Vinicius Cantuaria - Tucuma (1999)

An uncommonly graceful album, and certainly one of the best Brazilian pop records in the last twenty years. It's easy to imagine most of Cantuaria's songs being covered as anthemic pop or samba hits; in his hands, though, they are enthralling acoustic ballads, with complex, lush arrangements. A Brazilian expatriate, Cantuaria has gathered together some of the best and brightest of the New York art rock/jazz scene.
Guests such as Joey Baron, Bill Frisell, Erik Friedlander, Laurie Anderson, Sean Lennon and Arto Lindsay chip in, and the results are impressive. It's rare that an album like this can skirt the edges of yuppified lite jazz overproduction and come out so tastefully.

Cantuaria's stylistic debt to Caetano Veloso is made even more obvious by a cover of Veloso's "Joia," just one of many beautiful moments. Elaborately layered , with textured instrumentation and delicately processed vocals, Tucuma is the kind of record that sticks in your head long after repeated listenings. Highly recommended!





Vinicius Cantuaria: Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Percussion, Piano, Samples, Indian Wood Flute, Drums, Keyboards
Bill Frisell: Electric Guitar
Michael Leonhart: Trumpet
Joey Baron: Drums
Mauro Refosco: Percussion
Peter Apfelbaum: Tenor Sax
Erik Friedlander: Cello
Steve Cohen: Bass
Davi Vieira: Percussion
Marivaldo Dos Santos: Percussion
Sean Lennon: Bass
Josh Roseman: Trombone
Joyce Hammann: Violin
Mark Feldman: Violin
Lois Martin: Viola
Laurie Anderson: Vocals, Violin
Nana Vasconcelos: Berimbau, Panela
Arto Lindsay: Electric Guitar