When he recorded
My Inspiration: Music of Brazil in May 1998, a 72-year-old
Charlie Byrd was considered an elder statesman of Brazilian jazz as well as bebop. The guitarist had been involved with Brazilian jazz for 37 years, and his name was always among the first that came up in a discussion of the bossa nova. One of the many Brazilian-oriented projects he has recorded,
My Inspiration finds the guitarist joined by the Brazilian group
Trio Da Paz (which consists of guitarist
Romero Lubambo, bassist
Nilson Matta, and drummer
Duduka Da Fonseca) as well as vocalist
Maucha Adnet,
Chuck Redd (who is heard on vibes instead of drums) and tenor saxman
Scott Hamilton.
Byrd embraces a few well-known
Jobim standards on this CD, including "Agua de Beber" and "So Danco Samba," but thankfully, he doesn't limit himself to obvious choices -- he also turns his attention to material that ranges from
Chopin's "Freddie's Tune" to the traditional Brazilian song "Violao Quebrada" and the 1930s show tune "My Inspiration."
Hamilton, who is heard on half of the songs, enjoys an undeniably strong rapport with
Byrd, which isn't surprising because they're both very lyrical and melodic.
My Inspiration was a welcome addition to
Byrd's sizable catalog. ~ Alex Henderson