TANIA MARIA
Intimidade
Blue Note
Tania Maria is a truly international artist:
born in Brazil, a denizen of Paris for much of her career,
with the ability to play jazz piano over a samba beat that
speaks of the cosmopolitan sophistication of New York or
London. Her latest disc, Intimidade, was released
last winter as an import and is now available domestically.
It’s a typical Tania Maria set in many ways, and there’s
certainly nothing wrong with that. With Maria, fans know
what they’re getting: an intimate performance, a playful
quality, a palpable sense of the joy of creating music,
and killer acoustic and electric piano work.
This is a breezy set, but that’s not
to say it’s lightweight. Nonetheless, even an introspective
number like “Canto” isn’t allowed to descend
into melancholy and drama. Numbers like the opening “Chorhino
Brasileiro” and the follow-up, “E Tao Gostoso
Seu” slide amiably into the listener’s conciousness,
demonstrating Maria’s winning formula of sultry vocals,
percussive piano solos punctuated by wordless vocalizing,
and a rhythm section that follows her every move. Three
bassists (Eddie Gomez, Thierry Fanfant, and Marc Bertaux)
and two drummers (Fabien Haimovici and Luiz Augusto Cavani)
take turns backing Tania on this disc. It is a tribute that
the rhythm section changes are not obvious between tracks
and that the album flows smoothly.
The lovely ballad “Canto” gives
Maria a chance to stretch out a bit and show a more melodic
and serious side. This beautiful song speaks of Tania’s
leaving her native Brazil and returning after a long period.
It has been 30 years since she left Brazil to live in Paris
and New York, and certainly lovers of Brazilian-influenced
jazz have benefited from that decision. The pianist even
gives new spark to such well-worn classics as “Besame
Mucho” and “Agua de Berber.” Because of
her passion about this music and her enthusiasm, the listener
is carried along without even the chance to think ‘gee
I’ve heard this song a million times before.’
Maria’s trademark worldless vocalizing along with
her solo piano lines is in evidence on “Agua de Berber,”
where she ably demonstrates that this is an organic part
of her performance style and not an affectation.
Kudos are also due to Tania Maria’s
excellent backup musicians. They support and push her along
without ever overpowering the star or calling attention
to themselves. There are some standout moments though, including
Edie Gomez’s hot bass solo on “Agua de Berber”
and the work of three percussionists on the carnival-like
closer “Batebola”, which also features a knockout
piano solo from Tania.
In a constantly changing, often hostile world,
it’s nice to have signposts like Tania Maria who provide
a reliable escape from ourselves and our world. There’s
nothing completely unexpected here from a musical point
of view, but that’s just it. The spell that Tania
Maria casts over her audience is one of benevolence and
happy times, a combination of her infectious love of the
music she plays and her intimate relationship with it and,
by extension, her audience. Intimidade is a must-have
for fans of Tania Maria and Brazilian music in general.
