Claudio Roditi – Simpatico – Resonance Records HCD-2008 ****:
(Claudio Roditi – trumpet, Flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet, vocal; Romero Lubambo – guitar; Michael Dease – trombone; Helio Alves – piano; John Lee – elec. bass; Duduka da Fonseca – drums; orch. arr. on Slow Fire by Kuno Schmid)
We liked Claudio Roditi’s 2009 effort for Resonance, which was nominated for a Grammy, and here is a new one with some differences. Instead of some fellow Brazilian players joining in the blend of samba and bossa nova with modern jazz, we have this time all original compositions of Roditi, and one of them with orchestral backing. The trumpet player says he doesn’t think of himself as a composer, but appreciates this opportunity to show off his composing talents. He hails from Rio and has been on the U.S. jazz scene since 1976, with 14 recordings. He currently plays with Dizzy Gillespie tribute groups and is a member of the Jimmy Heath Big Band.
A new sound is that of the little piccolo trumpet, which Roditi plays on the track “Piccolo Blues.” Most of the dozen tunes are for Roditi and his quintet, and on "Blues for Ronni", singer Holli Ross does the vocal. Trombonist Michael Dease, who we just reviewed here, joins the quintet on three of the tracks, including Blues for Ronni. Roditi has a warm and strongly lyrical sound to his trumpet work, coming out of the cooler style of both West Coast jazz and Brazilian bossa nova. He doesn’t just try to recreate the original bossa nova style, but to blend it with modern jazz in ingenious ways, in his dozen compositions. Production values and sonics are tops.
TrackList: Spring Samba, Alfitude, Piccolo Blues, Slow Fire, How Intensitive, A Dream for Kristen, Alberto and Daisy, Blues for Ronni, Slammin’, Waltz for Joana, Vida Nova, Winter Dreams
– John Henry
