Melbreeze - Animazonia (2018) [Hi-Res]

Melbreeze: vocals, ensemble vocals; Scott Kinsey: keyboards, synth, piano, Trilian bass, programming, flute; Jimmy Haslip: bass: Cyril Atef: drums; Larry Koonse: guitar; Jeff Richman: guitar; Brad Dutz: percussion, finger snaps; Hadrien Feraud: bass; Gergo Borlai: drums; Bob Reynolds: saxophone Gary Novak: drums, tambourine; Uday Kumar Nari: tabla; Kanand Kumar: sitar; Selcuk Karaman: bass; Artyom Manukyan: cello; Selim Bolukbasi: tulum
recorded by Jimmy Hislip and Scott Kinset at Wishbone Studios, Muscle Shoals

Melbreeze was born in Smyrna, Turkey and on this, her fifth outing, gives an intriguing re-reading of the Brazilian songbook of Antonio Carlos Jobim. The set includes such classics as ‘So nice’ (track 1), ‘One note samba’ (track 2), ‘Quiet nights’ (track 8) and ‘Desafinado’ (track 11). While each of the tracks carries its original structure and tune, they are all heavily accented (vocally and musically) so that they become something quite different.

Melbreeze delivers the words in an engaging mix of the lyrical (singing in a warm contralto) and a world weary and knowing irony, giving the tunes the feel of a Torch song. This, in itself, gives depth and new insights into Jobim’s lyrics. But the way that the orchestration and mix of instruments winds itself around the tunes also adds to the joy of the recording. As you might expect from their other incarnations (Haslip with Yellowjackets and Kinsey with Tribal Tech) the producers have worked out the envelope for each tune, and then pushed this to extremes. So, there are elements of jazz-fusion in the keyboard and guitar solos, but the inclusion of tabla, sitar, tulum (a form of Turkish bagpipe) brings Eastern flavours to the sounds and a novel sensibility to the tunes themselves. Given the use of sitar and tabla, it is worth noting that this sensibility is a Mediterranean / Middle Eastern rather than the Indian sub-continent.

So, the set takes tunes which are intrinsically Brazilian and transports them across the Atlantic and through the Mediterranean, and then, given their new trappings, ferries them back across the Atlantic to Muscle Shoals to give them a wash of jazz-funk and (in some places the deep, moody feel almost of dub reggae). They say that travel broadens the mind, and I think it is safe to say, that each of these tunes has gained from their long and adventurous journey.

01. Melbreeze - So Nice (5:10)
02. Melbreeze - One Note Samba (5:42)
03. Melbreeze - Like a Lover (5:21)
04. Melbreeze - How Insensitive (5:59)
05. Melbreeze - The Island (5:10)
06. Melbreeze - Anima (4:35)
07. Melbreeze - Mas Que Nada (4:17)
08. Melbreeze - Quiet Nights (5:07)
09. Melbreeze - Wave (4:35)
10. Melbreeze - Frog Samba (5:01)
11. Melbreeze - Desafinado (4:53)
12. Melbreeze - Favela (6:06)
13. Melbreeze - Animazonia (1:50)