New Live Jazz From Brazil With Love From Pianist Ricardo Bacelar

The sounds of Brazil are alive and well despite the menacing coronavirus causing havoc throughout the South American country and the world. Music lovers missing the magic of live music can indulge safely with last Friday's arrival of "Ricardo Bacelar: Live in Rio (Ao Vivo No Rio)" from Bacelar Productions. Recorded during a 2018 concert held at The Blue Note in Rio, the contemporary jazz pianist and his five-piece band harness the unique energy, power, warmth and spontaneity that can only be experienced in a live concert setting.

The 11-song "Live in Rio" set list includes tunes penned by Brazilian icons Milton Nascimento, Tom Jobim, Gilberto Gil and Flora Purim along with American jazz greats Benny Golson, Horace Silver, Pat Metheny and Chick Corea. The album also contains an original composition penned by Bacelar and Cesar Lemos (Ricky Martin, Paulina Rubio) titled "Sernambetiba, 1992."

During this period of dramatic change impacting the planet, Bacelar chose to release a version of the Nascimento classic "Nothing Will Be As It Was (Nada Sera Como Antes)" as the first single from "Live in Rio." It is presented as a duet sung in Portuguese by Bacelar and Brazilian vocalist-pianist Delia Fischer.

Prior to COVID-19, Bacelar planned to work on an album of new material this spring, but early in quaratine, he sensed that it would be quite a while before people would be able to hear live jazz again. He decided to release the live collection this summer, which he originally envisioned isssuing in the next year or two. The performance was recorded during a concert tied to the release of his "Sebastiana" album.

Bacelar's band on "Live in Rio" consists of guitarist João Castilho, saxophonist-flutist Danilo Sina, double bassist Alexandre Katatau, drummer Renato Endrigo and percussionist André Siqueira.

As radio programmers in the US add tracks from the new collection to their playlists, Bacelar's team is plotting the Japanese release of the live album receiving favorable reviews here and abroad. "Ricardo Bacelar: Live in Rio" was featured in Jazziz's "The Week in Jazz" column.

The concert that became "Ricardo Bacelar: Live in Rio" was also filmed.

Listen to one of the tracks from the concert here:

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