January 2010

Nilson Matta Brazilian Voyage “The Music of Black Orpheus”

Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola

NYC - November 2009

By Joe Lang

New Jersey Jazz Society

An energetic and scintillating program titled The Music of Black Orpheus was performed by

the Nilson Matta Brazilian Voyage Band for six nights in November at Dizzy Club Coca-Cola. 

This film that gave  this show its title, based on the play Orfeu da Conceição by Vinicius de

Moraes, is a retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice legend set in Brazil, and was the movie

that brought what became known as  bossa nova music to the attention of many

non-Brazilians.

   

Bassist  Matta recruited an outstanding assemblage of musicians for this engagement. 

Fellow Brazilian guitarist/vocalist Filo Machado, drummer Paulo Braga and percussionist

Jorje Silva were joined on the bandstand by pianist Kenny Barron and flutist Anne

Drummond to bring this wonderfulmusic to life.

The music for the film was composed by Luiz Bonfa and Antonio Carlos Jobim, with lyrics

for the several of the songs set by the Moraes.  Jobim and de Moraes also provided some

music for the play on which the film  was based.  Music from both sources was used during

this delightful evening of Brazilians sounds.

To start the set, Matta on bass and SIlva on tambourine established the rhythm for “Lamento

no Morro,”  one of the selections from the play, with Barron’s adventurous pianism, and the

flute trills from Drummond filling out this engaging opener.  The song most associated with

the film, Bonfa’s “Manhã de Carnaval,”  brought to the stage Machado who added his unusual

and appealing alto voice to the atmospheric version of the tune that ensued.   This song enjoyed great popularity as

“Day in theLife of a Fool”  with English lyrics penned by Carl Sigman.  “A Felicidade” has

become one of Jobim’s most popular songs, and the joyous rendition by Matta’s band was

highlighted by some scat vocalizing by Machado. “Valsa de Euridice”, which words and

music de Moraes, was another of the selectios written for the stage version, once again

brought attention to Barron and the ethereal flute of Drummond.

Drummod’s flute was featured on “Frevo de Orpheus,” a lovely melody from the film.  “O

Nosso Amor,”  began with strong bass statement from Matta, and included a superb vocal by

Machado.  The final song from the play was “Se Todos Fossem Iguais a Voce,” a song that

became popular later on,  with the English lyric by Gene Lees, as “Someone to Light Up My

Life.”  Matta wrote “Macumba” to complement the existing music from the original sources,

inspired by the “moment in the script where Orpheu  has to go a Voodoo Center to try and

bring Euridice back to life.”  The evening closed wiht Bonfa’s “Samba de Orpheu.”

The packed house responded to each selection with enthusiasm, and by the end of the set

seemed totally mesmerized by what they had just experienced.  This proved to be a evening

of excitement performed to perfection by stellar group of musicians.

November, 14th 2009

     

     Nilson had a great week at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola - Jazz At Lincoln Center with his

     Nilson Matta - Brazilian Voyage. At this time he had as a special guest the great piano

     player Kenny Barron. Together with them Nilson invited a super talent singer and

     acoustic guitar player Filo Machado, a virtuoso Anne Drummond on flute, a legendary

     drummer Paulo Braga,  and a master percussionist Jorjão Silva.

     The performance was recorded live and the CD will be released in 2010.

     The program was presenting “The Music of Black Orpheus” by Antonio Carlos Jobim,

     Vinicius de Moraes adn Luiz Bonfa.