Moacir Santos - Saudade (1974) [2012 BNLA Series 24-bit Remaster]

Reissue with the latest 24bit/192kHz remastering. Features original cover artwork. Comes with a descripton in Japanese. One of the rare Blue Note gems from Brazilian arranger/composer Moacir Santos – an album of incredible warmth and charm, with a sound that's hardly been duplicated again! Santos is usually best known for his early bossa arrangements in the 60s, but here he's working in the US – hitting a sweet LA groove that mixes his earlier Brazilian styles with breezy touches from 70s jazz – done in a great mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation that sparkles tremendously throughout!

The rhythms alone are worth the price of admission – complicated, compelling, but always grooving straight ahead – far different than both the usual sound of Brazilian jazz and Blue Note at the time, and a unique hybrid that's certainly one of Santos' finest moments on record. A few tracks feature vocals as well, done in a nicely reserved mode that fits in perfectly with the instrumentation of the tunes – and titles include a wonderful version of the song "Kathy", recorded previously as an instrumental by Horace Silver – plus "Off & On", "Amphibious", "Early Morning Love", "Suk Cha", "The City Of LA", and "Haply-Happy".


Tracks:

01 - Early Morning Love
02 - A Saudade Mata A Gente
03 - Off And On
04 - The City Of LA
05 - Suk Cha
06 - Kathy
07 - Haply-Happy
08 - Amphibious
09 - This Life
10 - What's My Name

Personnel:

Moacir Santos - alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, conductor, arranger
Steve Huffsteter - trumpet, flugelhorn
Benny Powell - trombone
Morris Repass - bass trombone
Sidney Muldrow - french horn
Ray Pizzi - bassoon, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute, piccolo
Jerome Richardson - soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute, alto flute
Mark Levine - piano, electric piano, arranger
Lee Ritenour - guitar, electric guitar
John Heard - bass, electric bass
Harvey Mason - drums
Mayuto Correa, Carmelo Garcia - conga, percussion
Donald Alves, Mike Campbell, Jose Marino, Petsye Powell, Carmen Saveiros, Regina Werneck - backing vocals