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Reviews
Interview
March 20, 2011
Interview with composer Thiago de Mello by Virgínia Aguiar
V.A. – Entre muitos álbuns autorais e participações em trabalhos de outros músicos, você tem um grande número de gravações. De onde vem essa enorme disposição para criar novas melodias? A criatividade é amazônica?
T.M. – A TV Nacional de Brasilia fez-me a mesma pergunta. Digo-lhe, então o mesmo, que é a própria Vida e seus vários e distintos caminhos que nos levam a SENTIR algo dentro da gente e, como resultado, melodias, seguidas de harmonias que procuram refletir esses sentimentos.
V.A. – E a Banda Amazon, o que representa para você?
T.M. – A banda THIAGO DE MELLO & AMAZON nasceu aos poucos. Começamos com violão solo na época da Bossa Nova, inspirado no Jobim e João Gilberto. Foi crescendo, com um duo juntamente com o compositor/violonista Luiz Henrique, já falecido. Depois virou um quarteto, no qual tinham vários músicos se revezando, como os pianistas Richard Kimball e Dom Salvador, o maestro Moacir Santos, no sax e piano, a cantora Carmem Costa e o baterista Everaldo. Mais tarde aumentou para sexteto e finalmente para uma banda de 12 membros, na qual, ao longo dos anos, participaram os brasileiros Claudio Roditi, Aloisio Aguiar, Haroldo Mauro Jr. Marcus Silva, Duduka da Fonseca, Paulo Braga, Tony Semifuza, Vanderley Pereira, Nilson Matta, Romero Lubambo, Sergio Brandão e muitos outros. Havia outros músicos, tais como Paquito d'Rivera, Diego Urcola, Paul Lieberman, Ron Grunhut, Bod Auld, Dick Oatts. Paro por aquí pois são muitos mais.
V.A. – Vi o público surpreso e alegre com o ritmo Disk Tum- Derrei quando você se apresentou no teatro do Ibeu, em Copacabana, mostrando que o batuque é algo que está ao alcance de quem busca o ritmo. Como se dá essa mágica?
T.M. – Quando muito jovem, ouvia muito os cânticos do Boi-Bumbá. Tambem, havia perto de casa, um grupo de pessoas que cantava rítmos Afro-Brasileiros - tais como o Baião, Xaxado, Batuque. Em casa, ouvia minha irmã tocar no piano as peças de Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, Villa-Lobos, etc. Reuní todos esses rítmos e tento representá-los em composições que possam refletir essas experiencias.
V.A. – A percussão orgânica é a base de suas composições que revela também um envolvimento com a natureza. O pau de chuva, que tem origem indígena, é um desses instrumentos que produz sons especiais. Qual deles é mais significativo para você?
T.M. – Como eu estudei Arquitetura por curto tempo, antes de estudar Música, até hoje procuro seguir um ponto importante para mim: a simetria, tanto na Música, como no modo de viver. Baseado em alguns princípios dessa experiencia, comecei a inventar sons da Natureza. Tudo começou quando numa noite em que tocava com a minha banda no famoso night-club SWEET BASIL de NY, a sexta corda do meu violão quebrou quando eu interpretava o Samba de Uma Nota Só! Virei o violão para o outro lado, e continuei tocando (com a ajuda do pianista). O público vibrou. Daí, nasceu essa minha ideia de FAZER percussões, desenhadas e construidas por mim. Passei a chamá-las de PERCUSSÃO ORGÂNICA, utilizando elementos da Natureza, vindo do Amazonas, Canadá, Africa e EUA
V.A.– E o que dizer da sua virtuosidade ao violão, que deslumbrou Jacques Press, maestro e compositor americano? O piano também faz parte de sua rotina de criação?
T.M. – Aprendi os primeiros acordes com um peixeiro na cidade de Santa Marta, na Colombia, onde eu treinava o clube local Unión Magdalena, da Liga Nacional. Eu o olhava de minha janela num edifício à beira do oceano e o via assando uns peixes e tocando o violão no rítmo chamado CUMBIA! Fui procurá-lo e ele ensinou-me os primeiros acordes! Depois, vim para o Brasil e comecei a estudar com um jovem especializado na Bossa Nova. Eu usava uns livrinhos que vinham com as canções e seus acordes bem desenhados, mostrando quais os dedos a serem usados, etc. Vim novamente para NY em, 1966, onde moro até hoje, e fui estudar Música no Hunter College. Privadamente, estudei teoria com Richard Kimball, que é ate hoje o meu mentor e grande intérprete de minhas canções. Ele foi professor na Manhattan School of Music e tambem na Juilliard School of Music. Tambem tive a sorte de estudar alguns aspectos de Harmonia com o amigo e pianista Haroldo Mauro Jr..
V.A.– Nesse ano de Copa do Mundo que acontece na África do Sul, você que homenageou Mandela e tem sua passagem no futebol brasileiro como preparador físico do glorioso Botafogo, vai acompanhar os jogos? Sente saudades de preparar atletas singulares como Garrincha e Quarentinha?
T.M. – Escrevi uma canção refletindo o desejo universal pedindo a liberdade de Nelson Mandela que foi tocada pela primeira vez quando participei de um festival na St. Lawrence University, que fica na fronteira dos EUA e Canadá. O pianista Haroldo Mauro Jr., o tecladista Cliff Korman, o baterista Helio Schiavo, e outros membros de minha banda participaram desse incrivel evento. Tocamos também essa peça, chamada LET HIM FREE!, No concerto de Dezembro de 2008 na City University of New York (CUNY), com a interpretação da cantora Ithamara Koorax.
Minha passagem pelo Botafogo foi quase de dois anos. Fui substituir o Paulo Amaral, levado pelo Dr. Lidio Toledo, que fazia o seu curso em Medicina Desportiva na Universidade do Brasil, onde fui tirar meu diploma de Técnico Profissional de Futebol. Fui trabalhar como assistente do Marinho de Oliveira e como preparador físico, já que eu tinha o equivalente ao Doutorado em Ed. Física e Técnica em Futebol, registrado no então CND (Conselho Nacional de Desportes). Nosso professor na Universidade do Brasil (naquele tempo, em 1960/61 e 62 ela ficava quase em frente à sede do Botafogo, na General Severiano) foi o Ernesto Santos, figura importante na conquista da Copa de 1958 - na Suécia! O Botafogo foi bi-campeão em 61e 62! Garrincha, o venerado Nilton Santos, Zagallo, Rildo, Didí, Quarentinha, Manga, Zé Maria, Amarildo, etc. formavam uma grande equipe. Foi um privilégio trabalhar com esses talentos. Quando saí para treinar o Deportivo Cali, na Colombia, indiquei para substituir-me o colega A. Chirol, tambem diplomado da minha turma, onde estava o famoso Ondino Viera, treinador do Uruguai.
V.A. – O trabalho com seu irmão Amadeu, poeta brasileiro de sensibilidade ímpar e de atitude firme na luta contra as injustiças sociais, que você também defende. O álbum A Criação do Mundo foi uma idéia em comum?
T.M. – A ideia veio da produtora Carminha Guerra, do selo KARMIM, de Belo Horizonte. Tudo começou quando ela notou que o compositor de duas peças do CD "Coisas da Vida", que ela produziu com o violonista clássico Daniel Wolff e o clarinetista Wilfrid Berg era o "compositor Gaudencio Thiago de Mello" (Daniel Wolff é o meu arranjador para orquestras e quarteto de Cordas-já fizemos vários CDs juntos). Carminha escreveu-me perguntando se eu era parente do poeta Thiago de Mello. Disse que sim. Então ela pediu-me que perguntasse a meu irmão se ele gostaria de gravar um CD com seus poemas e usando minhas composições. Seria POESIA e MÚSICA! Meu mano aceitou a ideia e gravamos o CD no Rio de Janeiro, no estúdio do violonista Flavio Goulart, onde gravei vários de meus CDs. O jornalista Armando Nogueira, recentemente falecido, foi grande amigo nosso, principalmente de meu irmão. Ele foi convidado para ler um dos poemas no CD. O fez com grande interpretação!
V.A. – No ano passado você se apresentou na CUNY (City University of New York) na comemoração aos 60 anos da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos da ONU. O registro desse evento ficará por 10 anos no CUNY TV channel 75. Essa divulgação representou um reconhecimento do seu trabalho nos Estados Unidos e da sua posição em favor dos direitos humanos e da liberdade?
T.M. – Por várias décadas venho lutando pelos Direitos Humanos. Desde o Brasil, com o golpe de 64; no Chile, após golpe de 11 de Setembro do Pinochet; ajudando os Sandinistas contra o ditador Somoza; contra o governo militar em El Salvador, etc. Ajudei a Anistia Internacional, vindo ao Brasil para levar para NY pessoas que haviam sido torturadas pelo regime militar brasileiro. Também, trabalhei junto à UNICEF, com concertos beneficentes, etc. Não gosto de falar muito sobre estas coisas, para que não pareça estar luzindo. Meu passado fala mais alto. Os gestos e as lutas, essas sim, valem muito!
Espero estar neste planeta para assistir a última mostra de nosso concerto para a Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos, através da CUNY TV em 2018!
Virginia Aguiar
brazilianmusic.com
http://brazilianmusic.com/articles/virginia-entrevista-thiago.html
CD Review
July 13, 2010
Amazon re-issue
For many years, it seemed most unlikely that Thiago de Mello's debut album and 1973 recording, Amazon would ever be reissued on CD. Only 1000 copies of the original vinyl LP were pressed back in 1973, and the master tape was destroyed in a fire. But where there is a will, there is sometimes a way. Brazilian producer Arnaldo DeSouteiro had a copy of the LP that was still in good condition, and in 1999, he used digital technology to restore the recording; the result was a new CD version of Amazon that, although not ideal by audiophile standards, still sounds enjoyably good. On Amazon, de Mello is joined by an impressive cast of Brazilian and American players that includes, among others, Airto Moreira on drums and percussion, Claudio Roditi on trumpet, Paulo Moura on alto and soprano sax, Richard Kimball on piano, and Herb Bushler on bass. De Mello, who arranged the material with Kimball, is heard on acoustic guitar, percussion and vocals; on top of that, he composed all of the melodies, although some of the lyrics were written by others. Amazon contains its share of instrumentals, which include the vibrant "Amanhecer (The Dawn)," the good-natured "Rede de Caboclo," and the optimistic "Freedom." But vocals are also a high priority on this 38-minute disc, and they range from de Mello's performances in Portuguese on "Vou-Me Emboura (I'm Leavin'")," "Tanta Ternura (So Much Tenderness)," "Andei So Por Andar (Time for a Change)." and the haunting "Amadeste (Desert Song)" to singer Michelle Brourman's performances in English on "Blue Sky" and "Don't Turn Away." DeSouteiro's digital restoration of Amazon in 1999 was a pleasant and totally unexpected surprise, and fans of Brazilian jazz and Brazilian pop will find a lot to enjoy on de Mello's very first album.
Credits:
Recorded at Sound Ideas Studios, New York, New York in 1973.
Personnel: Thiago de Mello (vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion); Michele Brourman (vocals, piano); Michelle Brouman (vocals, keyboards); Tony de Maio, Kay Coleman (vocals); Bob Rose (electric guitar); Lloyd McNeill (flute); Paulo Moura (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Claudio Roditi (trumpet); Dom Salvador, Richard Kimball (piano); Herb Bushler (electric bass); Airto Moreira (drums, percussion); Portinho, Richard Crooks (drums).
Audio Mixer: George Klabin.
Liner Note Authors: Gil Evans; Arnaldo DeSouteiro.
Photographer: Celso Brando.
Arrangers: Richard Kimball; Thiago de Mello.
Alex Henderson
All Music Guide
Internet
Review
December 15, 2009
Sounds of Brazil
SOUNDS OF BRAZIL - Quintet of the Americas; Gaudencio Thiago de Mello (organic percussion); Blair McMillen (pn); Scott Kuney (gtr) - MSR 1279 (61:53)
This is a most enchanting release. It traces the evolution of Brazilian music from one of its indigenous roots as exemplified by the seven songs, interwoven throughout the program, of contemporary composer Gaudencio Thiago de Mello who grew up in the Amazonian rain forest and is saturated by its spirit. He proves to be a striking melodist whose tunes, given the fine arrangements here and accompanied by their composer playing organic percussion, provide a recurring reference point as the listener is taken through the music of the pioneering Ernesto Nazareth (1863-1934), through that of Pixinguinha (the composer of Tico-Tico no Fubá) toward that of the most traditionally trained Ricardo Romaneiro and Marcelo Zarvos. Their two pieces were originally scored for the instrumentation encountered here, and though they are the most formally studied of the lot, they, paradoxically, elucidate and amplify their composers' ethnic heritage in vivid colors.
Brazil has largely been terra incognita as far as most readers of Fanfare (dedicated to ³serious record collectors²) are concerned. In past pieces for this and other publications, I have noted that in Brazil the demarcation between jazz, pop, and ³serious² music doesn't exist. Heitor Villa-Lobos consistently worked within that paradigm and provided pieces that still undermine our notion of what is truly classical while, at the same time, becoming so. In Villa-Lobos's mind, Euro-centric procedures were not essential, but they could provide the means to enhance the native musical languages he loved, explored, and pursued.
Ernesto Nazareth (1863-1934) was the first Brazilian composer to meld European and North American musical forms with indigenous accents, paving the way for Pixinguinha, Villa-Lobos, and all the subsequent composers on this offering. Incidentally, Nazareth's ³Brejeiro² was cribbed by Darius Milhaud in his ballet, Le boeuf sur le toit. Nazareth, alas, sold the rights to that most popular and enduring Brazilian tango for a proverbial song.
The virtuosic prowess of these performing musicians, aided by MSR's airy and detailed sound, offers a most satisfying and enlightening odyssey. Before I leave this review, a definition of the term ³organic percussion² is in order. Gaudencio Thiago de Mello creates his percussion instruments from things he finds naturally growing in the Amazon rainforest. One cannot be more indigenous than that.
Credits:
THIAGO de MELLO (Special Arrangements By Daniel Wolf): Chant # 2 - Uirapurú do Amazonas; Chant #10 - Canoa Furada. O Canto da Yara. A Hug for Tiberio. A Hug for Pixinga. Varre-Vento and Pra Dormir na Rede.
NAZARETH: Apanhei-te Cavaquinho (arr. Quint). Brajeiro (arr. Quint). Odeon (arr. Oldham). Escorregando (arr. Quint). PIXINGUINHA: As Proesas de Nolasco (arr. M. Granados). ROMANEIRO: Ventos. ZARVOS: Changes
William Zargoski
Fanfarre Magazine
Review
October 26, 2009
Journey to the Amazon in Music
Literal trips to the Amazon focus on the beauty of its sights, but on Friday, an entirely different and artistic journey to the Amazon took place, a journey which immersed its audience in the sounds of the rainforest, from the wind rustling through the trees and the chirping of exotic birds to the earthquake-mimicking rumbles of the drum.
Combining natural sounds and rhythms like those found in the Brazilian Amazon with Spanish and jazz music, Journey to the Amazon, a part of the Flora Glenn Candler Concert Series, was performed at the Schwartz Center. The performers, Sharon Isbin on guitar, Paul Winter on saxophone and Gaudencio Thiago de Mello on percussion, played 18 compositions, many of which they wrote themselves.
To provide the earthy sounds of the Amazon, de Mello introduced a collection of what he called ³organic percussions.² The sounds made by each object evoked the primitive and natural sounds of the rich Amazon rain forest.
These objects included the hollow shell of a turtle, a beautiful vase which made the earthquaking sounds of the earth and water, a long wooden bamboo stick, several butterfly cocoons tied together with string, a rain stick and toenails of a Tapir, the largest wild animal in South America.
But before this Amazonian journey took place, Isbin began the concert with a sensual Spanish guitar solo in a piece titled ³Spanish Dance,² written by Enrique Granados. The piece incorporated elements of Spanish nationalism and romance.
Isbin, a Grammy Award-winning guitarist who has appeared as a soloist with more than 160 orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra, began her performance by playing slow and soft music. As the piece progressed, the sounds became louder and faster while the same soothing melody repeated itself throughout.Isbin¹s fingers moved with grace and agility as she played with a calm countenance, her head tilted back and her eyes closed, completely invested in the sounds. The music was soothing and evoked the feeling of being present in a Spanish garden.
Following ³Spanish Dance,² Isbin played two other solo pieces, ³Recuerdos de la Alhambra,² a piece composed by Francisco Tarrega which aimed to capture the sounds of the fountains in the Moorish gardens of Alhambra, and ³Waltz² by Augustin Barrios Magoré.
As Isbin¹s final soloist piece ended, the stage became dark. In a few moments, the sounds of birds chirping and wind rustling could be heard.
When the lights illuminated the stage once again, Winter, a soprano saxophonist who combines African, Russian and Asian music with American jazz, and de Mello, a Grammy-nominated composer and percussionist who was born and raised in the Brazilian Amazon, appeared on stage.
Isbin, de Mello and Winter started off playing compositions written by de Mello, titled ³Uirapurú do Amazonas² and ³A chamada dos ventos/Canção Noturna.² The compositions expressed the musical influences and native legends that de Mello heard while growing up in the Brazilian Amazon.
The three performers also achieved a balance among their starkly differing instruments. Winter added a modern jazz sound, remaining steady and strong in his playing. de Mello, meanwhile, mimicked and enhanced the sounds of Isbin¹s guitar through the indigenous quality of his ³organic percussion.²
A rectangular wooden board sat in front of his knees, which he used to create beats by hitting his hands against the front and sides of the object. On occasion, he would slide his hand across the wood, creating an elongated sound. By tapping the opening mouth of the vase, de Mello created the sound of water.
The final piece of the performance, ³A Hug for Pixinga,² was also composed by Thiago de Mello. He decided to dedicate this song to a Brazilian composer by the name of Alfredo Vianna, nicknamed Pixinguinha.
A musical experience which utilized a combination of genres and placed emphasis on more primitive sounds, Journey to the Amazon allowed its audience to sit back and imagine themselves in a world so very different from metropolitan Atlanta.
Danielle Gensburg
The Emory University Newspaper
Atlanta, Georgia
Review
October 14, 2009
Thiago de Mello/Dexter Payne
Disk Tum Derrei (Chorando e Sambando)
Gau Records & Jazz Station Records (2009)
Style: Brazilian Jazz / Brazilian Pop Jazz
Musicians: Thiago de Mello, percussion, vocal (5,14), piano (13,14; Dexter Payne, clarinet (1-12); Haroldo Mauro Jr., (1,2,6,7,9,12); Helio Alves, (4,8,10, 11); Cliff Korman, (3) piano.
Review: Ever since the forays of American musicians into Rio de Janeiro and environs in the early 1960s, Brazilian music has exercised a profound influence on the jazz tradition. When I asked the late flutist Herbie Mann, one of the of the earliest of these visitors, which of the many genres he explored during his career had produced the most satisfying music, his response was "Well, if I had to choose one it would be Brazil." Clarinetist and saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera, even though he is himself from Cuba, has conceded that "Brazilian music is the most balanced formula of rhythm-melody-harmony in the world."
A good deal of what Paquito knows about Brazilian forms he learned during a six month stint in the band of Gaudencio Thiago de Mello. While probably not a household name among jazzreview.com readers--indeed, a Rio newspaper, the Tribuna da Imprensa, refers to Thiago as "one of the best kept secrets in both the Jazz and Brazilian contemporary scenes"--the composer and percussionist is something of a musician's musician. He has worked with, or had his compositions performed by Gil Evans, Paul Winter, Sharon Isbin, Paquito d'Rivera, Cláudio Roditi, Carlos Barbosa Lima, Tibério Nascimento, Richard Kimball, Oscar Castro-Neves and many others, during a career that spans decades, beginning in the Brazilian Amazon and continuing in New York where he arrived as an immigrant in 1966.
Listening to this recording one might label it as bossa nova, and it does have the feeling of that best known of Brazilian genres, its easy melodic flow, its harmonic and rhythmic subtleties. Yet Thiago de Mello is at pains to point out that there are different styles of music in all the various regions of Brazil, and that he absorbed many of them while living in many parts of the country, not to mention the jazz influences assimilated during his 40+ years in New York. That being said, many listeners might take these compositions--all of them Thiago originals--to be by Jobim or Bonfa, and indeed, many of them can stand comparison with the work of these other Brazilian masters. In fact, this recording is very much about the compositions.
This is not your average, head-plus-solos jazz date. There is room for improvisation, but as Thiago told me, he wanted to create something melodic and romantic. With this in mind, the performers take care to respect the melody throughout. Among them, the primary voice belongs to clarinetist Dexter Payne. Having met Thiago during a visit to Brazil, Payne became a close friend of the composer, whom he refers to as his "big brother." They became collaborators when Payne came to New York from his home in Boulder Colorado to participate in a session that yielded this and a previous recording, Another Feeling, issued in 2006. While the full range of woodwinds are found in Brazilian music, the clarinet is not the one most associated with it by American listeners. Yet in Payne's hands it works perfectly, and his sensitivity to the composer's esthetic is essential to the success of the project, helping to create something between American jazz and Brazilian popular music. Equally essential is the piano work, shared between three performers, and the unique approach to what he calls "organic" percussion taken by Thiago. This refers both to the material from which he constructs his own instruments, and the equally unique approach he takes to rhythm and coloration that allows him to contribute to the rubato sections as well as to the passages of structured meter. For a brief moment, during Interlude Thiago steps up and reveals the underlying rhythmic concept which is also the sub-title to this CD. According to the notes, "Disk Tum Derrei is an imitation Thiago performs, vocally, of the Brazilian surdo sound, as played by Escolas de Samba in Brazil. Chorando & sambando are terms related to two of the main genres of Brazilian music: choro and samba."
This is an interesting and enjoyable recording, one which should be explored both by those who appreciate Brazilian music and those who would like to know more about it. It is part of a large discography which can be explored at thiago-amazon.com, where one can also read his extraordinary biography (He started out as a successful soccer coach! Soccer and music--the essence of Brazil!) Having recently celebrated his 76th birthday it is time Thiago de Mello became an overnight success!
Tracks: 1. A Hug for Noel Rosa 2. Different Options 3. Fireplace 4. Chegada 5. Interlude (Disk-tum- derrei) 6. Everything Has Its Time 7. Desengano 8. Missing Home 9. Sei Lá 10. Waiting No More 11. Meu Baú Velho (O Galo Carijó) 12. Chorando E Sambando 13. Lembrando Claudio Santoro 14 Canto Da Alvorada
Peter Westbrook
Jazz Review
Web
CD Review by Alex Anderson
January 31, 2009
New Releases
Quintet of the Americas: Sounds of Brazil (MSR Classics)
Thiago de Mello: A Flame in the Dark and Sharp Edges
Brazilian musician Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, who is now 76, has not only been prolific as a recording artist–the veteran composer and master of organic percussion has also been enjoyably diverse. A variety of albums can be found in his ever-growing catalogue, and de Mello's versatility is illustrated by the simultaneous release of three excellent–and very different–CDs that he was a part of: Sounds of Brazil, A Flame in the Dark and Sharp Edges. While Sharp Edges is a straight-ahead Brazilian jazz offering, A Flame in the Dark and Sounds of Brazil both have a strong classical influence.
Sounds of Brazil, in fact, unites de Mello and the Quintet of the Americas, a chamber group that was founded in Bogotá, Colombia in 1976 (although all of its members are from the United States). The Quintet of the Americas (artistic director Barbara Oldham on French horn, Sato Moughalian on flute, Matt Sullivan on oboe, Edward Gilmore on clarinet, and Laura Koepke on bassoon) has a long history of embracing different types of Latin American music–including Brazilian music–and the group clearly enjoys a strong rapport with de Mello as well as with acoustic pianist Blair McMillen on Sounds of Brazil (which was produced by Oldham and was recorded live at Brooklyn College's Levenson Recital Hall in January 2008). Combining elements of classical, Brazilian music and jazz, Sounds of Brazil shouldn't be regarded as strictly classical, strictly Brazilian or strictly jazz but rather, as an enriching and risk-taking blend of the three. And some of the credit for the album's creative success must go to the skillful arrangers, who include Oldham, Stephen Quint and Marco Granados. The album's primary arranger, however, is Daniel Wolff, who arranged seven of the tracks and was de Mello's collaborator/partner on the album The Right Seasons: Heart to Heart. De Mello and Wolff have enjoyed a close working relationship, and his contributions to Sounds of Brazil are valuable. Ranging from de Mello's own compositions to tasteful arrangements of gems by major Brazilian composers like Pixinguinha ("As Proesas de Nolasco") and Ernesto Nazareth ("Apanhei-te Cavaquinho," "Brajeiro" and "Escorregando"), Sounds of Brazil makes one hope that there will be many more collaborations between de Mello and the Quintet of the Americas in the future.
A Flame in the Dark is a highly contemplative effort that often favors delicacy, restraint and tenderness; nonetheless, de Mello and the soloists (who include cellist Gustavo Tavares and pianist Richard Kimball) have no problem getting their points across emotionally. Tavares, the album's special guest, is prominently featured–and his expressive solos are a major asset for de Mello on hauntingly pretty, classical-influenced pieces such as "Canto da Paz," "Floresta Encantada" (which de Mello dedicates to his daughter Ayla), "Lullaby for a Grandchild" and "Coming Sweetly Home." Kimball, who de Mello has worked with extensively over the years, is in fine form on several of the songs–and the presence of pianists Helio Alves and Maria Teresa Madeira, bassist David Finck and clarinetist Dexter Payne is also a definite plus. In addition to playing his organic percussion on four of the tracks, de Mello contributes acoustic piano to the lovely "Lullaby for Darius" and acoustic guitar to the thoughtful "An Untamed Heart." The 10-minute title track sounds especially personal, and with good reason: de Mello wrote it in memory of Brazilian native Sergio Vieira de Mello, who served as the United Nations' top envoy to Iraq and was killed when terrorists attacked the UN's headquarters in Baghdad in 2003.
Of the three releases, Sharp Edges (which was recorded mostly in 1991) is the album that has the strongest jazz appeal. Sharp Edges, which was produced by de Mello and co-produced by Rio de Janeiro's well known Arnaldo DeSouteiro, often swings joyously, although the material is consistently melodic and accessible–and de Mello is joined by an impressive cast of Brazilian and American players that includes, among others, trumpeter Claudio Roditi, trombonist Jay Ashby, alto saxophonist Mark Kirk, pianists Cliff Korman and Haroldo Mauro, Jr., guitarists Romero Lubambo and Antonio Mello, and drummers Paulo Braga, Helio Schiavo and Duduka Da Fonseca. The musicians vary from one track to the next, but the album is impressively consistent–and excellence prevails on songs that range from the optimistic "Winning Streak" and the good-natured samba "Mellow Dee" to the reflective "O Canto da Yara" and the Thelonious Monk-like "Kimbolian Dawn." The lively, gospel-flavored "Show Me the Way" has a strong soul-jazz appeal and points to de Mello's Baptist background (he was raised Baptist in the largely Catholic Brazil), while the haunting "Macumba Chant" contains both an African influence and the influence of Amazonian Indians. From the exuberant to the tender, Sharp Edges is a fine addition to de Mello's catalogue.
Some musicians slow down and put out fewer albums when they grow older, but lucky for us, de Mello is not one of them. He maintains a busy schedule at 76, and all three of these memorable albums demonstrate that when it comes to music, de Mello still has a lot to say.
Alex Henderson
The Brasilians
New York City
CD Review
December 16, 2008
Thiago de Mello's Unfailing Flame
Eventually we have to come to terms with the fact that some people on the face of the earth are like Thiago de Mello. They are so amazingly creative, sensitive, and elegant in their art that they seem to belong in a different cosmos. Their verve knows no national boundaries, no time limits, no stylistic schools, and no labels at all, except that one which we may vaguely understand but certainly adore: beauty–sheer, moving, and exquisitely scintillating beauty. So, when Thiago de Mello's new release reached my mailbox, I was both eager and curious to take a listen to his material. I knew there would be layers and layers of plain musical pleasure and aesthetic contemplation of the unknown. I was likewise assured, though, of the upcoming awe-inspiring discoveries that traveled with every work recorded by this Brazilian with a galactic soul. In A Flame in the Dark–An Untamed Heart, Thiago de Mello's brilliant soul honors many lives whose trajectories on this planet have shared a plethora of meaningful gains and losses. In particular, the Amazonian composer pays tribute to the untamed heart of a fellow Brazilian, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who bravely died in a cowardly bombing attack against the United Nations peace mission in Iraq. For a moment, let us consider the stingy, contradictory elements of my previous sentence. Then, let us consider the human heart in its power to create and to destroy all that exists, including (and most gravely) ourselves, humans. On this new disc, Thiago de Mello has once again gathered a pool of distinguished musicians and friends to play with him their bass, cello, clarinet, drums, or piano. They are Helio Alves, David Finck, Richard Kimball, Maria Teresa Madeira, Dexter Payne and Gustavo Tavares, to cite a few. Here, Thiago de Mello's compositions from different phases in his life mingle in their moods while gently swaying from the ballad to the lullaby, or from a short and endearing overture representing family bereavement, to a jazzy ode evoking a Canadian forest in autumn splendor. In sum, the feeling I'm left with when I listen to A Flame in the Dark is that this disc lures me to be a poet (though I'm not one). I feel like writing lyrics that might possibly catch and translate to myself the sense of elation that I undergo upon listening to rare sounds as blissfully transcendental as Thiago de Mello's harmonies.
Published at amazon.com
Dário Borim, Jr
Host of Brazilliance - WUMD - UMassachusetts - Dartmouth - USA
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Concert review
October 3, 2008
Concert at Mendelssohn Performing Arts
The Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center opened their 2008-2009 concert seriesat the Court Street
United Methodist Church this past Friday evening with a stunning performance by guitarist Sharon
Isbin and organic percussionist Gaudencio Thiago deMello.
Ms. Isbin, hailed as "the pre-eminent guitarist of our time", with a litany of national and
international awards, a record of appearances with over 160 orchestras and over 25 recordings,
thrilled the audience with her finesse, mastery and emotional articulation throughout the evening.
The program's musical theme was "Journey to the Amazon", and what betterway to provide the
perfect setting of style and sound than to include the very talented composer/arranger/percussionist,
Thiago de Mello. A Brazilian Amazon native from the Indian Maue tribe, he provided the perfect
accompaniment for Isbin. Many of the works were by composers of Brazilian origin, or from
countries adjacent to the Amazon.
The evening began with "Spanish Dance, No. 5, Op. 37" by Enrique Granados, followed by Recuerdos
de la Alhambra's "Francisco Tarrega", both rather familiar and frequently performed works. What
was evident from the onset was the delicate and very sensitive touch and sound emanating from
Isbin's guitar. Every note was precise and cleanly articulated. The ebb and flow of her dynamic
control was what made each piece brilliant.
To complete the first half of her performance, the auditorium was darkened. Gradually, the night
sounds of the Amazon could be heard and as light slowly emerged, songs of birds and other wildlife
became more evident. It became a multi-sensory experience that paved the way for Thiago de
Mello's partnering with Isbin in four remarkable renditions by guitar with percussion accompaniment.
Thiago de Mello had several unusual organic percussion instruments (a tortoise shell, beans in a tube
and dried seeds in their pods), but his primary instruments were two wooden boxes and a cow bell. His
fingers and hands tapped and brushed in perfect sequence, style and texture with the guitar. Different
percussive sounds were created depending on where on the box he would tap or gently hit. One felt
transported in time and space to the inner reaches of the Amazon.
The second half of the evening was similar to the first half with solo performances by Isbin and then
with accompaniment by de Mello. An interesting side to the evening was de Mello demonstrating
several bird calls on the variety of instruments he had available. Much of the music presented in the
evening was filled with local folklore and had the acoustic and rhythmic flavor and form inherent
with the composer's roots.
If one came looking for a loud and boisterous guitar and percussion performance, they left
disappointed. If one came to experience great artistry and unequaled mastery in texture and sound,
they left fully satisfied, having experienced the best of both.
A standing ovation brought an encore and a second robust response from the appreciative audience.
Nat Bauer
Rockford Register Star
Rockford, Il
CD Review
March 10, 2008
Amor Mais que Perfeito
Thiago de Mello has had a reputation for being one of the more singer-friendly instrumentalists in Brazilian jazz, but even so, it came as a surprise when, in November 2005, the veteran percussionist recorded an album as singer-driven as Amor Mais Que Perfeito. On this 68-minute Brazilian jazz/Brazilian pop CD, de Mello doesn't simply feature singers on one or two selections; he features them on almost all of the selections (the good-natured "Doce Acucena" is the album's lone instrumental). Four different female singers, all of them from Brazil, are featured on Amor Mais Que Perfeito: Ithamara Koorax (who has appeared on some of de Mello's other albums), Fátima Guedes, Andrea Dutra and Cris Delanno. Koorax is featured on five of the 14 tracks (including the dreamy "Amor Quase Perfeito" and the funky, vibrant "Saracura"), while Dutra is heard on one track ("Canto da Saudade") and Guedes is heard on one ("Quem Cozinha Não Lava"). Most of the lyrics are in Portuguese, although Delanno has no problem singing in perfect English on "Blue Sky," "Don't Turn Away" and the gospel-influenced offerings "A Morning Prayer" and "An Evening Prayer." In fact, only one of the four songs that features Delanno is in Portuguese: "A Vida Não Está Boa." And even though Amor Mais Que Perfeito is largely a vocal album, de Mello still gives some solo space to talented Brazilian improvisers like soprano saxophonist Zé Carlos Bigorna, pianist Haroldo Mauro, Jr. and guitarist Flavio Goulart (who produced this album with de Mello in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Regrettably, there are many instrumentalists in the jazz world who dislike singers in general, but de Mello obviously doesn't feel that way – and his singer-friendly attitude yields excellent results on Amor Mais Que Perfeito.
Alex Henderson
All Music Guide
CD Review
January 9, 2008
Another Feeling
Veteran Brazilian percussionist Thiago de Mello (then in his early 70s) long a neglected figure alongside younger more acclaimed players as Airto Moreira, Naná Vasconcelos, and Guillerme Franco, has finally hit resonant notes for the general public to hear on this beautiful recording, with clarinetist Dexter Payne as his main foil and accompanying pianists and occasional vocals.
As you'd expect, there's a lot of authentic samba played, and it is done right. Basic sensual rhythms and melodies are the centerpiece for "Tal Como o Vinho," "Too Good Notes" (a play on "One Note Samba" with Thiago de Mello on acoustic guitar), the heavy-handed "Mar Aberto," and roomy "No Wolf at the Door." The beautiful singing of Ithamara Koorax is heard on two ballads, but also on the night hymn "An Evening Prayer," as well as the excellent African highlife-flavored title track, dedicated to Che Guevara, which is very close stylistically to what Abdullah Ibrahim and Carlos Ward would do.
Payne's playful clarinet empowers the trio, swinging lightly in jazz fashion à la Eddie Daniels during the lyrical "Kimbolian Dawn," he plays pretty during the neo-classical "Rede de Cabocolo," and switches to alto sax for the dancing 6/8 framework of "What About That?" (for Sharon Isbin). The dance theme is further emphasized on "A Hug for Gil Evans," starting with Thiago de Mello on the berimbau, and then going for samba rhythms with a Native American chant tacked on. Haroldo Mauro, Jr. is the pianist on six selections, and he's one to pay attention to, while another three feature Richard Kimball, a longtime associate of Thiago de Mello.
Fans of Brazilian music will want this, but it should also appeal to a broader base of world music lovers, as the diversity, bright spirit, and clear camaraderie between the musicians is evident from start to finish.²
Mchael G. Nastos
All Music Guide
CD REVIEW
September 21, 2007
Wilfried Berk and Daniel Wolff bridge the gap between erudite and popular.
Wilfried Berk is a Brazilian classical clarinetist. One of the original members of Quarteto Villa-Lobos, Berk lives in Germany. Collaborating with Brazilian guitarist and arranger Daniel Wolff and Amazonian composer-percussionist Gaudencio Thiago de Mello on the recently released album Coisas da Vida, Berk steps beyond the bounds of his usual turf to explore the ground the straddles "serious" and "light" music.
The album includes new and old choro, contemporary popular tunes, and short erudite pieces. Two tunes by Gaudencio Thiago de Mello open the disc–both arranged by Wolff. The delightful "Samba Chorado" is, melodically speaking, more choro sambado; but the faint apito in the background introduces a hint of old-time samba school parades. "Cavaleiro sem Armadura" (Knight Withought Armor) is a meditative piece written for the composer¹s brother, famed poet Amadeu Thiago de Mello, in tribute to his suffering as a political exile in Chile and Germany.[...]
Daniella Thompson
Daniella Thompson on Brazil
Go to site...
resenha de cd
31 de agosto, 2007
Outro Thiago
"A notícia amarga chegou dizendo, que o Che Guevara morreu/E partiu deixando a verdade acesa queimando em meu coração". A letra inflamada, na voz de Ithamara Koorax, vem de Another Feeling (JSR), faixa título do novo disco do multi-instrumentista Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, com o sax/clarinetista americano Dexter Payne. Radicado nos EUA desde 1966, irmão do poeta (Amadeu) Thiago de Mello, GTM gravou o disco, que sai aquí este mês (no ano passado em Nova York), a bordo de instrumentação inusitada: clarinete, percussão e piano, pelos americanos Cliff Korman e Richard Kimball e os brasileiros Helio Alves e Haroldo Mauro Jr. No cardápio autoral de Thiago (Rede de Caboclo, Mar Aberto, A Hug For Gil Evans) a exceção é o spiritual Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.
"
Tarik de Souza
Jornal do Brasil
Rio de Janeiro
RESENHA DE CD
22 de agosto, 2007
Saem novos Mauricio Einhorn e Thiago de Mello
A discografia de música instrumental brasileira ganha novos reforços assinados por instrumentistas veteranos que seguem em plena atividade. O gaitista Mauricio Einhorn é o autor de Travessuras (Delira Música, 2007) e, acompanhado de um trio, Conversa de amigos II (Delira Música, 2007), enquanto o percussionista Thiago de Mello traz, ao lado do clarinetista Dexter Payne, Another feeling (Jazz Station Records, 2007)....O amazonense Gaudêncio Thiago de Mello, multiinstrumentista, arranjador e compositor que há 40 e pouco anos mora nos Estados Unidos, está com 74 anos completos e segue em atividade. Já lançado em terras estrangeiras (EUA e Europa), Another feeling é fruto sólido da amizade deste brasileiro de biografia ímpar (já foi técnico de futebol) com o clarinetista norte-americano Dexter Payne. Tudo soa absolutamente brasileiro, principalmente as faixas instrumentais (o disco traz quatro cantadas por Ithamara Koorax), em algum lugar delicado entre o jazz, o samba e a música indígena. No mais, belas canções como ³Rede de caboclo², ³A hug for Gil Evans², ³Tal como o vinho², ³Kimbolian dawn², ³What about that?² e ³Mar aberto². Gaudêncio Thiago de Mello se desdobra em percussões, violão e piano e é acompanhado pelos pianistas Haroldo Mauro Jr., Cliff Korman, Hélio Alves e Richard Kimball, além de Payne e seu clarinete discreto e afiado.
Daphne Sampaio
gafieiras.com.br
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RESENHA DE CD
1 de agosto, 2007
Another Feeling - Thiago de Mello e Dexter Payne
A idéia de fazer um álbum diferente parece que agradou Dexter Payne e o brasileiro Thiago de Mello, que há 40 anos vive em Nova Iorque. Produzido por Arnaldo deSouteiro, que teve a idéia de não usar o tradicional set up de pianos, baixoos e baterias combinados com corneta, Another Feeling é uma mistura de sons brasileiros com influências da música norte-americana.
Destaque para a faixa título que Mello escreveu antes mesmo de conhecer DeSouteiro e Payne. Another Feeling foi escrita em 1967 e traduz o sentimento de Mello quando soube da morte de Che Guevara na Bolívia. A influência gospel e soul aparece na música "Urumutum/Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". Em Tal como o Vinho, a homenagem é à amizade ao produtor DeSouteiro.
Backstage
Brasil
RESENHA DE CD
18 de junho, 2007
Musiqualidade
...O álbum ³Another Feeling², um projeto idealizado pelo premiado produtor de jazz Arnaldo DeSouteiro para seu selo JSR, chega ao Brasil mostrando o encontro do percussionista brasileiro Thiago de Mello com o clarinetista americano Dexter Payne. A excepcional cantora Ithamara Koorax faz-se presente em quatro das treze faixas e, como de costume, dá um show à parte com sua voz potente e afinadíssima.
Rubens Lisboa
infonet.com.br
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Resenha de CD
14 de junho, 2007
Encontro afinado de culturas
Novo CD junta brasileiro Thiago de Mello com o americano Dexter Payne
Chega ao Brasil o CD Another feeling, que marca o encontro do percussionista e compositor Thiago de Mello com o sax e o clarinete do americano Dexter Payne. O disco é um projeto idealizado pelo premiado produtor de jazz Arnaldo DeSouteiro para seu selo JSR. Já lançado nos EUA e na Europa, chega ao Brasil colecionando elogios da imprensa especializada.
Na carona do CD os artistas também aumentaram a coleção de prêmios. Thiago foi eleito o quarto melhor percussionista e o décimo melhor compositor de 2006, e o Dexter Payne ficou em oitavo como clarinetista, na votação da prestigiada revista DownBeat em dezembro. Com tanta repercussão, o produtor fez questão de manter o mesmo padrão gráfico no lançamento brasileiro, que ainda ganhou nova masterização. Caprichos que a obra merece.
Thiago assina todas as composições, sendo No wolf at the door em parceria com Dexter. Além de sua percussão, foi também a capacidade de criação que chamou atenção de Arnaldo quando conheceu Thiago, nos anos 80, apresentado por Luiz Bonfá. Desde que voltaram a se encontrar em 1991, Arnaldo vem produzindo os álbuns de Thiago, e o mais recente resultado dessa parceria é o trabalho de Thiago com Dexter Payne.
A dupla ainda tem a participação especial da cantora Ithamara Koorax. Diva brasileira do jazz reconhecida no mundo, Ithamara sola sua potente voz em quatro das treze músicas. Seu canto límpido vai ao encontro da dupla em An evening prayer, na faixa-título, The exile song e na recriação abrasileirada do spiritual Swing low, sweet Charlot.
A percussão de Thiago revela o molho único brasileiro em músicas como Tal como vinho, What about that, Too good notes e Mar aberto. Aproximando sua arte de seu país, o músico que há 40 anos está radicado nos EUA, vem se apresentando com maior regularidade em solo nacional, já tendo passagens por Manaus, Olinda e Rio. Além da percussão "orgânica", Thiago toca violão e piano em Another feeling.
O disco de Thiago de Mello e Dexter Payne comprova o fascínio dos músicos americanos com a magia da composição brasileira. O calor tropical de um país que criou a bossa nova ainda tem muito o que trocar e acrescentar ao jazz feito no primeiro mundo. Another feeling é mais um grande exemplo, mais um motivo de orgulho para o país que é do futebol e da cachaça, mas também é do samba, da bossa e do jazz.
Beto Feitosa
Ziriguidum Online
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CONCERT REVIEW
March 9, 2007
Something Special: Classical Guitarrist Sharon Isbin Shines at Scott Theatre
FORT WORTH -- How do we love guitarist Sharon Isbin? Let us count the ways.
Thursday evening at Scott Theatre, Isbin was the featured performer for the Fort Worth Classic Guitar Society's recital series, one that regularly brings in distinguished performers.
Yet there's something special about Isbin. As a woman in a male-dominated field, Isbin has been a trailblazer in more ways than most classical musicians could ever dream.
Her teachers include the legendary Andres Segovia and piano doyenne Rosalyn Tureck. She's the first guitarist to record with the New York Philharmonic. What's more, Isbin has had no difficulty straddling the worlds of classical music and pop culture; her playing is on the soundtrack of the film "The Departed". She won a Grammy in 2001 and has commissioned a whopping number of works for guitar.
Evocative narrative-inspired pieces by Gaudencio Thiago de Mello and Brouwer, displayed a gorgeous dynamic range and a gift for interpretative color.
Matthew Erikson
Star Telegram
Fort Worth, Texas
CD REVIEW
March 1, 2007
Review of CD Another Feeling
A little time has gone by (see Jazz Hot n0 628; April/2006) since JSR re-edited Thiago de Mello's first record, Amazon, released in 1973. Time passes, and Thiago continues. The music has changed a great deal since then but the person, the multi-instrumentalist, the poet, the Man are still here. This newest disc is moving, a kind of Latin blues, not just Brazilian, even though the music is a blending of good jazz and Brazilian music–it is another feeling, soaring over Payne' s clarinet or alto saxophone.
After an introduction, a nostalgic evocation of his younger years, Thiago traces his life–Life. An homage to Gil Evans ("A Hug for Gil Evans") for the awareness that he raised to the music of Brazil; a gospel hymn ("An Evening Prayer") sung by Itamara Koorax, reminding us that in a very Catholic Latin America, some minorities opted, with difficulty, for other churches–like Thiago's family, influenced by American missionaries who had made their way into the Amazon. This same theme is echoed in the bonus track "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."
And de Mello's life continues; his life and his invovements told in two lovely renditions: "Another Feeling," written in 1967 when Che Gueverra was killed in Bolivia, and "The Exile Song," an homage to all the victims of the Latin American dictatorships from Nicaragua to Chile. Itamara Koomax, once again, is excellent in these two pieces.
"Kimbolian Dawn" and "Two (or Too) Good Notes" along with "What About That?" are the most lively on this disc–and they swing. "Lonely Piano" and "Mar Aberto" form a duet evoking the nostalgia of a period when Thiago was living in downtown New York City.
Jazz Hot
France
CD REVIEW
January 18, 2007
Album Another Feeling
Have you ever walked alone through a quiet beautiful woodland and stepped into an open space full of nothing but warm and growing brightness, and felt like nature was a cathedral and you were seated in its front row? Another Feeling sounds just like that: completely, naturally, immaculate and beautiful.
Dexter Payne on clarinet and alto saxophone creates this Feeling with writer/arranger Thiago de Mello on acoustic piano, guitar and "organic percussion," handmade instruments personally crafted from gourds, sticks, seeds, shells and other scraps from nature. No bass player, no drummer. The idea, says de Mello, was to avoid the traditional setup of piano, bass and drums combined with a horn.
Clarinet as lead instrument often lends a quaint air. "Tal Como O Vinho," moves with elegant and relaxed grace into a three-way dance among acoustic percussion, clarinet and piano, a miniature melody small in scope but not stature. "Kimbolian Dawn," written to showcase pianist Richard Kimball, pounces with the sunny bounce of ragtime. (I smiled more than once at thinking, "Now we know the sound of Benny Goodman jamming after hours at a piano lounge in Rio...") Yet when Payne switches to alto saxophone to lead "What About That," his crisp, articulate swing echoes the Paul Desmond classic "Take Five."
Composed by de Mello as "sort of an answer to Jobim's "One Note Samba," "Two Good Notes" swings upon piano and guitar as delicate and bright as the promise of a new dawn. "A Hug For Gil Evans," in memory of de Mello's friendship with Evans, forged through their shared affection for Brazilian music, opens with a native vocal chant before twirling between percussion, clarinet and spellbinding piano by Haroldo Mauro, Jr.
Vocalist Ithamara Koorax also lends her angelic voice. In the title track, she rings in the dawn as supremely bright as a streaming ray of morning sunshine, and she transforms "An Evening Prayer" into a reverent piece that seems precisely that. Her turns in "The Exile Song" and "Urumutum/Swing Low Sweet Chariot" are just as gorgeous.
Chris Slawecki, editor
All About Jazz
allaboutjazz.com
RESENHA DE CD
1 de janeiro, 2007
Sem Fronteiras
Sabe aquela velha distinção entre as músicas ditas erudita e popular? Pois bem, ela parece estar se esgotando de vez, pelo menos quando o assunto é violão no Brasil. Vários violonistas de formação erudita têm apostado em repertórios de compositores populares com muito sucesso. O violonista gaúcho Daniel Wolff é um deles. Primeiro doutor em violão do país, formado pela tradicional Manhattan School of Music, de Nova York, ele acaba de lançar, em parceria com o clarinetista carioca Wilfried Berk, o belíssimo CD "Coisas da Vida" (Karmim). A dupla mostra virtuosismo e um som incrível em um repertório nada óbvio, baseado em choros e sambas do multi-instrumentista amazonense Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, que toca percussão em algumas faixas; e de Nestor de Hollanda Cavalcanti (é dele o choro Coisas da Vida que dá nome ao CD), Celso Machado, Ernesto Nazareth, Jayoleno dos Santos e Freire Júnior. O CD traz ainda Offerenda Nuptialis (peça solo de violão) e Três Pequenos Estudos para Clarinete (solo de clarineta), ambas de Wolff, e o choro moderno Internautas, de Wilfried, que fecha o CD. Altamente recomendável!
Violão Pro
Brasil
Personal letter
December 22, 2006
Excerpts from a letter sent to Dexter Payne by Jon Jackson, regarding Thiago's CD Another Feeling
"I've been listening to Another Feeling. It really grows on you. I'm just terrifically impressed with the whole production. I think it is probably the recording of the year for me. I liked it from the start....But when I listened to it I was more and more taken with it, until finally I was listening to it every day. Right now, I think my favorite piece is the title piece....But the whole record is deeply satisfying. I love that low register clarinet. But....I'm especially pleased by the alto....so relaxed and low-key, yet play[ed] with such intensity. Thiago de Mello must be quite a guy. As a matter of fact, everybody on this record sounds great Ithamara Koorax has a great voice, great style, and I love all of those piano players. Thiago has a great spirit....I think the folks need to know more about this great record."
Jon Jackson
writer/commentator
Missoulka, USA
RESENHA DE CD
9 de abril, 2006
Versos Inconformados (CD A criação do mundo)
A gravação de poemas por seus autores tem em geral um resultado muito irregular, mesmo porque estúdio não é propriamente o local ideal para poetas. Se há um tom de voz que não deixa dúvidas sobre sua eficácia nesse gênero é o do poeta amazonense Thiago de Mello.
E isso talvez ocorra não apenas pelo dom natural, mas também pelo gosto que ele demonstra por essa manifestação.
"Acho importante o texto gravado na voz do autor. A palavra falada tem um poder musical que faz com que o verso alcance mais profundamente a sensibilidade de quem o escuta. Eu acredito na força da palavra escrita, mas esta o leitor pode voltar a ler com calma, enquanto a voz do autor traz instantaneamente a força sonora da palavra que ele utilizou", diz ele por telefone de Manaus.
É com esse prazer que Thiago de Mello está lançando o CD "A Criação do Mundo", com poemas de sua autoria entremeados pela música de Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, seu irmão compositor, arranjador e músico, criador do que define como percussão orgânica, radicado em Nova York há 40 anos e três vezes indicado ao Grammy.
A iniciativa do disco foi da produtora mineira Carminha Guerra, do selo mineiro Karmim, que já realizou dois projetos semelhantes com a poesia de Adélia Prado e a música de Mauro Rodrigues.
O CD traz duas motivações especiais para o poeta, a oportunidade de gravar um trabalho com o irmão e as comemorações de seus 80 anos, completados no dia 30 de março. Por essa efeméride, o poeta será homenageado em Brasília, no Congresso Nacional, no dia 19 próximo.
O disco será lançado nesta segunda-feira em São Paulo e quarta-feira haverá recital e sessão de autógrafos em Belo Horizonte, às 10h, na Biblioteca Estadual Luiz de Bessa. Para a gravação foram selecionados 20 poemas, mas no "calor" do estúdio esse número subiu para 32.
A idéia inicial era registrar textos não gravados ainda, com exceção de "Vida Verdadeira" e o célebre "Os Estatutos do Homem".
O álbum inclui "Amor sem Fim" e "A Lição das Águas", dedicados respectivamente à mãe, Dona Maria, e ao filho de Thiago, o músico e artista plástico Manduka, falecido em 2004. Acompanha o CD um libreto com reprodução dos 32 poemas.
Parceiro de ultraleve!
O que dá nome ao disco, "A Criação do Mundo", é o único não gravado pelo poeta; traz a voz do jornalista Armando Nogueira.
"Ele é meu amigo desde 1952, quando começamos a carreira no jornalismo no ŒDiário Carioca¹, no Rio de Janeiro. Gostamos das mesmas coisas, ultraleve e música brasileira. De vez em quando, damos umas voltas de ultraleve e, enquanto voamos, cantamos MPB. O Armando não publica um livro sem que eu leia os originais, e eu da mesma forma. Foi ele quem deu o título a esse poema que fala da minha primeira experiência amorosa. Levei mais de 50 anos para escrever ŒA Criação do Mundo¹, o que consegui em 1997", conta.
"Não deflorei ninguém./ A primeira mulher que eu vi desnuda/ foi a primeira a me mostrar os astros...", são os primeiros versos.
É um lado inabitual do poeta, conhecido por sua obra de caráter humanista, que vai muito além de "Os Estatutos do Homem", escrito em 1964, quando ele era adido cultural do Brasil em Santiago, Chile.
O poema que pregou naquela época, que "...a partir deste instante/ a liberdade será algo vivo e transparente", foi traduzido para mais de 30 idiomas, o que não impediu o autor de ser preso pelo regime militar. Exilado, só voltou ao país em 1978. A respeito da repercussão dos "Estatutos", o irmão, Gaudencio, conta uma história curiosa:
"Quando o mano estava no exílio em Portugal, no fim dos anos 70, fui visitá- lo. Comí um Œbacalhau frescal¹, uma especialidade galega, e passei mal. Fui a uma grande drogaria em Lisboa. Notei que havia um mural de ladrejos azul e branco, com o poema ŒOs Estatutos do Homem".
Depois que paguei pelo Alka- Seltzer, disse ao balconista: ŒEste poema é de meu irmão¹. Não acreditando no meu comentário, ele respondeu, com um moderado sorriso sarcástico: ŒAh! É? Ele é também o meu pai!¹. Fim da história. Fiquei melhor logo depois de sair da drogaria, com um sorriso no meu rosto."
A atualidade desse poema é também motivo de indignação do autor. "Quando o escrevi pensava nos sofrimentos da vida do meu povo. O poema ganhou asas e, hoje, infelizmente vejo que ainda vai custar muito a construção de uma sociedade humana solidária. Não verei o homem que gostaria de ver; continua de um lado a indiferença e dominação dos ricos, dos poderosos que têm tudo; e do outro, um abismo com uma legião de deserdados e famintos."
Mouro
Acompanhar essas desigualdades aos 80 anos não significa desilusão para o poeta. "Se equivoca quem dá muita importância a essa questão cronológica. Continuo trabalhando como um mouro, como se tivesse quarenta e poucos. Todo dia escrevo, falo e canto pela construção do amanhã", afirma.
Esse entusiasmo, Thiago de Mello atribui a quatro grandes causas: "Ergo minha palavra falada e escrita pela preservação da floresta amazônica, pelo fim desse abismo infame das desigualdades sociais, pela integração cultural dos povos da América Latina e pela mais utópica de todas as causas, a construção de uma sociedade humana solidária, em contraponto ao capitalismo cada vez mais agressivo e que já comprovou não ser o caminho para a humanidade".
A questão amazônica é uma preocupação especial para esse homem nascido na pequena Barreirinha. "Aonde vou, seja no Japão ou na Índia, não deixo de denunciar que estão matando a maior fonte de vida do planeta. A ganância perversa dos madeireiros, dos exportadores de bois e dos plantadores de soja devasta o precioso manancial da selva, rico em biodiversidade que pode curar muitas doenças graves", alerta.
AGENDA Recital de lançamento do CD "A Criação do Mundo", com poemas de (Amadeu) Thiago de Mello e música de Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, pelo selo Karmim, patrocínio Utramig. Quarta-feira, às 10h, na Biblioteca Pública Luiz de Bessa (praça da Liberdade, 22).
Júlio Assis
Jornal O Tempo
Belo Horizonte
RESENHA DE CD
1 de março, 2006
Poesia e música: "A criação do mundo"
Poemas interpretados por Thiago de Mello
Música de Gaudencio Thiago de Mello
O lançamento recente do álbum "A Criação do Mundo", edição que comemora os oitenta anos do Poeta Thiago de Mello, tem o mérito de manter viva a voz poética de um dos poetas mais importantes do século passado.
Idealizado por Carminha Guerra, do selo mineiro Karmim, o projeto torna possível o encontro do talento de dois irmãos amazonenses, o Poeta e o Músico: Amadeu Thiago de Mello e Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, respectivamente.
O registro da voz de Amadeu, mais conhecido por Thiago de Mello, não é um fato novo. Desde o início dos anos 60, além dos livros, a voz do criador já girava em discos de vinil e continua agora em versão digital. Os trinta e dois poemas escolhidos de sua obra são oralizados por uma voz pausada e ainda bastante vigorosa e têm a missão de expressar as várias facetas da sua poesia.
Uma experiência bastante peculiar é ouvir a leitura de um poema pela voz e interpretação de quem o criou. O poeta vai desenhando climas e acentuando a sonoridade das palavras com firmeza e emoção. Uma riqueza vocabular que gera uma infinidade de imagens. Ele que estreou no início dos anos 50, mantém uma produção literária intensa que se estende para poesia, prosa, tradução.
Gaudêncio, o irmão músico (www.thiago-amazon.com), também tem uma carreira respeitadíssima no exterior. Três vezes indicado para o prêmio Grammy, o compositor, arranjador e multiinstrumentista amazonense é descendente dos índios Maués. Há 40 anos reside nos EUA, onde desenvolveu a sua carreira musical dirigindo bandas, compondo trilhas para teatro e cinema. Em 2000, foi eleito um dos dez melhores percussionistas dos Estados Unidos pela revista Down Beat. E de lá enviou as cinco composições que aparecem na gravação. Um enxuto conjunto que cria a paisagem musical imaginada para os poemas do irmão poeta.
O álbum é todo feito da alternância de momentos musicais e de fala poética, em clima de recital. Em boa parte das faixas está a voz branda, uniforme, às vezes emocionada de Thiago de Mello, sublinhada por frases musicais e composições próprias conduzidas por Gaudêncio que introduzem ou finalizam a leitura de cada poema. Piano, baixo, violoncelo, sopro estruturam esta atmosfera solene e emotiva.
Para a leitura do poema "A Criação do Mundo", que batiza o CD, o jornalista Armando Nogueira, que sugeriu o título, ocupa do lugar do poeta e faz a sua interpretação particular.
A bela edição "A Criação do Mundo" é acompanhada de um libreto com os trinta e dois poemas, entre eles: A Vida Verdadeira, Volto Armado de Amor, O Animal da Floresta, Cantiga de Claridão, Quando a Verdade For Flama, A Boca da Noite, Os Astros Íntimos, Amor Mais Que Imperfeito, Chile, A Mão.
É sempre bom lembrar um trecho do seu poema mais famoso, "Os Estatutos do Homem" (1964):
Artigo XII.
Decreta-se que nada será obrigado nem proibido.
Tudo será permitido,
inclusive brincar com os rinocerontes
e caminhar pelas tardes
v
com uma imensa begônia na lapela.
Parágrafo único:
Só uma coisa fica proibida:
amar sem amor.
(Thiago de Mello)
Valnei Andrade
RESENHA DE CD
1 de fevereiro, 2006
Coisas da Vida, com Daniel Wolf, violão; Wilfred Berg, clarineta; Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, compositor & percussão otgânica
O CD "COISAS DA VIDA" é uma antologia do repertório para clarineta e violão, enriquecido por peças a solo dos dois instrumentos. Todas as composições que constam do CD são de autores nacionais: Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, Nestor de Hollanda Cavalcanti, Celso Machado, Freire Júnior, Jayoleno dos Santos, Ernesto Nazareth, Daniel Wolff e Wilfried Berk - a maioria dos títulos em primeiro registro fonográfico, ou em primorosos arranjos de Daniel Wolff. Além disso, o CD consta com a participação especial de Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, com sua marca registrada: a percussão orgânica, que lhe proporcionou o GRAMMY AWARD e o título de uns dos melhores percussionistas atuantes nos Estados Unidos, da revista especializada Down Beat.
"COISAS DA VIDA" focaliza aspectos da nossa música que, muitas vezes negligenciados, ressaltam a pluralidade de estilos, passeando entre os gêneros erudito e popular. Os três participantes do CD são, cada um por sí, representantes da elite instrumental brasileira, com prêmios e títulos honrosos, nacionais e internacionais, além de longa experiência de concertista, tendo atuado em workshops e recitais, shows e eventos, em pról da divulgação do fino da nossa música.
O selo KARMIM (Carminha Guerra) apostou nos ideais dos artistas proporcionando-lhes uma plataforma digna de difusão, contribuindo para um melhor entendimento da diversidade de nossa música.
Gravadora Karmim
CD REVIEW
January 1, 2006
Thiago de Mello's albums Sweet Brasil, The Right Move, The Night the Moon Cried, Amor Sem Fim and Another Feeling.
The first of these is a 1999 reissue of Thiago De Mello's 1973 album; a lively and satisfying set, it clearly demonstrates that Thiago is a very good guitarist, and an able singer and percussionist. He is joined here by several well-known musicians, including percussionist Airto Moreira, trumpeter Claudio Roditi, saxophonist Paulo Moura and pianists Dom Salvador and Richard Kimball. Next comes a reissue of recordings from 1981 and 1985, again with Claudio a featured soloist throughout, and this is followed by three CDs recorded in 1999. The last of the seven CDs listed above is more recent and was made/released in 2005/6. On this set, Thiago is joined by clarinetist/alto saxophonist Dexter Payne, singer Ithamara Koorax on four tracks, and Richard Kimball shares piano duties with Haroldo Mauro Jnr., Cliff Korman and Helio Alves. Throughout these very tasteful albums Thiago and his musical companions play with flair and skill. All the tracks are Thiago's own compositions and are warmly evocative and very well performed. While entirely satisfying, these albums still leave the listener wanting to hear yet more.
Bruce Crowther
Swing Bop
swing2bop.com
concert review
April 23, 1992
Carlos Barbosa Lima with special guests Laurindo de Almeida and Thiago de Mello in concert at St. John's Smith Square, London, April 3rd, 1992.
"Laurindo Almeida, doyen of Latin-American guitarists and composers, has not performed in London for some time, and it was enterprising of L.A.C.C.S. to bring him along to play trios with Carlos Barbosa-Lima and Gaudencio Thiago de Mello...There was good musicianship by both guitarists, and one should not underestimate the subtle contribuition of Thiago de Mello, playing a variety of South Amarican percussion instruments unobstrusively but with a pervasive rhythm that got to everyone. He kept a low profile, creeping self-effacingly on to the platform, but somehow managed to upstage almost everyone in sight. He is chiefly a composer, and is rather bemused by the by-products of his percussion performances, namely, a lot more invitations to play percussion...Gaudencio Thiago de Mello's CHANT OF THE FORGOTTEN ONES clothes a powerful political message in suave rhythms. It was enjoyed for the music...but that was inevitable, given the high degree of pleasure generated troughout the evening by three contrasting musicians with yet so much in common."
Colin Coper, editor
Classical Guitar
London
concert review
July 11, 1979
Thiago de Mello's Amazon 10-piece band at Jazzmania Society Brazilian Jazz Festival of 1979
"Amazon, strong on jazz. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, Thiago de Mello is a charmer. Sitting in front of Amazon, his ten-piece band, he dealt with his audience like a combination wandering bard and crackerbarrel storyteller... he would sing a snatch of a song, drop his voice to a confidential hush to impart some small fragment of wisdom... Thiago de Mello's writing displays a partiality for warm, middle register blends--occasionally recalling that of Gerry Mulligan in feel, if not specifically in content. His celebration of trumpeter Claudio Roditi, on 'A hug for Claudio', used two flutes as an specially sensitive counterweight to the brass passages... each contributing a distinctive color to the whole in a way a bit reminiscent of the third section of Bartok's 'Concert for Orchestra'."
Richard Sudhalter
New York Post
New York City
concert review
July 1, 1979
Brazilian Jazz Festival at New York City's Jazzmania Society - Summer, 1979
"The past Brazilian Jazz Festival, at Jazzmania, featured Thiago de Mello and his ten piece band, AMAZON. Thiago de Mello is a fine composer and arranger. He has worked with oustanding jazz musicians... he sings, occasionally plays the guitar and many percussion instruments. Thiago is a delightful performer with a special brand of music that ranges through many different moods, all uniquely his own."
Seymour Nippon
Nitelife
New York City
Concert Review
Concert in Upper Montclair with Tibério Nascimento and Joe Passaro
Thiago de Mello and fellow Brazilian musician Tiberio Nascimento, joined by Jerseyan Joe Passaro, provided a night of music effortlessly attuned to earthly harmonies, vibrations and rhythms over the weekend in Upper Montclair. Thiago de Mello dominated the session by exerting a subtle force much like the moon on the tides, leading the others into shifting tempos or new tunes without breaking the continuum of the music....De Mello concentrated more on guitar and vocals, even though everything he does as either a vocalist or guitarist reverberates with the percussive rhythms that seem to pulse through him... he created rhythmic patterns on the strings that suggested such earth sounds as raindrops pattering on leaves. The Brazilian music on Saturday night was mellow, in the best sense of the word.
Georgw Kanzler
The Star Ledger
New Jersey
cd review
Sharon Isbin's Love Songs And Lullabies
In addition to his performance on percussion, Thiago de Mello was Composer/Arranger on Sharon Isbin's "LOVE SONGS AND LULLABIES", release by Virgin Classics. Featuring Sharon Isbin, guitar; Benita Valente, soprano; Thomas Allen, baritone; Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, percussion. (Works by Villa-Lobos, Brahms, Jobim, Garcia Lorca, Anon, Britten, Niles, Foster, Schubert, Thiago de Mello, Goldfaden, Bonfá, Ginastera, Seiber, Montãna, Martini, Madriguera.)
"...An excellent choice of material - Brahms side by side with Jobim, Britten with Bonfá, are not at all bizarre - is performed well and sometimes brilliantly by four artists who can not only deliver but also seem to love what they are doing. Thomas Allen's voice, kept under perfect control throughout, seduces... Benita Valente's is wonderfully mellifluous when using her silky mezzo-voce. Sharon Isbin never puts a finger wrong in the guitar accompaniments... Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, one of the composers represented, is also a brilliant percussionist, and his subtle presence, evoking the mystery of the Amazon jungle, is a large factor in the success of this delightful recording."
Colin Cooper, Editor.
Classical Guitar
London
cd review
CD Journey To The Amazon, Teldec Classic International
"Sharon Isbin's collaboration with Paul Winter and the Brazilian percussionist/composer Gaudencio Thiago de Mello delicately balanced between traditional and contemporary, classical and popular...My favorite selection is the second of Thiago de Mello's "Chants for the Chief" (Uirapurú do Amazonas), based on a recording of the song of the legendary Uirapurú, possibly the most extraordinary songster of all the birds. The extraordinary bird song recurs throughout the piece, and the harmony between these two very different musical worlds, human and avian, is remarkable and very moving. Thiago de Mello's Chant No. 1, based on the sound of the wind, is almost equally evocative."
E. S.
Stereo Review
USA
cd review
Journey To the Amazon - Sharon Isbin, Paul Winter and Thiago de Mello
"...What is so refreshing about this album [Journey to the Amazon] is that the music in this disc sounds very 'earthy'...the musicians's genuine enjoyment and appreciation for this South American music was obvious... Her (Sharon Isbin) synergism with the other members of her trio is just as exhuberant. Paul Winter's soprano sax lent a melancholic cool to the more relaxed compositions, and warmth, charm and seduction to the dances. Gaudencio Thiago de Mello excels as both composer and percussionist on this disc, with his consistently creative rhythms providing a backbone to the trio's performances"
A.
Classical Guitar
London
CD review
CDs Amazon and Journey To the Amazon
"Maybe you have not heard yet about Gaudencio Thiago de Mello. There is a reason. For the last 36 years this instrumentalist, born in the Amazon, lives in the United States, where he built his musical career. If he is not so well known here in Brazil, Gaudencio (he uses his first name while in Brazil, in order not to be confused with his brother, the poet Amadeu Thiago de Mello) has his talents more than recognized abroad. 'Andei Só Por Andar', a song which opens the CD 'AMAZON' - is a success in the dancing floors of Acid Jazz in Europe and also the CD 'JOURNEY TO THE AMAZON', recorded together with Sharon Isbin and Paul Winter for the Warner Music of Germany (Teldec), which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1999 in the just created Classic Crossover category. 'AMAZON' was his first album originally in a LP format (George Klabin's Sound Ideas Studios, NYC). Now it appears re-produced and re-masterized by Arnaldo DeSouteiro, for his Jazz Station Records (JSR)."
Carlos Eduardo Cardoso
Backstage
São Paulo, Brazil
CD REVIEW
Album Chants For the Chief - Carlos Barbosa Lima with special guest Thiago de Mello
"...CHANTS FOR THE CHIEF features the composing and performing talents of a certified son of the Amazon, percussionist and singer (Gaudencio) Thiago de Mello. His ten part work is so evocative of authentic Amazonian religious ritual...the composer decided the word "chant" was more appropriate than "song" to describe the essence of the his creations. Although Barbosa Lima is featured solo on six tracks (most of which are drawn from the work of Isaias Savio, the guitarist's primary teacher), the lasting impression of this extraordinary recording is the magical blending of Thiago de Mello's rain forest percussion with Barbosa-Lima's incomparable classical guitar, what annotator Arnaldo de Souteiro decribes as "a heart-to-heart connection."
Mark Holston, Editor in Chief
Jazziz
Los Angeles, USA
CD review
Dreams Of a World, Teldec Classics International, Germany - Grammy Winner 2000, in the Classical Soloist Without Orchestra category
"From Brazil's Maué tribe comes Gaudencio Thiago de Mello (b. 1933) whose placid Varre-Vento finds Isbin playing at her best. Slow, thoughtful piece such as this one is where guitarists (classical and otherwise) fall prey to close-miking from engineers, which can ruin an otherwise fine performance. There is none of that here".
Sefton Wiggs
Pupblic Radio East
USA
CD Review
Album Journey To the Amazon
Teldec Classics International
No one is currently doing more to free the guitar from its rent-a-programme image than Sharon Isbin... but Isbin has loved and felt this (South American) music for over a quarter of a century and in the company of Thiago de Mello and Paul Winter is entirely at home. One might fear the addition of assorted percussive sounds and "rain-forest" noises to be intrusive, especially in the familiar items, but they are atmospherically enhancing, handled with great discretion (delighfully in Grenet's arrangement of (Leo) Brower's Canción de Cuna and often rhythmically uplifting. (Antonio) Lauro's setting of the traditional 'Seis por Derecho' has never sounded more full of vitality....the recording is beautifuly clear and well-balanced. Waste no time in getting your hands on this disc, and don't be surprised if it appears in my Critic's Choice at the end of the year, distant though this is at the moment.
John Duarte, composer
Editor's Choice/Gramophone
London
cd review
Exerpts from Tom Jurek's review of guitarist Daniel Wolff's album which features two pieces by Thiago de Mello.
"Brazilian guitarist and composer Daniel Wolff, aided by conductor Tiago Flores directing the Orquestra de Câmara da ULBRA, directed this Brazilian program....Wolff chose the works of such notable composers as Thiago de Mello, Ernesto Nazareth, and Radamés Gnattali for this outing....There are two pieces by de Mello here, and his Amadeste is the one that is most profound. Influenced by the desert train inside Brazil, the shadows and light cast by the orchestra over the fluid and knotty guitar work contrast the beauty and harshness of the terrain. Reflections (A Hug for Ayla) is sweeter and more romantic in scope, yet also creates some tension in terms of longing -- the strings come to the fore as instruments of both joy and tears...."
Tom Jurek
All Music Guide
USA
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