KARRIN ALLYSON
Imagina: Songs of Brazil
Concord
Read
the jazzitude Review of Karrin Allyson/In Blue
Read the Jazzitude review
of Karrin Allyson/Ballads: Rembering John Coltrane
Read the feature article
"Karrin's Got the Blues"
Karrin Allyson has made a name for herself
as a very solid jazz singer who can tackle post bop modern
jazz, blues, and popular songs with equal alacrity. She
is an excellent live performer who seems just as home in
the moment as on her wonderful recordings. Throughout her
career, she has performed many Brazilian songs live and
previously recorded some, along with French songs, on her
album From Paris to Rio. She’s proven herself
an able and natural interpreter of Brazilian music, not
only managing the subtle rhythms well but also demonstrating
excellent Portuguese diction. But she’s never recorded
an album of exclusively Brazilian music until now, with
the release of Imagina: Songs of Brazil.
The album features a varied repertoire of
songs by the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinivius de
Moraes, Luiz Bonfa, Rosa Passos, Edu Lobo, and Pedro Caetano.
Most of the songs are by Jobim with lyrics by various Brazilian
collaborators, but Allyson has taken care not to present
many of the well-worn Jobim chestnuts that every singer
from Sinatra to John Pizzarelli has recorded time and time
again. Instead we get somewhat lesser-known pieces like
“Imagina” and “Correnteza.” In addition,
Allyson wanted the songs to resonate with the audience lyrically
as well as musically. Aware that most of her audience is
not fluent in Portuguese, Allyson included not only the
original Portuguese lyrics to many of the songs, but also
English lyrics penned by a variety of interpreters. This
approach isn’t for everyone—those who are familiar
with the songs and their lyrical content or who speak Portuguese
may find the English lyrics off-putting—but for the
average listener it allows entre into the Brazilian world.
For example, Susannah McCorkle’s interpretation of
‘A Felicidade (Happiness)’ which Jobim and de
Moraes penned for the film Black Orpheus, talks about the
illusion which carnaval presents as poor people dance and
sing with happiness, knowing it will end and all too soon
they will back to their humdrum lives. Not the typical stuff
of bossa nova tributes by most American singers.
Occaisionally Allyson allows the Portuguese
lyrics to stand alone, as on the title track and the dream-like
“Correnteza”, but generally she splits between
the Portuguese lyrics and English lyrics penned by a variety
of sources. McCorkle provides English lyrics to no only
“A Felicidade” but also “Vivo Sonhando.”
Gene Lees lyrics to “Estrada Branca” and “Double
Rainbow” are used, as is Paul Williams’ interpretation
of “Outono.” “Desafinado,” one of
the best-known songs on the disc, uses the famous Jon Hendricks
lyrics, a given considering Allyson’s love of Hendricks.
For a couple of songs that Allyson wanted to use there were
no English translations, so she called on Chris Caswell,
who provided lyrics to some of the well-known jazz tunes
on her last album, Footprints to interpret “Medo de
Amar” and “Pra Dizer Adeus.”
Allyson is accompanied, as usual, by top-notch
musicians on Imagina. There’s her longtime
collaborator, guitarist Rod Fleeman, who always provides
the right accompaniment regardless of the musical style
he and Allyson are working with. Gil Goldstein provides
good piano work on several tracks, but it is his accordion
playing on many of the songs that really stands out. Steve
Nelson provides marimba and vibraphone work on several tracks
as well. Drummer David Strait is another longtime K.C. Allyson
associate, and he gels perfectly with New York bassist David
Finck.
Karrin Allyson has long been a fan favorite,
and with Imagina she hits the nail on the head. Anyone who
enjoys the music of Brazil, and of Jobim in particular,
will appreciate her sensitive work on these tunes. Eleven
albums into her tenure with Concord Records, Karrin Allyson
has yet to release an album that isn’t completely
fresh, honest, and entertaining.
