Leo Gandelman - Radamés E O Sax (2006)

Lovely jazz versions of the work of Radames Gnatalli -- the composer whose music really helped to modernize the sound of Brazil in the 20th century! Gnatalli's older tunes are beautifully updated here through Leo Gandelman's sensitive interpretations -- and many numbers step out of the shadows of the past and see new life as small combo jazz tunes played by Leo on tenor, alto, or baritone sax -- with other instrumentation that includes accordion, guitar, vibes, bass, and drums. There's a personal quality here that goes past some of the older recordings of Gnatalli's work we've heard -- a deep respect for the original tunes, but a jazz-based way of inflecting them with his own ideas. Titles include "Assim E Melhor", "Bate Papo", "Amigo Pedro", "Valsa Triste", "Saudades De Alguem", "Choro", "Samba Cancao", and "A Fumaca Do Meu Cachimbo".