Album Review: Jobim Forever from Antonio Adolfo

Album:  Jobim Forever
Artist:  Antonio Adolfo
Label:  AAM Records
Website:  antonioadolfomusic.com

The work of Antonio Carlos Jobim has been reimagined, reinterpretated and reconstructed since their inception in the mid-20th century.  His music's timeless luster has not waned through the 21st century, and bandleader-pianist Antonio Adolfo tries his hand at retweaking Jobim's masterpieces on his latest release Jobim Forever. 

The album opens with Jobim’s popular classic, “The Girl from Ipanema" with the band establishing a dreamy, charismatic, bossa nova rhythm in the intro.  As the song evolves, Adolfo enhances the moonlight glow with streaming saxophone furls that lift the cool jazz swells to a spicy rhumba.  The track is followed by the balladry verses of "Wave," warmly simmering with twittering horns that traverse cozily alongside the shimmering guitar chords played by Lula Galvao.  The balmy aesthetics depict the lounging ambience of a beachfront escape.

The appeal of "A Felicidade,” written for the 1956 French film Black Orpheus, is the back and forth motion of the lounging beachfront ambience with the intense gyrations of the horns and percussion, building to a crest and then disbursing.  The music shows character and flexibility to alter the mood and flow.  Contrastly, the breezy wisps of "How Insensitive" maintain an even keel as the flugelhorn whisks the listener away on its ethereal wings.  The calming atmospherics absorb into the listener's core.

"Favela" displays a swinging boss nova stride that is inviting, invoking a titillating, hypnotic sway through the melody. The tune features stirring improvisations on the trumpet and alto sax, underpinned by a funky percussive beat.  Moving along, “Inutil Paisagem,” known in the US as "If You Never Come to Me," is a memorizing melody featuring trombone, tenor sax, and piano solos.  Its gentle embers stoke a contemplative ether.  “Agua de Beber” switches gears to an evocative samba rhythm that elicits its audience to be engaged in its sprinting lifts.

The dramatic voicing of the bass and piano along “Por Toda a Minha Vida” demonstrates another aspect of Adolfo's creativity.  The recording closes with “Estrada do Sol," a jazz waltz that features fluttering solos on the flute and sinuous romps on the acoustic guitar and piano.  The light and airy texture of the tune permeates a liberating feel.

Jobim's music affects the human spirit and soul with a positive charge, and Adolfo shows a keen understanding of Jobim's motivation to do just that.  His renditions of Jobim's work liberate the original structures, adding dazzling embellishments and sinuous romps.

Musicians:
Antonio Adolfo - piano
Jesse Sadoc - trumpet and flugelhorn
Marcelo Martins - tenor and soprano saxophones and flute
Danilo Sinna - alto saxophone
Rafael Rocha - trombone
Lula Galvao - guitars
Jorge Helder - double bass
Rafael Barata - drums and percussion
Dada Costa - percussion

Guest Artists
Paulo Braga - drums
Ze Renato - vocals