Sergio Pereira - Nu Brasil (2018)

There's a certain something inherent in the music of Brazil that goes well beyond the notes and speaks more of the soul of a culture. Like the music of New Orleans, where the feel for an authentic second line rhythm grows out of the pace, the food, the flavor of the Crescent City, the persuasive rhythms of bossa nova and samba are ingrained in the hearts and souls of musicians from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. For guitarist-composer Sergio Pereira, that feeling is deeply imbedded in his DNA and emerges through his distinctive comping patterns. I learned by growing up listening to samba rhythms and playing Brazilian percussion at a local school of samba, says the 59-year Rio native and longtime resident of New York City. Since I was a kid I have been always playing samba rhythm, making that 'batucada' rhythm with my hands and fingers at school until my teachers would tell me to 'stop making that noise!' I still do it all the time. It's addictive. Pereira's samba addiction comes to full fruition in spectacular fashion on his ZOHO debut release Nu Brasil, his follow-up to his acclaimed 2016 debut, Swingando. The title Nu Brasil (nu = naked in Portuguese) references the beauty of his home country where however social inequality still prevails. A collection of ten thoughtful compositions, this superb set features contributions from a luxuriant crew of 18 world-class musicians including Cuban-born saxophonist Alexey Leon, Spain's alto sax great Perico Sambeat, Cuban-born flutist and longtime New Yorker Oriente Lopez and Valencia, Spain-based trumpeter-arranger Voro Garcia. Also on board for Pereira's sophomore release are Sao Paulo-based electric guitarist Marcus Teixeira, French pianist Baptiste Bailly, Valencia-based bassist Ales Cesarini, Cuban-born bassist Ariel Ramirez, Brazilian harmonica virtuoso Gabriel Grossi and two Brazilian-born musicians now residing in New York City is pianist Helio Alves and drummer Mauricio Zottarelli. - Bill Milkowski

Tracklist:
01 - Down South
02 - East River
03 - Arpoador
04 - Greta
05 - Nu Brasil
06 - Per Te
07 - Sambinha
08 - Trem do Tempo
09 - 14 Clicks Away
10 - Lascia Stare