Samba De Flora

Soul Jazzからブラジリアン・フュージョン・ジャズ永遠の名作がリマスター盤で登場!
89年にNYのインディ・レーベルからごく少量のプレスでリリースされ、90年代クラブジャズ・シーンを通過して永遠のクラシックとして愛されてきた不屈の名盤が再登場!

アイアート・モレイラはドラマー、パーカッショニストとしてブラジルで60年代から活動し、Quarteto Novo Sambalanco TrioやSambrassa Trioといった名門ボッサ・グループのメンバーとしても活躍。奥方のFlora Purimと共に60年代後期には米国へ進出し、70年代にはマイルス・デイヴィスやWeather Report、Chick Coreaといったレジェンドたちと共演してきた。本作は89年にNYのインディ・レーベル:Montuno Recordからごく少量のプレスでリリースされ90年代のクラブジャズ・シーンを通して世界中で愛されてきた。その後もフリーソウルや昨今のブラジリアン・フュージョンのシーンともリンクし今なお人気を誇る永遠の名作。ネタとしても有名なキラーチューンTR-2、Flora Purimのボーカルをフィーチャーしたラテン・クラシックTR-4、Floraの夫婦デュエットが聴けるロマンティックなTR-7など名曲満載です!

An effusively performed minor classic of Brazilian jazz fusion, percussionist Airto Moreira's 1988 album Samba de Flora found him diving into an organic mix of originals and covers alongside equally gifted collaborators including his wife vocalist Flora Purim, Argentine pianist Jorge Dalto, bassist Alphonso Johnson, percussionist Don Alias, Cuban conga player Cachete, and others. The album was originally released in 1988 on the cult independent Montuno Records label, based out of the Record Mart record store located in the Times Square subway station. Founded by Latin music impresario Al Santiago in 1975, Montuno issued album after album documenting the exuberant music and musicians whom Latin fans -- and specifically Latin dance fans -- were digging in NYC in the '70s and '80s. The centerpiece of the album is the propulsive minor-key title track, which features Moreira on both percussion and vocals, leading his band through an absolutely infectious dancefloor banger. Following the songs' minute-long percussion intro, Moreira and his band erupt into a dynamic call-and-response verse that conjures images of stylish dancers coupled in a sweaty samba frenzy. Equally captivating is the group's buoyant reading of Hugo Fattoruso and Ruben Rada's "Dedos" featuring Purim's earthy, smiling vocals. Elsewhere, they offer a similarly sparkling rendition of George Duke's "Yanah Amina" and dive into the electric guitar-tinged Tropicalia of "Latin Woman." Moreira also reveals a gift for elegiac balladry, showcasing his burnished baritone vocals on the yearning, spare piano numbers "Mulambo" and "La Puerta." As with many of the LPs released by Montuno, Samba de Flora is a warmly produced album with a vibrant live aesthetic that steams with the energy and passion of a concert given in the heat of a New York City summer. ~ Matt Collar|