Song for Charlie

Well well, World Cup's finally over. You must imagine the mess Brazil has been over the past month, and I must say I'll kinda miss it (mainly because of the holidays). Not the reason which finally led me to break my long absence, tho.

Last week, a good man named Charlie Haden passed away. While most recognizable for his association with Ornette Coleman, he played the bass in many excellent recordings (notably Liberation Music Orchestra), not restraining himself to American jazz.

This collaboration with the -- legendary  -- Portuguese Guitar player, Carlos Paredes, is one of them. Accompanying a Portuguese Guitar with teh bass doesn't seem an easy task, which Haden, however, transformed into a subtle, yet splendent amalgamation.

pw: spooked

The disgrace in bringing in the Fado

Amália Rodrigues' music is often mistaken for Fado itself, such was her importance to the wailful, beautiful Portuguese genre. How fortuitous was destiny to put her and tenor sax giant Don Byas together for a recording session. A single recording session.

That's right, it is said they recorded the entire album -- a superb one, if I may add -- in just one take. Jazz fans will be probably disappointed, as Byas' respect towards Amália's performance made his somewhat timid, but I figure no musical instrument would be a match for the powerful voice of the Queen of Fado.

pw: spooked