Outro Rio

Album review

A worthy, sweetly melodic and gently rhythmic follow-up to his Latin Grammy-nominated second release for Adventure Music Noite Clara, Outro Rio (Another River) is an intimate, Rio based date centered on a low-key trio vibe featuring some of Brazil's other top musicians like bassists Andre Rodrigues and Jorge Helder and drummers Renato Massa and Jurim Moreira. As nice and thoughtful as tracks like the title cut and "Água de Nascente" are, Ricardo Silveira is at his most engaging when he invites outside instruments like piano, tenor sax, clarinet and cello to the party. "Chuva de Manhã"'s lovely romance is enhanced by the interplay between Silveira's acoustic guitar and Marcelo Martins' dreamy sax, backed by the wistful piano harmonies of Marcos Nimrichter. Likewise, the great João Donato's low-key piano adds a touching counterpoint to the swaying cool of "O Sol Na Janela." Silveira uses his electric guitar only sparingly, but when he does, it's magical and powerful. He adds it to the mix on "Choro Bacana," which also features the moody, very jazzy clarinet of Nailor Proveta, and the dramatic classical-flavored "Viver Em Paz." Another beautiful collaboration is "A Medida Do Meu Coração," a sensual guitar-vocal duet with Maria Rita which taps into the spirit of Astrud Gilberto beautifully. The listener almost expects Stan Getz's smoky horn to start chiming in. For listeners not skilled in Portuguese, each title comes with an English translation.

© Jonathan Widran /TiVo