In Session, Adriano Santos Quintet

In Session - Adriano Santos Quintet
Every genre holds a set of master composers - the artists that write songs that everyone encounters during their career. Some of these composers become household names, reaching the general public around the world with the strength of their creations. Other composers loose the connection with the mass audience, but earn the respect of artists and more refined listeners.
 
Their compositions might cross genre barriers and find a home in another musical world, or they might simply stay confined in one artistic landscape. Regardless of their legacy, these composers all have one thing in common; they write unforgettable music with lyrical melodies and appealing chordal foundations. The strength of vital musical elements keeps these songs alive across multiple generations of listeners and performers.
 

Listeners always return to these songs, appreciating their beauty across diverse interpretations from various artists. Musicians spend years studying these compositions, learning the inner details of the composer’s approach and investigating the space for personal interpretation. These songs become cultural marker that transcend style and simply float into the realm of great music, setting the standard for future musical statements. Drummer Adriano Santos recognizes a number of important Brazilian composers on In Session, leading his quintet through an inspired set of major compositions.
 
Performing With Enthusiasm And Flair
Santos and his group attack a number of up-tempo classics with enthusiasm and flair, delivering memorable performances. The full group charges quickly into a driving samba behind the main melody on Raul Mascaranhas’ “Sabor Carioca,” committing to the song with a lively intensity. Saxophonist David Binney flies into his improvisation with racing runs that wisely wrap through the colorful chord changes until pianist Helio Alves jumps into his solo with an energetic zeal that pushes him into an inspired interaction with Santos.
 
Both Binney and Alves take turns trading eight bar phrases with percussionist Dendé, leading into an enthusiastic display of syncopated creativity from Santos. The group provides coloristic shading over ethereal nature sounds on the introduction to Milton Nascimento and Fernando Brant’s “From the Lonely Afternoons,” until Santos slides into an up-tempo samba rhythm behind an understated melody. Binney kicks the song into high gear with a thoughtful solo that winds legato melodic ideas around smart rhythmic figures, helping build the band into a convicted momentum.
 
Alves creates contrast with short rhythmic ideas, stretching into longer thoughts and chordal attacks that lead towards a rising dynamic. Alves leaps into a bluesy rhythmic vamp over a driving baião rhythm on Victor Assis Brasil’s “Pro Zeca,” as Binney storms into an upbeat and memorable melody. Binney takes his time developing his ideas, moving through several choruses with an inventive inertia that stretches his thoughts into a larger statement.
 
Alves builds off the song’s original vamp, racing long bluesy lines over the groove, leading into a smart and unforgettable percussion display from both Dendé and Santos. Alves introduces a frenetic melody over the breakneck speed of Santos’ drums on Dorival Caymmi and Paulo Cesar Pinheiro’s “Ninho da Vespa,” until Binney joins him for a full reading. The rhythm section disappears behind Binney’s solo, who takes advantage of the sonic space, stretching his ideas freely and creatively. Some brilliant interaction between piano, sax, and drums leads organically into Alves’ improvisation, which becomes charged with the rhythmic power of the pianist’s lines and his melodic ingenuity. The group dives into these pieces with conviction and passion, showing a deep connection to the music and a respect for the artists.
http://www.chipboaz.com/blog/2010/05/28/album-of-the-week-in-session-adriano-santos-quintet/