Saturday, December 9, 2017

Carlos Malta & Thomas Clausen - Dreamland (SUNDANCE MUSIC 2017)


Their congenial musicianship and pure joy is contagious as they give well-known tunes their unique special treatment. Even the old ragtime piece Tiger Rag receives a shot of baiao rhythm and Jobim’s One Note Samba is spiced up. But most of the compositions are originals written by the two featured musicians. Thomas Clausen’s pieces are colored by his work in the many various jazz styles and European music, while Carlos Malta’s tunes have that unmistakable Brazilian sound, that special rhythmic lilt and unique coloration – an ethnic texture with references to the wealth of music from the country of his birth.

The Brazilian saxophone and flute virtuoso and Danish pianist and composer began their duo collaboration during the 2016 Copenhagen Jazz Festival and continued in 2017. DREAMLAND was recorded in two days at the Nilento Studio in Gothenburg. They are joined on several tracks by Brazilian bassist Romulo Duarte (known from his work with Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento and others) and the everpresent Swedish (but Danish resident) drummer Niclas Campagnol.

Carlos Malta is a saxophone and flute virtuoso from Rio de Janeiro. He is one of Brazil’s most popular musicians known from Hermeto Pascoal’s band and his own group Pife Muderno. He often collaborates with several of Brazil’s top vocalists and composers including Edu Lobo and Milton Nascimento.  He has appeared on an impressive list of recordings as a sideman and in his own name.

Thomas Clausen is a Danish pianist and composer. He has led his own groups with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Alex Riel, Jesper Lundgaard and Peter Danemo, and collaborated closely with Gary Burton, Steve Swallow, Billy Hart, Palle Mikkelborg and many others. In 1997 he started his Brazilian Quartet with Fernando de Marco (b), Afonso Correa (d) and Jan Zum Vohrde (as, fl). Later Teco Cardo Cardoso and Lea Freire from Sao Paolo joined on horns.


Shadows
Fanfare
3 no Samba
After The Metronome
Tiger Rag
Nippon
Under The Strawberry Moon
One Or More
Logum Ede
Nocturne
Toy Joy
Dreamland

Romulo Duarte (b)
Niclas Campagnol (d)