Recorded in 1965 and produced by
Bobby Scott,
Braziliana is the first American collaborative effort between Brazilian composer and guitarist
Luiz Bonfá and his wife, vocalist
Maria Toledo. The set consists of 14
Bonfá originals and highlights every aspect of his compositional landscape, from sambas to jazzy pop songs, neo-classical pieces for guitar, and his modern attempts to integrate Brazilian folk forms. Certainly there was an ulterior motive for Philips recording this album with
Scott -- the worldwide success of
Astrud and
João Gilberto's collaborations with
Stan Getz. His arrangements lend a certain modern jazz tenet to some of these tunes -- such as the beautiful"Cavaquinho," with
Toledo scatting ever so elegantly amid a small jazz combo that features the great drummer
Hélcio Milito backed by a very young
Dom Um Romão. But given the utter range and sophistication in
Bonfá's tunes, it's hard to accept without critical consideration that he wasn't interested in presenting his startling musical range. Still, samba and bossa were the order of the year and there are some real gems here. The opener, "Whistle Samba," features a whistling
Bonfá and wordless vocals by
Toledo with
Bonfá's guitar careening warmly all through the mix. There is a truly gorgeous version of "Samba de Orfeu," rendered by skittering percussion, a lilting jazz piano, and
Bonfá's crystal-clear yet dazzling guitar. His shimmering elegance and effortless melodic and improvisational invention -- even in brief tunes -- are marks of true genius. Only
Baden Powell at his very best inspired as much. (For more dazzling proof, check out the solo piece, "Improviso.") The moving, romantic "Pierrot," with a colorful -- almost syrupy -- string chart is fine accompaniment to
Bonfá's guitar, but it's really the warm, romantic, sensual voice of
Toledo that gives the tune wings. Likewise, the dripping sadness and aching strings in "Saudade" enter in a schmaltzy manner, only to be completely disarmed by that haunting voice and the understated grace of
Bonfá's large palette of chord shapes. There is nice production work on "Guanabara," a wordless scatted samba with gorgeous drumming by
Milito and
Um Romão playing all the hand percussion. Ultimately,
Braziliana is one of
Bonfá's signature recordings, and a wonderfully intimate way to hear
Maria Toledo at the height of her powers. ~ Thom Jurek