CDNOW Review of Gurani Banana, 1999

Formerly a sideman to big names like Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Tania Maria, Brazilian sax and flute player Zé Luis breaks formation here to release his debut album as a leadman. Guarani Banana finds the musician in wonderfully chameleonic form, effortlessly referencing Brazilian styles like a supremely skilled footballer tapping the heads of defenders as he weaves through traffic on the pitch.

Throughout the disc, Luis gushes forth beautiful, smooth melodies through busy, yet happy structures. Whether tapping the relaxed, cool vibe of jazz icon and fellow countryman Antonio Carlos Jobim or swaying side-by-side with the jazz pop styling of a modern artist like Kenny G, Luis and his backing musicians master the past and the present.

From the misty take on jazz-bar cool in “Velvet Forest” to the hyper tempo and hummingbird melodies on "Calendula," the musicians are in total control here. And to his credit, Luis the bandleader allows his supporting cast their moments in the sun. Rather than a soloist imposing his overbearing presence on a recording, Luis paints himself into the picture with a perfect understanding of color, light, and balance.

Eric Bensel
CDNOW

Zé Luis (a.k.a. Jose Luis Oliveira) has impeccable credentials. He's been immersed in the musics of Brazil for years -- since his family moved from Rio to the musical hotbed of Bahia when he was a child. He's been playing since he was 19 and has spent seven years honing his suave sax and flute in Caetano Veloso’s touring band. He’s also appeared on more than 250 recordings as a sideman to such legends as Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, Tania Maria, Banda Black Rio, and others -- not to mention his work with the likes of Rita Marley, the Tom Tom Club, and Spearhead. As if that weren’t enough, in his childhood he was actually the neighbor of none other than Antonio Carlos Jobim himself. So, though he’s lived in New York since 1990, it’s a safe bet that Luis knows a thing or two about Mœsica Popular Brasileira.

On Guarani Banana, Luis’ first solo release, he explores Brazil's teeming musical landscape with an intelligence and a surety that only comes with experience. His piano-, drums- and guitar-driven ensemble is remarkable for its clarity, cohesion, and smooth flexibility, and Luis leads his players through 13 instrumental tracks of what seems like a master's class on contemporary Brazilian music. There’s samba and bossa nova, of course, but also tropicalia, choro, rema-rema, and all sorts of other subtle flavors, all of which are leavened with a cool, smart jazz sensibility. Best of all, Luis manages to take the listener on this guided tour of Brazilian music without ever sacrificing his own unique voice.

Such original compositions as “Winds From Africa” and "Dance of the Saints" pay stylized homage to the African wellspring of Brazil’s musical heritage, while others, including “The Think,” wink at such avant-gardists as John Cage and Nicholas Slominsky. While the most striking tracks — “Daybreak,” “Ne Baihia De Meu Pai” (In the Baihia of My Father), and “Calendula”-- fall expertly between these two poles. Even on his cover of Jobim's sublime “Inutil Paisagem” (“If You Never Come to Me”), Luis’ sound informs and expands on Jobim's composition in the best jazz tradition.

Guarani Banana’s title is an oblique joke: Guarani are native Brazilians, and bananas, well they’re part of the loaded, ironic tropical iconography of Brazil. Luckily for us, there’s nothing oblique, loaded, or ironic about this music — at least nothing that detracts from the sweet complexity of this masterful, if long overdue, debut.

Tom Pryor
CDNOW

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