Brazilian Horizons Volume 2

They Say...

Review by Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

In a second scoop of Brazil-related material from the Fantasy, Prestige, Pablo, Riverside, New Jazz and Milestone catalogues, Fantasy roams far and wide for a collection that often steers away from bossa nova. Mixing Brazilians with jazzers and Latin-jazz stars, mostly different ones from the first volume, the album also stays mostly away from the obvious standards of the idiom, while still including music by many of its famous composers (Antonio Carlos Jobim, of course, Ary Barroso, Luiz Bonfá, Ivan Lins, Milton Nascimento, Joao Donato, etc.). The great rarity of the disc is a curiosity that was previously available only on a 45 RPM single -- arranger Gary McFarland singing Jobim's "Dreamer" ("Vivo Sonhando") in a callow voice, with the composer accompanying on guitar. Not too much that is Brazilian can be heard in John Coltrane's rendition of "Bahia," save an occasional hint of samba feeling in the rhythm section, nor in Bill Evans' treatment of "Saudade do Brasil" on acoustic and electric pianos in a duo with Eddie Gomez. But "Carnival" with Dave Pike and Clark Terry has a great rhythmic feeling, as do in their own ways the off-kilter samba mixture of Kenny Burrell/Moacir Santos' "Nana" and Ella Fitzgerald's uncanny assimilation of bossa nova into her own idiom in "Madalena." Other leaders represented here are Charlie Byrd, Vince Guaraldi, Mongo Santamaria, Bola Sete, Milt Jackson, Stanley Turrentine, McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Cal Tjader and Dom Um Romao. A fascinating collection, though one wonders exactly what its target audience is.