Search - Angela Hagenbach :: Angela Hagenbach and Musa Nova

Brazilian music with a superb "Estate"

11/22/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Musa Nova is a Kansas City group of long-time jazz musicians with a special interest in Brazilian music. The guitar of Danny Embrey and the keyboards of Joe Cartwright are featured. Angela Hagenbach often works with them as a vocalist; she handles Portuguese very fluently. Hagenbach sings on about half of the numbers on this CD, in some cases employing wordless vocals. The definite highlight here, in my opinion, is "Estate" (that's es-tah-TAY -- summer), the Italian song by Bruno Brighetti and Bruno Martino which has worked its way into the American jazz repertoire with English lyrics by Joel Siegel (among other versions). I've heard a number of different takes on this song, including those by Shirley Horn, Claire Martin, and Meredith d'Ambrosio. I think this version can stand with any of them. It is arranged beautifully by the group, with Embrey and Cartwright in the lead and a sensitive vocal by Hagenbach. Anyone interested in Brazilian-influenced jazz or jazz vocals ought to give this CD a try."