RYAN KEBERLE’S COLLECTIV DO BRASIL

HERE IS DONATO!

Alternate Side Records

THE COLLECTIV DO BRASIL: Ryan Keberle, trombone/vocals/bandleader; Felipe Silveira, piano/synthesizer; Felipe Brisola, electric & acoustic bass; Paulinho Vicente, drums; Guegué Medeiros, percussion.

This São Paulo-based band is called “Collectiv do Brasil” and is spearheaded by famed trombonist and composer, Ryan Keberle. On their new release, they celebrate the music of João Donato, one of the exceptionally influential voices in Brazilian music.

“João Donato’s music has always felt deceptively simple to me, in the best possible way. Much like the music of Horace Silver, the lines are clear, the grooves are deeply swinging but always relaxed, and nothing ever seems forced.  But the deeper you go, the more you hear how precise it all is. … With Here is Donato! we’re not trying to reinterpret or modernize the music so much as spend time inside it – engaging with its logic, its feel, and its particular kind of clarity,” Ryan Keberle explains in his press package.

This young trombonist brings excitement and modern treatment to the music of Donato, without losing the composer’s vision, beauty or passion.  Listen to the first tune Keberle’s group interprets called “Tema Teimoso,” with the percussion excellence pushing the arrangement forward like a farmer’s plough. Ryan Keberle’s trombone is out front and splendidly dances the melody over the groove.

Ryan Keberle has cultivated and led one of the most compelling cross-cultural jazz ensembles for more than a decade. Collectiv do Brasil presents this album as the fourth installment in the group’s acclaimed series that honors Brazilian masters.

Their ballads are as beautiful and passionate as their up-tempo arrangements.  Just listen to their presentation of “Até Quem Sabe” to get a taste of the contemporary touches they add to Donato’s music.

Ryan Keberle brings one original tune to this project.  It’s called “Nowhere to Go, Nothing to See,” and lilts across my listening room, cool as a New York winter snowstorm. The tempo reminds me of slowly falling snowflakes.  Keberle has a unique and recognizable tone on his trombone. The piano chords are placed deliberately dissonant beneath his solo, but at the same time, it’s quite musical and pleasant to my ear. They continue beneath the pianist’s exploration of his improvised solo, drawing attention to Felipe Silveira’s musicality.

One of my favorites on this album is “Nana Das Aquas” that gallops across my listening space like wild horses.

In addition to Collectiv do Brasil, Keberle leads the celebrated indie jazz ensemble, Catharsis: The Big Band Living Legacy project.  With this group, he incorporates the traditional big band sound and includes veteran players from this idiom. Then he has the “All Ears Orchestra” that features many of his original compositions and arrangements for jazz orchestra.  Also, he heads a chamber-jazz trio called “Reverso” with French pianist Frank Woeste and cellist Vincent Courtois.  Impressive!

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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