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Far Out Recording’s recent album Zeep had its roots in 70’s bossa nova and Carioca funk and this album follows that theme with one of the original artists from the period.

Back in the 60s and 70s, Adolfo was heralded alongside, Edu Lobo and Marcos Valle and with this new album, he’s got his two daughters, Carol Saboya and Luisa Saboia, to do the sweet Ipanema vocals.

As it’s a Far Out Recording, you know Joe Davis will get his production head on and go for the best musicians Brazil can offer and he has. Brazil’s original drum and bass, Azymuth’s Ivan ‘Mamão’ Conte and bassist Alex Malheiros are joined by Dom Chacal (Grupo Batuque) on percussion, Jose Carlos on funky guitar and a special appearance by Arther Verocai with his trademark strings on ‘Sonho Estalar’.

OK so the line-up sells the album itself, plus the horn section including our Jessé Sadoc (Trumpet/Fugelhorn), Victor Santos and Marcelo Martins, it’s the Fat Freddy’s Funk of smooth bossa jazz exemplified by the opening track, ‘Bola da Vez’. If this is on the decks at Koola, with the amount of Brazilians in Newquay at the moment, no wonder they’re not worried about the size of the waves.

Legend has it that Adolfo was the first Braziilian to play the Fender Rhodes and he’s right into it on the second track ‘Tudo é Brazil’, along with Seu Carlos who feels funk as much as Adolfo. The girls sing in unison and give us that Rio de Janeiro sun and sand feel.

Jazz dancers will love ‘Luizao’ as it’s a got a beach football sized drum break and stick with ‘SOS Amazonas’ as it’s original funk-jazz create diggin’ quality that unfortunately fades out far to quickly.

Adolfo spent the late 70s and 80s as a TV theme composer which he exposes us to on ‘Eu e Voce’ as a Brazilian Starsky & Chips. There’s a couple of mellow Carioca and ‘Dono do Mundo’ is a strange 50/50 of the two with brilliant wah-wah psych and horn riffs (I feel a re-edit could be in order here to satisfy the funky dancers).

But it’s ‘Sonho Estalar’ that sneaks up on you like a Deodato exploration into jazzy funk n’ strings; the girls sound particularly good on this one (but don’t miss the bonus instrumental version at the end that’s essential; has Peterson talked all over this yet on his show?).

Those with long(er) memories with recall Joe Davis’ interview in FACT 06 (Autumn 2004) where he listed Antonio Adolofo’s ‘A Brazuca is his 14th best Brazilian album ever! So no surprise that he’s got together this follow up to Antonio Adlofo & Brazuca (aka Carol) with Ao Vivo Live.

Tibério Gaspar provides the lyrics on Destiny that is an album in the old ways of an album from Brazil, a mixture of song writing craft, arrangement and musical expertise as soloist and band members. It ends with a downtempo ‘Tao Iguais’ lamenting the loss of summer. Destiny dictates summer will return like the needle to the start of A1. Brilliant stuff.

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Sonho Estalar’ (original and instrumental), ‘Bola da Vez’, ‘Tudo é Brazil’, ‘Luizao’

Reviewed: Antonio Adolfo, Brazil & Brazuka — Destiny (Far Out Recordings) Cat. No: FARO 121CD Release Date: 27th August 2007
Tracklisting:
1 Bola da Vez
2. Tudo é Brazil
3. Luizao
4. Eu e Voce
5. Papo Turado
6. Bomingo Azul
7. Sonho Estelar
8. Dono do Mundo
9. SOS Amazonas
10. Tao Iguais
Bonus. Sonho Estelar (Instrumental)

Links:
www.faroutrecordings.com
www.myspace.com/faroutrecordings
Fact 06 (Autumn 2004, p80) Antonio Adolfo — E A Brazuca (Odean, 1971) “A superb record from the pianist Antonio (now professor of music at a school in Rio), this features the classic ‘Transamazonica’ www.factmagazine.co.uk