Tag: Bossa Nova

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Marcos Jobim Shares Meditative “Silêncio”

Brazilian singer/songwriter and musician Marcos Jobim released his sophomore album, Singelinha last year. Sonically, the album sees the Brazilian artist branching out into multiple sonic directions, traversing across Brazilian popular music, folk and world music, while also featuring elements of rock and concert music. But the material is guided by the delicacy of the arrangements and the power of its poetic lyricism.

Fittingly, the album’s songs shift between intimate and expansive atmospheres. Instrumental album title track “Singelinha,” which was originally written back in 2023, was the album’s starting point — and was inspired by his desire to achieve a poetic and sonic synthesis. “I was seeking something with a synthetic character—something that could convey deeper insights through a simple, objective form,” Jobim explains.

Following the recording of “Singelinha,” the idea emerged that the Brazilian could expand upon the project. “The process was so inspiring that we realized we could create something on a larger scale,” he says. The end result was the 13-song album that featured ten songs and three compositions.

Much of the album features two versions of most of the album’s songs: one version featuring solo acoustic guitar arrangements, as originally written and another version arranged for a chamber ensemble with violin, clarinet, trombone, cello, tuba and double bass. Those arrangements were revised and edited by Pablo Schinke, who also handled production and engineering duties. “Pablo was fundamental to shaping the album’s sonic identity, in addition to performing as the cellist,” the Brazilian artist says. “He possesses a keen eye for aesthetics and brought a sense of balance and innovation to the tracks.”

Schinke went on to meticulous work to preserve the unique character of each track during the mixing process, “He always made a point
of preserving the essence of the compositions, even during moments of
greater experimentation,” Jobim adds.

Jobim will be embarking on his first international tour this year, but in the meantime, he further establishes Singelinha‘s aesthetic. The album’s latest single “Silênecio” is a meditative, introspective song anchored by a gorgeous arrangement featuring acoustic guitar, brooding strings and clarinet and gently padded drums paired with Jobim’s dreamily laid-back delivery.

Filmed by Zé Carlos de Andrade the video was shot in the Bacupari District in Mostaradas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The video follows Jobim in the desert. conveying solitude while serving as an invitation to the listener to slow down and listen to the void that surrounds us.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 99th Birthday, Stan Getz!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 98th anniversary of the birth of Stan Getz.

singer/songwriters by William Ruben Helms

Albums of the Year 2025

JOVM turns 16 this year. And for first handful of years, my Best of List was an annual tradition until about 2014 or so. Between 2014 and 2020, it became sporadic and then it stopped. I haven’t done one of these in several years. There was a part of me that wondered if it really mattered much. And then life happened. 

So here we are in 2026. And with the year starting in earnest, let’s check out my best of 2025. 

  1. Big Fish Fyra liter stoft
  2. Tan Cologne Unknown Beyond
  3. Moondaddy Dove Tapes
  4. Sessa Pequena Vertigem de Amor
  5. Preservation Brass & Preservation Hall Jazz Band For Fat Man
  6. Silk Daisys S/T
  7. The Circling Sun Orbits
  8. Gabriel da Rosa Cacofonia
  9. Yoo Doo Right, Population II & Nolan Potter Yoo II avec Nolan Potter
  10. bat zoo The Upward Bird EP
  11. Public Circuit Modern Church
  12. L’Eclair Cloud Drifter
  13. Gloin All of your anger is actually shame (and I bet that makes you angry)
  14. CIVIC Chrome Dipped
  15. Population II Maintenant Jamais
  16. White Birches A New Reign
  17. Anish Kumar and Hagop Tchaparian Kino EP
  18. Friendship Commanders BEAR 
  19. The Besnard Lakes The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation
  20. SHOLTO The Sirens
  21. S.C.A.B. Somebody In New York Loves You!
  22. Pierpont & Hegeleson Of Time
  23. RORO and snapir Colors Left
  24. St. Panther Strange World 
  25. Nation of Language Dance Called Memory
  26. Quad90 S/T
  27. Slumbering Sun Starmony
  28. Tunde Adebimpe Thee Black Boltz 
  29. Quad90 S/T
  30. Die Spitz Something To Consume
  31. debdepan LOVERS & OTHERS EP

__
The Joy of Violent Movement is a completely independent and completely D.I.Y. media outlet. Over the course of this site’s 15+ year history, I’ve used my fiercely independent stance to cover music with an eclectic and global perspective that a lot of other publications just don’t have — and will likely never have. 

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Video by William Ruben Helms

Lyric Video: Tomás Jensen and Bïa Team up on Flirty and Breezy “Boum Boum Boum”

Tomás Jensen is a true global citizen: The Argentine-born artist has lived in Brazil and France, before settling permanently in Québec. Over the course of a 25-year career, Jensen has released 12 albums either in a band or as solo artist, which have seen him explore his eclectic influences.

Back in the early 2000s, Jensen first became known for being the frontman of Les Faux-Monnayeurs, releasing four albums that he and his band supported with touring extensively across Canada and the European Union. He solo debut, Quelqu’un d’autre won the Songwriter of the Year Award at the 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Jensen went on to collaborate in a number of projects including the band Hombre, which received nominations for an Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo (ADISQ) Award and won a Gala Alternatif da la Musique Indépendante du Quèbec (GAMIQ) Best World Music Award album.

In 2015, Jensen returned home to Argentina for the first time in over 20 years and recorded his 2016 effort Retour, which received an ADISQ Award nomination. Documentary filmmaker Martin Bourgault accompanied Jensen on that trip and made a film that was screened at FIFA and other documentary festivals around the globe.

2020’s Les rêves sont faits was the first album in which he was the sole arranger and producer, received a GAMIQ Folk Album of the Year Award, while reflecting both his cultural diversity and artistic freedom.

Since then, he founded Studio La Maison Ronde, where he records, mixes and produces work for several artists. Late last year, he reunited with Les Faux-Monnayeurs on a reunion tour and live album to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Tomás Jensen & Les Faux-Monnayeurs.

Slated for a fall 2025 release, Jensen’s 13th album À l’humain! À la vertu! (To humanity! To virtue!) is an album of original material that sees the Argentine-born, Canadian-based artist collaborating with a collection of supremely talented collaborators on what will be the first album he’ll be releasing on his own label. Jensen explains that the album’s title is derived from the lyrics of the album’s second single “Big Bro,” ” . . .which carries some optimism with it . . . something we all need right now!”

À l’humain! À la vertu!‘s first single “Boum Boum Boum” is a breezy and flirty Bossa nova duet that features Brazilian Canadian artist Bïa. Anchored around Bossa nova’s famous, gently swaying rhythms and a gorgeous, jazzy arrangement featuring strummed acoustic guitar and twinkling piano, “Boum Boum Boum” imagines a scenario in which for the song’s romantic couple, samba is more important than anything else. Certainly in parts of South America, that’s a fact.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Gabriel da Rosa Performs “Nunca Mais”

Gabriel da Rosa is a rising  Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter and guitarist. Growing up in rural, southern Brazil, da Rosa’s radio DJ father exposed him to a wide variety of music from the homeland. But it wasn’t until he relocated to Los Angeles that he began curating Brazilian records and DJ’ing himself. 

da Rosa wound up bonding with Stones Throw Records‘ label head, founder, artist and DJ Peanut Butter Wolf over their shared love of Brazilian music. Later, he began writing own original Bossa nova, inspired by traditional Bossa nova, but with a contemporary edge while collaborating with Pedro Dom, a highly sought-after musician, who has worked with some of Brazil’s beloved and internationally known artists like Seu Jorge, Rodrigo Amarante, and Latin Grammy Award-winner Ian Ramil. 

The Brazilian-born artist’s full-length debut, 2023’s É o que a casa oferece was anchored around traditional Bossa nova and samba-inspired sounds with subtle elements of jazz. 

Officially dropping today through Stone’s Throw Records, da Rosa’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Cacofonia, derives its title from the Brazilian Portuguese word for “cacophony,” while referencing the album’s overall clash of “notes, tensions, surprises and moods.” 

Thematically, Cacofonia is an ode to his homeland — including his family, its environment and the country’s indigenous and working-class people. The album is inspired by — and is the result of da Rosa’s emotional return home after eight years away. His family and travels led him back to his hometown of Cruz Alta. Though he’d often felt like an outsider growing up, seeing Brazil with fresh eyes mae him feel more connected to his country and his people than ever before. And when he returned to Los Angeles to work on the album, he kept those memories close. 

Cacofonia sees da Rosa eschewing much of the more traditional Bossa nova and samba-inspired elements of his sound. And while Bossa nova is still a part of the album’s overall sound and aesthetic, da Rosa wanted to pair and experiemnt with new influences, including Brazilian artists working in other genres and styles like Rodrigo Amarante and O Terno, as well as American artists like David Byrne (!) and Sam Evian. 

da Rosa’s lyrics sung mostly in Brazilian Portuguese have a trace of saudade — the longing for something or someone that you can’t get back or no longer exists. The album also features the Brazilian-born, Los Angeles-based artist’s parents and siblings discussing their heritage on voice notes, which sets the album’s overall scene with tropical birds in the background.

Cacofonia also comments on our discordant and polarizing world: da Rosa’s mother performs a poem about the devastating war in Gaza on “Sabor Humanidade,” and other songs speak to class inequality in Brazil and the impact of Bolsonaro’s mining policies on the Amazon and its people. Several album songs see da Rosa bearing witness to the lives of Brazil’s working class — a songwriting style influenced by years of listening to narrative-based songs and his grandmother’s life stories. 

After eight years away from family, da Rosa pledges to “never disconnect from my people and roots for this long again.” Cacofonia sees the Brazilian-born artist making good on that promise. It’s “me, in this moment of my life.” Gabriel saw “how proud I was of my culture. I used to be lost, scared, and trying so hard to please others.”  And although he has settled in Los Angeles, where he makes music among the city’s growing scene of of Brazilian musicians, regular DJs with his collection of rare Brazilian records, cooks churrasco and lets his “inner child play freely” through painting, Cruz Alta will always be home. But he says that home is also whenever there are “friends, some sort of security, safety, and community.” 

In the lead-up to the album’s release, I managed to write about two of the album’s previously released singles:

  • “Pê Patu Pá,” a song that opens with a repeating tropical songbird sample and glistening Rhodes that unfurls into a gently swaying, Bossa nova groove with a buzzing psych rock-like guitar solo serving as a lush and dreamy bed for da Rosa’s dreamy coo-like crooning. The song talks about the preservation of the sabía, the songbird of São Paulo State since 1966 — and the national songbird since 2002. The character “Vira-Mundo” represents the fight to preserve the bird, which is seen as representative of Brazil as soccer and Bossa nova.

  • “Seu João,” which continues a run of breezy yet deliberately crafted material that channels samba and bossa nova-driven jazz’s golden age — but with a mischievous modern sensibility. Lyrically, the song is a portrayal of market workers da Rosa observed outside of his family home in São Paulo — and he does so with a deep-seated empathy and pride.

Cacofonia’s final single “Nunca Mais,” which translates to “Never again,” is a ethereal and dreamy bit of Bossa nova, featuring twinkling keys that’s anchored by an underlying sense of ache and betrayal, as the song’s narrator describes a bitter heartbreak.

The live footage was shot on the costal hills of Los Angeles from an undisclosed yet breathtakingly gorgeous location that da Rosa and his collaborators lovingly call Petrichor. 

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Gabriel da Rosa Performs “Seu João”

Gabriel da Rosa is a rising  Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter and guitarist. Growing up in rural, southern Brazil, da Rosa’s radio DJ father exposed him to a wide variety of music from the homeland. But it wasn’t until he relocated to Los Angeles that he began curating Brazilian records and DJ’ing himself. 

da Rosa wound up bonnding with Stones Throw Records‘ label head, founder, artist and DJ Peanut Butter Wolf over their shared love of Brazilian music. Later, he began writing own original Bossa nova, inspired by traditional Bossa nova, but with a contemporary edge while collaborating with Pedro Dom, a highly sought-after musician, who has worked with some of Brazil’s beloved and internationally known artists like Seu Jorge, Rodrigo Amarante, and Latin Grammy Award-winner Ian Ramil. 

The Brazilian-born artist’s full-length debut, 2023’s É o que a casa oferece was anchored around traditional Bossa nova and samba-inspired sounds with subtle elements of jazz. 

Slated for a June 6, 2025 release through Stone’s Throw Records, da Rosa’s highly-anticipated sophomore album, Cacofonia, derives its title from the Brazilian Portuguese word for “cacophony,” while referencing the album’s overall clash of “notes, tensions, surprises and moods.” 

Thematically, Cacofonia is an ode to his homeland — including his family, its environment and the country’s indigenous and working-class people. The album is inspired by — and is the result of da Rosa’s emotional return home after eight years away. His family and travels led him back to his hometown of Cruz Alta. Though he’d often felt like an outsider growing up, seeing Brazil with fresh eyes mae him feel more connected to his country and his people than ever before. And when he returned to Los Angeles to work on the album, he kept those memories close. 

Cacofonia reportedly sees da Rosa eschewing much of the more traditional Bossa nova and samba-inspired elements of his sound. And while Bossa nova is still a part of the album’s overall sound and aesthetic, da Rosa wanted to pair and experiemnt with new influences, including Brazilian artists working in other genres and styles like Rodrigo Amarante and O Terno, as well as American artists like David Byrne (!) and Sam Evian. 

da Rosa’s lyrics sung mostly in Brazilian Portuguese have a trace of saudade — the longing for something or someone that you can’t get back or no longer exists. The album also features the Brazilian-born, Los Angeles-based artist’s parents and siblings discussing their heritage on voice notes, which sets the album’s overall scene with tropical birds in the background.

Cacofonia also comments on our discordant and polarizing world: da Rosa’s mother performs a poem about the devastating war in Gaza on “Sabor Humanidade,” and other songs speak to class inequality in Brazil and the impact of Bolsonaro’s mining policies on the Amazon and its people. Several album songs see da Rosa bearing witness to the lives of Brazil’s working class — a songwriting style influenced by years of listening to narrative-based songs and his grandmother’s life stories. 

After eight years away from family, da Rosa pledges to “never disconnect from my people and roots for this long again.” Cacofonia reportedly sees the Brazilian-born artist making good on that promise. It’s “me, in this moment of my life.” Gabriel saw “how proud I was of my culture. I used to be lost, scared, and trying so hard to please others.”  And although he has settled in Los Angeles, where he makes music among the city’s growing scene of of Brazilian musicians, regular DJs with his collection of rare Brazilian records, cooks churrasco and lets his “inner child play freely” through painting, Cruz Alta will always be home. But he says that home is also whenever there are “friends, some sort of security, safety, and community.” 

Last month, I wrote about “Pê Patu Pá.” Opening with a repeating tropical songbird pattern and glistening Rhodes, the song unfurls into a gently swaying, Bosas nova groove with a buzzing psych rock-like guitar solo serving as a lush and dreamy bed for da Rosa’s dreamy coo-like crooning. The song talks about the preservation of the sabía, the songbird of São Paulo State since 1966 — and the national songbird since 2002. The character “Vira-Mundo” represents the fight to preserve the bird, which may be seen as representative of Brazil as soccer and Bossa nova.

Cacofonia‘s third and latest single “Seu João” is continues a run of breezy yet deliberately crafted material that channels samba and bossa nova-driven jazz’s golden age — but with a mischievous modern sensibility. Lyrically, the song is a portrayal of market workers da Rosa observed outside of his family home in São Paulo — and he does so with a deep-seated empathy and pride.

The live footage was shot on the costal hills of Los Angeles from an undisclosed location that da Rosa and his collaborators lovingly call Petrichor.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Natty Reeves Shares Dreamily introspective “Roll In, Roll Out”

Last year was a very busy year for the wildly prolific and acclaimed Brighton-based producer, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natty Reeves: With his instrumental hip-hop project Astairé, Reeves released the Greener Days EP, a tastefully seamless blend of hip-hop sensibilities with Bossa nova tinged passages that was anchored around dexterous improvisation. Reeves is also a highly sought-after collaborator in his own right, and he has collaborated with the likes of Matt Wilde, Simon Jefferis and Ahbi The Nomad along with a growing a list of others. 

2024 also saw the release of his acclaimed Mist Over Water EP. The EP is a marked sonic shift from Reeves’ beatmaking and production roots. Informed by the songwriting of Ben Watt and James Taylor, as well as the rhythmic language of Brazilian jazz pioneers João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá, the EP featured a stripped back raw sound with Spanish-style guitar and Reeves’ dreamy vocal at the center.

Thematically, the material saw the British artist reflecting on the fleeting nature of life, and the importance of looking inward to grow — without putting too much pressure on each moment. “I wanted to make a project that felt honest to who I am, something that represented my thoughts at this stage of my life,” Reeves explained. “Recently I’ve been thinking about second chances, new growth and how fleeting life is – coming back to the sounds and rhythms I love, not trying too hard to make something that people would find impressive, this is a bit more introspective and forgiving of myself. I just hope that listeners enjoy the sounds and find some peace of their own in these songs!”

Reeves’ first single of this year, “Roll In, Roll Out” is a breezy yet soulful tune, featuring delicately strummed acoustic guitar and gently shuffling percussion that serves as a dreamy, Bossa nova-tinged bed for the Brighton-based artist’s introspective, lived-in lyrics and dreamy delivery. While further establishing his critically applauded, acoustic-driven singer/songwriter sound, “Roll In, Roll Out,” is a reminder — both to the listener and the artist — that life shouldn’t always be taken so seriously.

“Life’s changing a lot for me lately, big changes on the way! So, I wanted to write a reminder to myself to not take life too seriously – good and bad days will come and go but everything will be alright in the end,” Reeves explains. “Musically, I’ve enjoyed really pushing into this sound, not sure what to call this style yet, but it feels like I’m going in the right direction. As always though, I hope people can enjoy the music for what it is!”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Gabriel da Rosa Celebrates Brazil and Its National Songbird in “Pê Patu Pá”

Gabriel da Rosa is a rising  Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter and guitarist. Growing up in rural, southern Brazil, da Rosa’s radio DJ father exposed him to a wide variety of music from the homeland. But it wasn’t until he relocated to Los Angeles that he began curating Brazilian records and DJ’ing himself.

da Rosa wound up bounding with Stones Throw Records‘ label head, founder, artist and DJ Peanut Butter Wolf over their shared love of Brazilian music. Later, he began writing own original Bossa nova, inspired by traditional Bossa nova, but with a contemporary edge while collaborating with Pedro Dom, a highly sought-after musician, who has worked with some of Brazil’s best, internationally known artists like Seu Jorge, Rodrigo Amarante, and Latin Grammy Award-winner Ian Ramil. 

The Brazilian-born artist’s full-length debut, 2023’s É o que a casa oferece was anchored around traditional Bossa nova and samba-inspired sounds with subtle elements of jazz.

da Rosa’s highly-anticipated sophomore album, Cacofonia, derives its title from the Brazilian Portuguese word for “cacophony,” while referencing the album’s overall clash of “notes, tensions, surprises and moods.”

Thematically, the forthcoming album is an ode to Brazil — including his family, its environment and the country’s indigenous and working-class people. The album is the result of da Rosa’s emotional return home after eight years away, following the release of his full-length debut. His family and travels led him back to Cruz Alta. Though he’d often felt like an outsider growing up, seeing Brazil with fresh eyes mae him feel more connected to his country and his people than ever before. And when he returned to Los Angeles to work on the album, he kept those memories close.

Cacofonia reportedly sees da Rosa eschewing much of the more traditional Bossa nova and samba-inspired sounds of his debut, and while Bossa nova is still a part of the album’s overall sound and aesthetic, he wanted to pair and experiment with new influences — Brazilian artists working in other genres and styles, including Rodrigo Amarante and O Terno, as well as American artists like David Byrne (!) and Sam Evian.

Against a colorful musical backdrop, Cacofonia‘s lyrics sung mostly in Brazilian Portuguese, have a trace of saudade, longing for something or someone that you can’t get back — or no longer exists. da Rosa’s parents and siblings discuss their heritage on voice notes in the background of the album’s opening track, setting the scene with an immersive soundscape, alongside the sounds of tropical birds.  

Cacofonia also comments on our discordant and polarizing world: da Rosa’s mother performs a poem about the devastating war in Gaza on “Sabor Humanidade,” and other songs speak to class inequality in Brazil and the impact of Bolsonaro’s mining policies on the Amazon and its people. Several album songs see da Rosa bearing witness to the lives of Brazil’s working class — a songwriting style influenced by years of listening to narrative-based songs and his grandmother’s life stories.

After eight years away from family, da Rosa pledges to “never disconnect from my people and roots for this long again.” Cacofonia reportedly sees the Brazilian-born artist making good on that promise. It’s “me, in this moment of my life.” Gabriel saw “how proud I was of my culture. I used to be lost, scared, and trying so hard to please others.”  And although he has settled in Los Angeles, where he makes music among the city’s growing scene of of Brazilian musicians, regular DJs with his collection of rare Brazilian records, cooks churrasco and lets his “inner child play freely” through painting, Cruz Alta will always be home. But he says that home is also whenever there are “friends, some sort of security, safety, and community.”

Cacofonia‘s latest single “Pê Patu Pá” begins with a recurring tropical songbird sample and some glistening Rhodes, before unfurling into a gently swaying, Bossa nova groove with a buzzing psych rock-like guitar solo serving as a lush and dreamy bed for da Rosa’s dreamy coo-like croon.

The song talks about the preservation of the sabía, the songbird of São Paulo State since 1966 — and the national songbird since 2002. The character “Vira-Mundo” represents the fight to preserve the bird, which may be seen as representative of Brazil as soccer and Bossa nova.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Gabriella Lima Shares a Breezy, Genre-Defying Bop

São Paulo-born, Paris-based singer/songwriter Gabriella Lima relocated to Paris back in 2014. And since locating to The City of Light, Lima has been busy crafting material that pushes genre and cultural boundaries. 

Lima’s 2021 full-length debut, the nine-song Bálsamo found the Brazilian-born, French-based artist writing material that drew from soul, pop, samba, chanson and several other styles.

Her recently released sophomore album Sabor Solaire sees the Brazilian-born, French-based artist further cementing a genre and style-defying sound. The album features “Meu Lugar,” a Sade/Quiet Storm-like touch on samba and Bossa nova featuring an atmospheric yet percussive arrangement with strummed acoustic guitar that serves as a lush bed for the Brazilian-French artist’s achingly tender delivery. The song as she explained talked about a the transformation of an intense and true relationship.

Sabor Solaire‘s latest single “Couleur Bonheur (Frisson)” sees the São Paulo-born, Paris-based artist’s achingly tender Bossa nova-like delivery floating over a slick synthesis of samba soul, Afrobeats, hip-hop and funk. But its core, “Couleur Bonheur (Frisson)” reveals an artist, who pairs earnest, lived-in lyrics with an uncanny knack for catchy hooks.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 98th Birthday, Stan Getz!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 98th anniversary of Stan Getz’s birth.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Gabriella Lima Shares a Quiet Storm-like Bit of Samba

São Paulo-born, Paris-based singer/songwriter Gabriella Lima relocated to Paris back in 2014. And since locating to The City of Light, Lima has been busy crafting material that pushes genre and cultural boundaries. 

Lima’s 2021 full-length debut, the nine-song Bálsamo found the Brazilian-born, French-based artist writing material that drew from soul, pop, samba, chanson and several other styles. Back in 2022, I wrote about album closing track, “Samba de l’amour,” a breezy song featuring twinkling keys, fluttering synths, strummed acoustic guitar and gently swaying samba rhythms paired with Lima’s gorgeous vocal singing bittersweet lyrics in French and Brazilian Portuguese detailing love gained and quickly lost. 

Lima’s latest single “Meu Lugar” is a Sade/Quiet Storm-like touch on samba and Bossa nova featuring an atmospheric yet percussive arrangement with strummed acoustic guitar that serves as a lush bed for the Brazilian-French artist’s achingly tender delivery.

She explains that the song’s lyrics talk about a deep emotional delivery and the transformation of an intense and true relationship.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: John Finbury and Bruna Black Team Up on Meditative “Pérolas”

https://youtu.be/lV4VCFavzek?si=qISKiIoxuUGNoT_l

Andover, MA-based Grammy and Latin Grammy-nominated drummer and composer John Finbury spent his teenaged years playing in rock bands at New York’s legendary The Bitter End. He then went on to study classical piano, music theory and composition at the Longy School of Music at Bard College and at Boston University. 

Back in 2014, the Andover-based musician and composer released The Green Flash, a four song EP of original compositions of Brazilian jazz. All four songs received nominations for the 2015 American Songwriting Awards with “SambaDan” winning for Best Instrumental. Finbury followed The Green Flash EP with 2015’s 11-song Brazilian jazz effort Imaginário featuring vocalist Marcella Camargo and some of Boston’s best players, including Fernando Huergo, Mark Walker, Tim Ray, Claudio Ragazzi, Roberto Cassan and Ricardo Monzon. Finbury surprised the Latin music world when Imaginário track “A Chama Verde” received a Latin Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.

2017’s Pitanga was released to critical acclaim. Adding to a rapidly growing profile in the Latin music scene, Finbury’s third album, the Emilio D. Miler-produced Sorte!, which saw him collaborating with vocalist Thalma de Freitas and an All-Star band featuring Vitor Gonçalves, Chico Pinheiro, Duduka de Fonseca, John Patitucci, Rogerio Boccato and Airto Moreira received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Jazz album. 

2020 saw the release of two albums of originals: American Nocturnes: Final Days of July, an album of intimate chamber jazz compositions featuring arrangements for piano, cello, guitar, accordion and harmonica — and Quatro, a Latin jazz album featuring Lagos Herrera, Chano Domínguez, John Pattiucci and Antonio Sánchez. 

During the pandemic, the Andover-based musician and composer collaborated with French jazz vocalist Camille Bertault. They recorded and released “Look at What a Mess You Made of Me,” which featured Christian McBride (bass) and “Boulevard,” which featured Larry Gouldings (organ) and Billy Martin (drums). 

In 2021, following the death of the legendary Chick Correa, Finbury and de Freitas wrote and recorded “Ring The Bells” as a tribute to the man and his influential work. 

In 2022 Finbury wrote and released three original Brazilian jazz compositions recorded in São Paulo by Mestrinho (accordion), Michael Pipoquinho (bass), Cainã Cavalcante (guitar), Celso de Almeida (drums) and Leo Rodrigues (percussion). 

Last year was a very busy year for Finbury: He continued an ongoing collaboration with Magos Herrera and recorded and released three original compositions of Chamber Jazz. The Andover-based musician and composer also continued his successful collaboration with Miler, who introduced him to rising São Paulo-based singer/songwriter Bruna Black. 

Black wound up contributing vocals to Finbury’s latest album Vã Revelação, which was released earlier this year. Over the course of the past year, I’ve written about three of the album’s singles: 

“Chão De Nuvem,” a soulful year breezy tune featuring an arrangement of fluttering accordion, a supple bass line, shuffling percussion. The song gorgeously — and effortlessly — meshes elements of samba, jazz fusion and pop while being a perfect vehicle for Bruna Black’s languorous yet soulful delivery. 

“Será,” a song built around a gorgeous arrangement of shimmering acoustic guitar by Chico Pinheiro, a supple and sinuous bass line from John Pattiucci that’s roomy enough for Black’s expressive vocal. Fittingly released at the end of last year, the song is a meditation on the passing of time, the choices and plans we make that work out and the ones that fail — with the understanding that all of it influences who we are, and who we will become. 

Album title track “Vã Revelação,” a breathtakingly gorgeous yet bittersweet tune, anchored around the classic shuffle and sway of bossa nova featuring shimmering, strummed guitar, a supple bass line, twinkling and expressive bursts of piano serving as a lush bed for Black’s stunning vocal turn. Much like its predecessors, “Vã Revelação” is meditative yet breezy, a blast of summer — but full of the recognition of the passing of time, and of regrets, hopes dashed and hopes to be had again.

Vã Revelação’s latest single “Pérolas” is anchored around a swaying jazz/pop standard-meets-Bossa nova-like ballad arrangement and a gorgeous, soulful guitar solo by Chico Pinheiro paired with Black’s equally gorgeous vocal singling lyrics by Thalma De Freitas. Much like its predecessors “Pérolas” is nostalgic yet mediative, seemingly ruminating on the things that one cannot get back — youth, love, and so on.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: John Finbury and Bruna Black Share Swooning Ballad “Uma Noite Com Voce”

Andover, MA-based Grammy and Latin Grammy-nominated drummer, composer and JOVM mainstay John Finbury collaborated with rising São Paulo-based singer/songwriter Bruna Black on his latest album Vã Revelação, which was released earlier this year. 

Vã Revelação presents a broad array of subgenres under the large umbrella of Brazilian jazz. So there are the beloved and classic bossa nova and samba tunes. But there are also Baião, Partido, Alto, Forró and Afoxê among other styles. 

Over the past handful of months, I’ve written about four album singles:

  • “Chão De Nuvem,” a soulful year breezy tune featuring an arrangement of fluttering accordion, a supple bass line, shuffling percussion. The song gorgeously — and effortlessly — meshes elements of samba, jazz fusion and pop while being a perfect vehicle for Bruna Black’s languorous yet soulful delivery. 

  • “Será,” a song built around a gorgeous arrangement of shimmering acoustic guitar by Chico Pinheiro, a supple and sinuous bass line from John Pattiucci that’s roomy enough for Black’s expressive vocal. Fittingly released at the end of last year, the song is a meditation on the passing of time, the choices and plans we make that work out and the ones that fail — with the understanding that all of it influences who we are, and who we will become. 

  • Album title track “Vã Revelação,” a breathtakingly gorgeous yet bittersweet tune, anchored around the classic shuffle and sway of bossa nova featuring shimmering, strummed guitar, a supple bass line, twinkling and expressive bursts of piano serving as a lush bed for Black’s stunning vocal turn. Much like its predecessors, “Vã Revelação” is meditative yet breezy, a blast of summer — but full of the recognition of the passing of time, and of regrets, hopes dashed and hopes to be had again. 

  • “Para Me Entender,” a much jazzier take on Bossa nova than its predecessor, anchored around a loose, swinging arrangement that displays each musician’s chops with a self-assured swagger. But the true star of the affair is Bruna Black, who reveals herself as a stylistic chameleon, whose voice can shift in colors, registers and expression within the turn of a phrase.

Vã Revelação‘s fifth and latest single, “Uma Noite Com Voce” features a gently swaying, jazz standard-tinged, Bossa nova ballad composition written by Finbury performed by Vitor Gonçalves (guitar), John Patitucci (piano, Rhodes), Daduka Da Fonseca (bass), Rogério Boccato (percussion) paired with gorgeous lyrics written by Vitor Ramil Chico Pinheiro. And much like its predecessors, “Uma Noite Com Voce,” continues to showcase Bruna Black as a remarkably talented vocalist, who can effortlessly tackle any style with a self-assured yet earnest, lived-in take.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

2024 has been a busy year for the wildly prolific Brighton-based producer, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natty Reeves: With his instrumental hip-hop project Astairé, Reeves released the Greener Days EP, a tastefully seamless blend of hip-hop sensibilities with Bossa nova tinged passages that was anchored around dexterous improvisation. Reeves is also a highly sought-after collaborator in his own right, and he has collaborated with the likes of Matt Wilde, Simon Jefferis and Ahbi The Nomad along with a growing a list of others. 

The Brighton-based producer and artist has also been working on his forthcoming EP Mist Over Water. The EP which is slated for a September 25, 2024 release through DeepMatter Records is the first bit of material Reeves has released under his own name in a few years. Informed by the songwriting discipline of Ben Watt and James Taylor, as well as the rhythmic language of Brazilian jazz pioneers João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá, Mist Over Water reportedly sees the Reeves crafting a sound that’s stripped back and raw, with Spanish guitar and Reeves’ vocals at the center. Thematically, the material sees the British artist reflecting on the fleeting nature of life, and the importance of looking inward to grow — without putting too much pressure on each moment. 

“I wanted to make a project that felt honest to who I am, something that represented my thoughts at this stage of my life,” Reeves explains. “Recently I’ve been thinking about second chances, new growth and how fleeting life is – coming back to the sounds and rhythms I love, not trying too hard to make something that people would find impressive, this is a bit more introspective and forgiving of myself. I just hope that listeners enjoy the sounds and find some peace of their own in these songs!”

Last month, I wrote about Mist Over Water single “Bloom,” a gently swaying, slightly jazzier take on Bossa nova anchored around Bossa nova/Brazilian percussion, serene and glistening acoustic guitar, Reeves’ dreamily meditative yet upbeat delivery and warm, soulful trumpet from longtime collaborator and friend Jackson Mathod. The song encourages listeners to be open to new opportunities and to boldly take leaps of faith because things will work out how they’re meant to work out — but also because you never want to live a life in which you’ll left wondering “what if?” 

“This was the first song I made for this project, and I think it sets the tone for the rest of the EP,” Reeves says of the single. “I want to give a massive thanks to my good friend Jackson Mathod for playing horns on this – I’ve always admired his playing and he really gave this track a lift!”

Mist Over Water‘s latest single “Why Are You?” continues a run of subtly jazzier Bossa nova tunes anchored around serenely glistening acoustic guitar, shuffling Brazilian percussion, a supple bass line and gently swaying flute lines from Ruta Sipola serving as a lush and dreamy bed for Reeves’ breezily meditative delivery singing lyrics exploring the odd push and pull of manipulation within a relationship.

The song’s narrator describes the growing sense of not seeing his relationship clearly and of feeling played, but not knowing when or how it happened. And at one point, the narrator admits — somewhat bitterly — that he feels as though he’s “being used as a weapon.” The song capture the uneasy push and pull of a seemingly dysfunctional relationship with an uncannily lived-in specificity.