Cat No. CB03
CLUB BRASIL
- SANGUE LATINO -
- VOLUME 2 -

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Like their previous outing on Sangue Latino 1 the tried and trusted formula has been adhered to with an eclentic mix of Brazilian songs, self penned cuts and a classic interpretation of the Stevie Wonder track 'The Real Thing' made popular by Sergio Mendes in 1977 for Elektra, this time Victoria Newton sings the Bonnie Bowden's lead with a similar up-tempo arrangement with Guillermo Hill's on acoustic nylon guitar surpassing the original version by Oscar Castro-Neves with lightning chord changes and a dazzling solo.

Victoria also sings and scats impressively on the uptempo samba 'New Morning' which is a typical Sergio Mendes excursion from the 70's and 80's and this time John Crawford uses a more 'Grand Piano' sound in the George Duke mould for vamping chords and impressive riffs which exchange with a solid percussion throughout in a call and response technique. The flute sounds like Nestor Torres or Herbie Mann and adds creativity in the breaks.

Ive Mendes performs five tracks on the album in Portugese which really cements the authenticity of a truly Brazilian project for me, from the opening Marcos Valle penned track 'Mentira' a mid tempo strut with Finn Peters on flute providing those smooth interludes with John Crawford's 'Eumir Deodato' sounding electric piano adding chord splashes and Hill's wah wah guitar adding a touch of 'retro' from the 70's and those wonderful 'CTI' albums.

'O Trem Azul' is an exotic treasure trove with soft vocals in the Joyce, Sylvinha Telles or Gal Costa vein, electric piano, guitar and close harmonies in the break and a pulsating rhythm throughout.

'Tarde Em Itapoan' is the classic Vinicius De Moraes bossa and was also performed by Sergio Mendes all those years ago amongst others and lends itself to the myriad of traditional Brazilian percussion instruments played by Oli Albergaria Savill. There is another Hubert laws sounding flute solo which shares centre stage with the poignant chord sequences. Ive's sensitive phrasing manages to realise every inference of the compelling lyrics.

'Precisio Me Encontra' is a ballad accompanied with a sprinkling of guitar and electric piano and one which highlights the velvet vocal tone of Ive and the sheer elegance of the melody. Once again John Crawford's mastery of the keyboard adds such a realism and panache that this track could have been recorded 30-40 years ago during the bossa boom and not be out of place.

Ive's last track on this marvellous set is Tom Jobim's 'So Tinha Se ser Com Voce' and I such in a much purer voice than the original from Astrud Gilberto, it is a soft bossa which I expect is a tribute to the work of the great master as much as a highly structured rendition.

Finn Peters joins up with the Vida Nova line up for a Dave Valentine type track, an uptempo flute lead gem which again shows off his free flowing nuances and the acute rhythmic piano of John Crawford.

Lisa Brown sings two tracks on the album 'Brazil Night' and 'Three Angels' which have also been penned by her and John Crawford, they are more sedate than what has gone before and more experimental than the free flowing tracks which preceed them.

The instrumentation is superb throughout this album and the energy unrelenting from these very talented and enthusiastic London based musicans. The whole package has a pristine feel and adds to the growing reputation that Mitch Mitchell and Club Brasil have established during the past few years. As I said before, it is a wonderful tribute that Brazilian music is alive and well and the legacy is being carried on today especially in the United Kingdom.

Wes Gillespie - EuroClubdeJazz.com

A great idea for a compilation -

Older Brazilian grooves re-done by a collective of younger artists! The choice of tunes is impeccable - and tracks include tunes first made famous by the likes of Marcos Valle, Lo Borges, Joyce, Kitty Winter, Sergio Mendes, and others

Performed by a core group of musicians who work the grooves with loads of jazzy touches! Instrumentation includes keyboards, flute, and guitar

All tracks have vocals from a rotating array of singers that include Ive Mendes, Lisa Brown, and Victoria Newton. The whole thing's great, as wonderful (perhaps more so) as any recent projects of this nature from Far Out or Mr Bongo - with titles that include "Mentira", "O Trem Azul", "Tarde Em Itapoan", "The Real Thing", "Brazil Night", "Feminina", and "Three Angels".

Review from Dusty Groove America

Sangue Latino 2 Press Release

Club Brasil Records presents Sangue Latino 2 the 2nd instalment of a series of albums bringing together the finest talents from the UK's Latin Jazz scene.This album features 5 killer cut's from Ive Mendes the new Brasilian music diva,who's debut album (Ive Mendes) on the Mr Bongo label is getting rave reviews world wide (top 20 in Spain, Philippines, Hong Kong etc)

The album opens with Ive's super funky version of the Marcos Velle classic 'Mentira' which is already a dance floor classic on London's Latin club scene.

Ive serves up a couple of chilled out treats with her versions of 'O Trem Azul' and the timeless 'Preciso Me Encontra' from the movie 'City Of God'.

Also featured are debut tracks from Jazz maestro's Finn Peters (a fantastic flute solo version of the Joyce anthem 'Feminina') and Victoria Newton (super versions of 'New Morning' & 'The Real Thing')

Lisa Brown from London's Latin jazz band Vida Nova introduces two self-penned gems 'Brasil Night' and 'Three Angels' which highlight her growing ability as a singer/songwriter.

This album is a terrific follow up to Sangue Latino 1 & it's not to be missed