and satisfying entry point. ~ Michael G. Nastos