Album Review: In the Moment from Ella & The Bossa Beat

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Album:  In the Moment
Artist:  Ella & The Bossa Beat
Label:  Self-Released
Website:  www.ellaandthebossabeat.com

In the Moment from Ella & The Bossa Beat is comprised of nine original songs composed by Ella Borges and her band, which features her father, Magrus Borges, on drums and percussion.  Ella sings in both English and Portuguese in a backdrop tinted in shades of R&B, soul, smooth jazz, bossa nova, and sonic pop. 

The starry-eyed imaginary radiating from the brushed percussive strokes and elevating strings along "Dreamer" have a sonic pop hue reminiscent of Billie Ellish's penchant for stirring contemplation and Lewis Capaldi's fondness for intimating emotion through nuanced vocals. She muses, "When did I come to love this little dream / I think it started when I learned how to talk / And now it's bigger than me / It was not long ago / That I heard... if life's not about chasing my dreams / Then what will I hold on to when there's no one with me... dreaming is only for those who will dare to be bold."

The R&B grooves of "O Tempo Traz" brandish a funky lift in the bass beats played by Ella as she sings the lyrics in Portuguese with an equally uplifting hold.  The smooth jazz orientation of Rodrigo Sha's saxophone floating in and out of "Forever" adds an earthy texture to the melody, while Ella's soulful vocals and meandering keys infuse sultry sensations along "Show Me the Way."  The sinuous arcs and inclines along the track bring out the siren-like luster in Ella's register.  The balmy riffs of Kim Freitas's acoustic guitar blanket "Slipping Away" in soothing aesthetics as Ella's nuanced vocals whittle meaningful inflections and punctuation along the melody.

Shades of R&B, soul, smooth jazz, bossa nova, and sonic pop are scattered throughout the recording from the melodic progressions to the harmonic forms.  Born in Miami and raised in Brazil, Ella Borges applies her own calibrations to modern jazz and sonic pop arrangements.   Fluent in singing in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French, Ella also plays piano, guitar, writes lyrics, composes, arranges, and co-produces with her father Magrus Borges.  At age twenty-two and a graduate of Stetson University with a degree in International Business and Music, Ella Borges's release spurs the emotions in delightful backdrops

Musicians:
Ella Borges - vocals, piano/keyboard, bass
Magrus Borges - drums, percussion
Rodrigo Sha - saxophone
Jonathan Dills - cello
Kim Freitas - acoustic guitar
Alain Bradette - saxophone
Greg Little - trumpet
Ruvit Bracho - violin
Larry Williams - trumpet

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