June Bastable reviews this album for us: The superlative musicians are: Catina DeLuna (vocals, piano, body percussion, arrangements), Otmaro Ruiz (piano, accordion, arrangements), Larry Koonse (guitars), Edwin Livingston (bass), Aaron Serfaty (drums).

With special guests: Alex Acunha (percussion), Bob Sheppard (flute), Nick Mancini (marimba), Mike Shapiro, Clarice Cast, Greg Beyer (percussion), Choir: Afton Hefley, Adrianne Duncan, Francis Benitez, Naomi Taniguchi, Maya Ruiz, Pam McLean, Catina DeLuna, Nick Mancini, Jason Luckett, Otmaro Ruiz.

Born and bred in Brazil, Catina DeLuna began playing piano and singing from an early age. After graduating with a BA in Brazilian Popular Music from the UNICAMP University in Sao Paulo, she instigated two important bands: Arire,  

as pianist, singer and arranger, and Serenata Brasiliera in which she performed Brazilian classics from the 1920s and 1930s whilst dressed in authentic period costume.

After relocating to the United States, Catina earned her Master’s degree from Northern Illinois University where she became visiting scholar, and now, having moved to Los Angeles she teaches privately and at the Silver Lake Conservatory and the Los Angeles Academy. Catina has also toured in Japan and Singapore and has worked as voice-over artist in many radio and television commercials.

Venezuelan-born Otmaro Ruiz, Catina’s collaborator and arranger on this Lado B Brazilian Project album, is a pianist, arranger and educator.  Based in Los Angeles since 1989, Ruiz has worked alongside such greats as Arturo Sandoval, John McLaughlin, Tito Puente, Billy Cobham’s Spectrum 40 Band, Frank Gambale, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Frank Morgan and Robben Ford, and was Dianne Reeves’ pianist and musical director for five years. He has led his own exciting and innovative Crossover Latin Jazz groups in addition to many well-received albums.

In private life, Catina DeLuna and Otmato Ruiz are also husband and wife, and together they have revitalised Brazilian jazz on Lado B Brazilian Project. (Lado B means “Side B” or “flip side”).

One thinks of Brazilian music as Carnaval, samba and bossa nova, but this album goes further.  The eleven sumptuous tracks on this album range from early styles to present jazz fusion with new interpretations of classics by such as Antônio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Pixinguinha, Egberto Gismonti and several others.

To pick out just a few from this superb album, the first track has the melody and lyrics of Lavadeira do Rio layered on top of an instrumental performance of Maracatu. This clever ploy is rendered all the more beautiful by 

Catina DeLuna’s flawless voice, which sometimes just follows the melody without words: so thrilling to hear such perfect pitch.  And speaking of “words”, the fact this album is mostly in Portuguese only adds to the exotic mystery and sexiness of the whole experience.

Garota De Ipanema (Girl from Ipanema), provides a different take on the original Jobim piece, being re-harmonised, re-timed, and with some gorgeous instrumentals as well as DeLuna’s glorious pure voice following the melody with and without words. Click here for Catina DeLuna’s website and this particular track on the home page

O Canto Da Ema is somewhat unusual!  Here we have DeLuna’s voice, crystal clear as a spring waterfall, accompanied only by her own “body percussion”!   

The eleven tracks are: Lavadeira do Rio and Maracatu, Garota De Ipanema, Cavalo Marinho (Baiaio Barroco), Contrato de Separação,Chovendo Na Roseira, Estrela Azul, O Canto Da Ema, Encontros e Despedidas, Lamentos, Quase Frevo, Fotografia.

The whole album is joyful, exciting, innovative, beautiful, dreamy, elegant, exotic, emotional at times: a must for anyone who loves Brazilian or Latin fusion.

Brazilian music is a road that has been well-traveled, but pianist/vocalist Catina DeLuna and pianist/arranger Otmaro Ruiz have re-examined the repertoire for their latest recording “Lado B: Brazilian Project". To take the most familiar example first, “The Girl from Ipanema” gets a welcome makeover with mixed meters, revised harmonies, an unexpected modulation and a slower, more reflective tempo. It's like a new song, and I suspect that a listener jumping into the middle of this track would have trouble recognizing the chord sequence. The opening track overlays Lenine’s “Lavadeira do Rio” over an instrumental version of Egberto Gismonti’s “Maracatu”, thus bringing the worlds of MPB, alternative rock and contemporary jazz together. DeLuna’s smooth, flowing voice is a striking contrast to the biting mercurial single piano lines she plays in her solo later in the track. The surging percussion of Mike Serfaty, Clarice Cast and Greg Beyer bring this arrangement to a stunning conclusion. There are no translations of the Portuguese texts, but DeLuna’s rich voice is so well-matched to the ensemble (basically flute, marimba and rhythm section) that her contributions can be appreciated on a purely musical level. On “Contrato de Separação”, her wordless phrasing is particularly elegant against the flute of guest artist Bob Sheppard and the guitar of Larry Koonse. The sound of water—which opened the album—reappears at the beginning of “Chovendo Na Roseira” (“Double Rainbow”) juxtaposed with the voices of a 10-piece mixed choir. The choir reappears throughout the track, with Ruiz’s superb vocal scoring and long meter rhythms offering a fresh approach to this fine Jobim composition. One of the album’s highlights is a new song “Estrela Azul”, which contrasts a liquid DeLuna vocal with a menacing ostinato part for bass (Edwin Livingston) and piano (Ruiz). The coda features overlapping vocal lines over a delicate guitar improvisation. The influence of Bobby McFerrin appears on the baião, “O Canto da Ema” which moves from solo voice with body percussion to a well-developed episode with DeLuna’s overdubbed voices. Despite the language barrier, DeLuna breaks your heart with her passionate readings of the ballads “Encontros e Despedidas” and “Fotografia” (ably supported by Ruiz’s accordion). The band’s name “Lado B” is Portuguese for “Side B”, noting the best tracks of an LP could be found there. Look no further than this album for a superb recasting of Brazilian music.

December 7, 2015 - Luiza Maia

Os brasileiros Gilberto Gil, Eliane Elias e Catina DeLuna são os candidatos do país a um troféu do Grammy. A lista de indicados, liderada por Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift e The Weeknd, foi divulgada nesta segunda-feira, e o resultado será anunciado em cerimônia no dia 15 de fevereiro, em Los Angeles.

Gil concorre na categoria melhor álbum de música internacional com o disco duplo Gilbertos samba ao vivo, lançado em novembro do ano passado, resultado da turnê do álbum Gilbertos samba. O registro foi feito no Theatro Municipal de Niterói. O repertório é dedicado a músicas gravadas pelo ícone da bossa nova João Gilberto, de compositores como Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes e Caetano Veloso, além de inéditas do baiano, como a faixa que dá título ao projeto.

Sings, de Angelique Kidjo, Music from Inala, de Ladysmith Black Mambazo With Ella Spira & The Inala Ensemble, Home, de Anoushka Shankar, e I have no everything here, de Zomba Prison Project, são os outros concorrentes.

A pianista paulista Eliane Elias disputa o prêmio de melhor álbum latino de jazz, com Made in Brazil, o 23º da carreira. Ela, que começou a estudar o instrumento aos 6 anos de idade, mora nos Estados Unidos desde 1981e já foi indicado ao Grammy sete vezes. Impromptu, de The Rodriguez Brothers, Suite caminos, de Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Intercambio, de Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet, e Identities are changeable, de Miguel Zenón, também foram indicados.

Também residente nos Estados Unidos, a brasileira Catina DeLuna disputa um troféu em parceria com o arranjador Otmaro Ruiz. com versão para Garota de Ipanema, clássico de Tom Jobim e Vinicius de Moraes, eles disputam a estatueta de melhor arranjo, instrumentos e vocais.

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Decmber 13, 2015 - Fábio Trindade

Em 1965, na 7ª edição do Grammy Awards, mais importante premiação do mercado fonográfico, a mundialmente conhecida canção 'Garota de Ipanema', de Tom Jobim e Vinicius de Moraes, foi a grande vencedora da categoria Gravação do Ano, superando nomes como The Beatles e Barbra Streisand. Uma façanha única para a música brasileira, assim como o fato de, 50 anos depois, surpreendentemente a canção voltar a ser indicada ao prêmio.

A conquista é graças ao trabalho da pianista campineira Catina DeLuna em parceria com o arranjador (e marido) venezuelano Otmaro Ruiz, que regravaram 'Garota de Ipanema' e ganharam menção na categoria Melhor Arranjo, Vocal e Instrumental na 58ª edição do prêmio. A versão de Catina e Otmaro de um dos maiores clássicos brasileiros, e que faz parte do primeiro disco da campineira lançado nos Estados Unidos, intitulado 'Labo B', concorre com nomes como David Bowie e a canção 'Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)'.

“A música do Tom Jobim é eterna. Mesmo que já tenha sido tocada e regravada milhões de vezes, ela continua incrível”, disse Catina ao Caderno C. “Tanto que conseguimos um arranjo novo, guardando as características originais da canção, mas dando uma renovada muito interessante. Muita gente nos questionou sobre regravá-la, mas eu sempre disse, com muito orgulho, que queria fazer isso. Chegar ao Grammy mostra que fizemos a escolha certa”, completa.

Formada em música pela Unicamp, Catina foi para os EUA no final de 2004, quando conseguiu uma bolsa de mestrado na Northern Illinois University, na cidade de DeKalb. Em 2009, no fim do curso, conheceu Otmaro e mudou-se para Los Angeles, onde está até hoje, fazendo shows e dando aula na Silverlake Conservatory of Music. Desde então, sempre quis gravar um álbum, mas ela conta que conseguir isso não foi nada fácil.

Para fazer 'Lado B', disco com regravações de clássicos brasileiros e uma música inédita ('Estrela Azul'), Catina e Otmaro foram à plataforma de crowdfunding PledgeMusic arrecadar verba e, mesmo assim, precisaram entrar com uma boa quantia para financiar o trabalho. “O que mais impressiona nessa indicação é que 'Lado B' é um disco totalmente independente. O CD foi gravado no nosso estúdio, em nossa casa. E trabalho independente é realmente muito puxado, difícil. Foi uma conquista”, desabafa.

Catina explica que ela e Otmaro fizeram, além de gravá-lo em casa, absolutamente tudo no álbum. “Desde a capa, os textos, os créditos, empacotar o CD, colocar o selinho, ficar na fila dos Correios, montar o site, tudo. E mesmo assim chegamos ao Grammy. Isso não é incrível?”, agradece a pianista. Sim, chegar ao Grammy, por si só, já um reconhecimento inimaginável. Agora, sem ter uma gravadora por trás, é quase um milagre, como ela mesma admite.

Como isso foi possível? “Descobrimos aos poucos que o CD estava sendo tocando em várias rádios no mundo todo, o que não é comum para esse estilo de música, principalmente quando as faixas do CD são grandes, com mais de três minutos. As coisas aconteceram espontaneamente, já que, como artistas independentes, não tínhamos como arcar com investimento de promo para rádio”, diz.

Os músicos sabem que o fato de 'Garota de Ipanema' ser uma música muito conhecida — e vencedora do Grammy — pode ter ajudado na indicação, dando como exemplo outra canção do disco, 'Chovendo na Roseira', também de Tom Jobim. “Nós fizemos um arranjo maravilhoso para ela. Porém, em inglês, a música se chama 'Double Rainbow', então talvez os americanos não a conheçam. O que é bem diferente de 'Garota de Ipanema', porque mesmo em inglês, Ipanema continua igual, o que automaticamente pode despertar uma curiosidade em ouvi-la.”

A cerimônia do Grammy 2016 será realizada no dia 15 de fevereiro, no tradicional Staples Center, em Los Angeles. Catina está ansiosa pelo evento, mas diz não pensar no gramofone dourado. “Há muita gente boa nessa categoria, então só o fato de estar nela já é uma grande honra, mesmo que a gente não vença.”

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Reverenciar a música brasileira sem exagerar as características do país. Essa foi a ideia inicial do disco "Lado B", da pianista e cantora campineira Catina DeLuna, formada pela Unicamp, em parceria com o arranjador venezuelano Otmaro Ruiz, com quem é casada. Após finalizarem todas as etapas de uma produção independente, desde a gravação em estúdio próprio até a arte da capa, a dupla foi surpreendida com uma indicação ao Grammy Awards 2016 na categoria Melhor Arranjo, Vocal e Instrumental, pela versão de "Garota de Ipanema", de Tom Jobim e Vinícius de Moraes.

Renovar o clássico da bossa nova foi uma provocação, no bom sentido, de Catina para Ruiz. "Eu o desafiei a fazer um arranjo para 'Garota de Ipanema'. São tantas regravações dela que foi realmente um desafio fazer algo diferente, mas eu sabia que ele ia conseguir", contou a pianista.

A obra concorre ao lado de músicas como "Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)", com arranjos de Maria Schneider, famosa na voz de David Bowie. "Tem muita gente boa na premiação, então a indicação por si só já foi uma surpresa muito boa. Nada é impossível, mas não vai ser fácil ganhar", comentou Catina.

Essa indicação acontece exatamente 50 anos depois da canção original ter conquistado o Grammy na categoria Gravação do Ano, na qual também concorreram nomes como Barbra Streisand e The Beatles. A cerimônia de 2016 será no dia 15 de fevereiro, em Los Angeles.

Referências tupiniquins

"Lado B" foi o primeiro disco da cantora lançado nos Estados Unidos, onde mora atualmente. "Sou uma grande fã da bossa nova, é uma grande influência no que eu faço hoje. Mas também gosto muito dos gêneros do nordeste, do choro, do frevo, de tudo. E foi isso que buscamos colocar no CD", explicou Catina. O álbum dá nova vida a composições como "Contrato de Separação", de Dominguinhos, e "Encontros e Despedidas", de Milton Nascimento.

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Scott Yanow

Singer Catina DeLuna and her husband pianist-arranger Otmaro Ruiz have teamed together to form Lado B which in English means Side B. Ms. DeLuna explained that Side B, the second side of an album, often contained surprising and lesser-known treasures. The Brazilian-born DeLuna has a beautiful voice and an expressive style while Ruiz has long been a powerful pianist. They celebrated Lado B’s debut recording Brazilian Project at the Blue Whale, playing many songs from the CD plus a few others. In addition to the co-leaders, guitarist Ramon Stagnaro, bassist Chris Colangelo, drummer Ana Barreiro and percussionist Clarice Cast formed the core group. Throughout the evening there were appearances by Bob Sheppard (on flute and soprano), Nick Mancini on marimba, and three background singers (Adrianne Duncan, Afton Hefley, and Francis Benitez) that added color and variety to the music. Ruiz switched to accordion on a few numbers; I would have liked to have heard him stretch out on that instrument more. Stagnaro had several excellent solos that were always rewarding. Catina DeLuna’s voice was in the forefront much of the time, taking charming vocals in Portuguese including on a few Jobim songs (such as a modernized “The Girl From Ipanema”), a poetic tribute to the ocean (“Cavalo Marinho”) and some lesser-known material, both vintage and recent. The two-hour set was quite enjoyable and filled with happy feelings.

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November 19, 2015 - George W. Harris

Vocalist Catina De Luna shows on this album that, when it comes to jazz, not all Brazilian music is bossa nova and vice versa. Her core team of Otmaro Ruiz/p-acc, Larry Koonse/g, Edwin Livingston/b and Aaron Serfaty are mixed and matched with a slew of percussionists as well as Bob Sheppard’s flute.
There is a folk feel to material like “Lavadeira do Rio” and “Maracatu” that mixes modern with the traditional. She sounds confident and strong as she uses her own body as percussion as the only accompaniment on “O Canto Da Ema” while Sheppard provides floating clouds of flute joy on the upbeat “Cavalo Marinho” and the emotive “Contrato de Separacao” which features rich interplay with Ruiz’s piano. Interplay between De Luna and a choir on “Chovendo Na Roseira” is an exciting trip through villages and city, while she shows her strength on the festive “Quase Frevo” which seques into the thoughtful “Fotografia” which closes with memorable guitar work by Koonse. While Jobim’s hand is on a number of songs here, the feel is definitely part of the 21 st Century.

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October 20th, 2015 - By Dee Dee McNeil

Independent Label

Catina DeLuna, vocal/piano/body percussion; Otmaro Ruiz, piano/accordion/ arrangements; Larry Koonse, guitars; Edwin Livingston, bass; Aaron Serfaty, drums; Alex Acuna, percussion; Bob Sheppard, flute; Nick Mancini, marimba; Mike Shapiro, percussion; Clarice Cast, percussion; Greg Beyer, percussion.

Her voice is clear, poignant; flush with feeling. I am entranced. When you listen to Cantina DeLuna, (or any world artist who is not performing in English), you begin listening with your whole body, not just ears. Perhaps, because you can not understand their language, you begin listening for the emotion. DeLuna puts plenty of feeling into each of these eleven compositions, both vocally and on the piano. This production, along with the artist and her competent Lado B Band, transports me to Brazilian shores. Something about this production reminds me of an old friend of mine, the famed Brazlian composer, Moacir Santos. “Ipanema” takes on a whole new meaning when DeLuna and ensemble approach this familiar standard by Jobim. They have spiced it up with an arrangement full of creativity and surprisingly beautiful, with unexpected chord progressions. The melody remains solid, rigid atop the arrangement like a gliding seagull, flying above a beautiful wave. This is 63 minutes of rich, lovely compositions and creative arrangements. DeLuna’s voice soars above the mix; helping to paint a fresh face on tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Pixinguinha, Egberto Gismonti and others. Tradition is respected, but the arrangements make a modern statement. The choir voices on “Chovendo Na Roseira” are startlingly provocative and add wonderful depth to this piece as they harmonically chant, “Here comes the rain.” DeLuna whisks me to Africa with her folksy and child-like rendition of “O Canto Da Ema.” Several Los Angeles musicians are featured on this piece of CD art, including Edwin Livingston on bass, Larry Koonse on guitars, and Bob Sheppard on flute to name only a few of the great players herein.  The album foreword is written by Tierney Sutton.

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October 20th, 2015 - David McGee

An outstanding practitioner of the Great Brazilian Songbook, Catina DeLuna and her gifted pianist husband Otmaro Ruiz, along with the superb musicians assembled as Lado B (or “Side B,” its meaning explained in insightful liner notes by Tierney Sutton—an outstanding practitioner of the Great American Songbook—as “the flip side of the LP where some unnoticed gems may be found”), have created an invigorating and often beautiful journey replete with unexpected textures and rhythmic and harmonic shifts that perfectly complement Ms. DeLuna’s seductive singing much as her vocal attack meshes impeccably with the musicians’ adventurous spirits. Or as Ms. Sutton accurately observes: “…the featured artist here is the ensemble: a living, breathing unit, caressing these arrangements with musicality and gorgeous playing by all involved.”

So it is that the message on these 11 tunes (including three by Jobim and another, “Encontros e Despedidas,” co-written by Milton Nascimento with Fernando Brant) is in what is being played as much as it is in what is being sung and how it’s being sung. Such an approach can produce dry, clinical results—technically invigorating but emotionally barren—but Ms. DeLuna cannot sing a note without feeling it, however much she’s being a technician in a given arrangement. That’s evident from the start, on the foreboding intro to “Lavadeira Do Rio,” in the ache in her voice when she rises in pitch over the spare, piano-rich atmospherics; but the song soon opens up into its second part, which happens to Egberto Gismonti’s “Maracuto” with a rich, swirling atmosphere underpinning her ethereal attack, with an exotic flourish provided by Otmaro Ruiz’s folky accordion and a gentle, romantic flavor arising from the lush, hollow body guitar lines constructed by guitarist Larry Koonse, with added depth courtesy the call-and-response between Ms. DeLuna and the Vamp Choir (which, to American ears of a certain generation, will recall Sérgio Mendes and Brasil ’66). American ears of several generations will recognize the opening strains of “Garota de Ipanema,” aka “The Girl from Ipanema,” but this six-and-a-half-minute versions quickly darts in a different direction and at a different tempo as it becomes an exercise in theme and development led by Ruiz’s delightful, arpeggiatated Vince Guaraldi-like styling’s, which follows Koonse’s ruminative, thoughtful nylon string guitar solo, all of which sets up Ms. DeLuna’s silky, fetching return to the song’s traditional verses—by the end of the invigorating workout you can hear her smiling in satisfaction as she winds down this most unusual approach to a classic song.

So it is that the message on these 11 tunes (including three by Jobim and another, “Encontros e Despedidas,” co-written by Milton Nascimento with Fernando Brant) is in what is being played as much as it is in what is being sung and how it’s being sung. Such an approach can produce dry, clinical results—technically invigorating but emotionally barren—but Ms. DeLuna cannot sing a note without feeling it, however much she’s being a technician in a given arrangement. That’s evident from the start, on the foreboding intro to “Lavadeira Do Rio,” in the ache in her voice when she rises in pitch over the spare, piano-rich atmospherics; but the song soon opens up into its second part, which happens to Egberto Gismonti’s “Maracuto” with a rich, swirling atmosphere underpinning her ethereal attack, with an exotic flourish provided by Otmaro Ruiz’s folky accordion and a gentle, romantic flavor arising from the lush, hollow body guitar lines constructed by guitarist Larry Koonse, with added depth courtesy the call-and-response between Ms. DeLuna and the Vamp Choir (which, to American ears of a certain generation, will recall Sérgio Mendes and Brasil ’66). American ears of several generations will recognize the opening strains of “Garota de Ipanema,” aka “The Girl from Ipanema,” but this six-and-a-half-minute versions quickly darts in a different direction and at a different tempo as it becomes an exercise in theme and development led by Ruiz’s delightful, arpeggiatated Vince Guaraldi-like styling’s, which follows Koonse’s ruminative, thoughtful nylon string guitar solo, all of which sets up Ms. DeLuna’s silky, fetching return to the song’s traditional verses—by the end of the invigorating workout you can hear her smiling in satisfaction as she winds down this most unusual approach to a classic song.

Which is not to suggest there are no straightforward, heartfelt, even poignant moments. The best of these is heartbreaking “Contrato De Separação” (or “Separation Agreement”) in which the singer contemplates the end of a relationship in muted, restrained tones, trying to come to grips with the hard facts; her despair is underscored by a noir-ish arrangement keyed by piano, flute (soft, tender and fluttering in a masterful, delicate touch by Bob Sheppard) and percussion at a medium cool ebb—and it is indeed ebbing and flowing under the vocal, with the long, lean lines fashioned by bassist Edwin Livingston sounding like a wounded cry all their own. A scintillating arrangement of Jobim’s “Double Rainbow,” titled “Chovendo Na Roseira” (“Raining on the Rosebush”), is dedicated to “our dear friend Christopher Mello,” who is not otherwise identified. A Google search revealed pages of results for a high achieving young man named Christopher Mello, who was a passenger on the first plane hijacked and turned into a bomb on 9/11; Jobim’s Portuguese lyrics are both sorrowful and hopeful, and Ms. DeLuna’s soft, caressing vocal evokes that duality. She’s backed by a robust gospel choir chanting “Here comes the rain! Here comes the rain!”—after she has sung the first English lyrics on the album, “You belong to no one/you belong to no one”–as the arrangement flowers from meditative, spare bass and piano solos into a brisk, intertwining, triumphant dialogue among the instruments. Whichever Christopher Mello is being honored here, this treatment, in celebrating and mourning life all at once, hits the emotional mark squarely. When the album closes with Jobim’s wistful lover’s end-of-day lament “Fotografia,” It seems the most ideal, contemplative farewell, with tender solos from piano and guitar and the romantic, humming strains of an accordion accentuating the memory the singer recalls of “that kiss…that kiss.” Brazilian Project (a debut album funded through Pledge Music, and only Ms. DeLuna’s second as a band leader) engages the senses on multiple levels but also honors the human equation informing its songs’ narratives. At every step the musicians make the right choices.

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September 4, 2015 - Doug Boynton

Catina DeLuna’s group is named “Lado B,” with the translation from Portuguese as “Side B.” Anyone who’s listened to the flipside of a record and found a treasure there will get the sly name, and an album that focuses on some of the side streets of the Brazilian catalog. Ms DeLuna’s clear supple voice reminds me of the Lani Hall of the “Brazil ’66” days, effortlessly weaving melodies with words I wish I understood.

My ignorance does not take away from my appreciation of the album, nor the fine work of Otmaro Ruiz, as both a pianist and arranger, who manages to make “Garota de Ipanema” sound brand new, and the track “Estrella Azul” is also a favorite, floating above and alongside Larry Koonse on guitar.

Make no mistake, this is a team effort – Ms. DeLuna’s instrument is that intimate voice she commands so well. But everyone shines on this set – Mr. Koonse on guitar, Edwin Livingston on bass and Aaron Serfaty on drums.

Highly recommended.

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Catina DeLuna, who was born and raised in Brazil and has a beautiful voice, recently formed Lado B with her husband, the brilliant pianist and arranger Otmaro Ruiz. Lado B (which in Portuguese means “Side B,” the side of an Lp that often contains surprises) also features guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Edwin Livingston and drummer Aaron Serfaty. The guests on the group’s recording debut Brazilian Project include four percussionists (including Alex Acuna), Bob Sheppard on flute and Nick Mancini on marimbas. On a varied set that includes        
superior pieces by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, and Egberto Gismonti among others, DeLuna and her group transform the music into modern Brazilian jazz. Even “The Girl From Ipanema” sounds like a brand new song. Catina DeLuna’s vocals perfectly hit the center of each note, Ruiz and Koonse have many fine solos and the ensembles sound flawless despite the complexity of the music. Get this one! It is available fromcityhallrecords.com

Sep 7, 2015 - Raul da Gama

As if shepherding her brilliant vocals through a Brasilian soundscape were not enough, Catina DeLuna has turned the charms of her voice of longing into a diamantine faceted instrument. Here is a singer whose voice and intelligence has melded seamlessly with words, vocal line and whatever dramatic concept is at hand. That impression only intensifies – as her vocal colours grow richer – in Lado B Brazilian Project – programme of gorgeously chosen Brazilian music sung not just with her customary mastery of line and form but always with something significant to discover with each listening of one beautiful song after another.As if shepherding her brilliant vocals through a Brasilian soundscape were not enough, Catina DeLuna has turned the charms of her voice of longing into a diamantine faceted instrument.

As easily as it might be to fall into lazy listening with the better-known songs such as Garota De Ipanema and Fotografia, Ms. DeLuna’s vivid performances make you examine music and lyrics anew just to appreciate her sudden burst of vocal colour (Lamentos goes into Elis Regina-zone) or her onomatopoeic effects in Quase Frevo gives the characters within the songs a near-physical presence (listen to Quase Frevo as a particularly breathtaking example). Consequently there is no such thing as a less exalted moment on this album. Here is a slice of life about a woman enjoying her ‘specialness’ in song after a fashion. And even among vivacious Brazilian women singers Catina DeLuna is quite extraordinary.

To boot, Catina DeLuna is an accomplished pianist and can punctuate her music with percussive effects (on O Canto Da Ema) for she has not only perfect pitch, but can keep perfect time as well. This too is a Brasilian gift that comes from a natural affinity for samba, maracatú and frevo, choro and much more that is uniquely characterised by ritmo especifico and a singular manner in which Brasilian music explores the finer points of harmonic characterisation awash with oceanic grandeur. But at least much of the credit for the re-imagination of the musical writing must go to her pianist and husband Otmaro Ruiz.

It is quite possible that the intimacy shared between the couple acts as a musical stimulant. However Mr. Ruiz’s talent is much more than adoration. His fundamental gift for lyrical line is evident from the manner in which he makes it gently cure in the air, gambol in ellipses and dart suddenly into surprising and magical directions. Moreover his musical gifts stretch across the topography catalysed by a genuine pianistic talent second to none. His impulse to adorn melody is breathtaking and he can create visions of the whole landscape of the song in but a line that he seems to pull out of thin air. This is a priceless asset to the music on this disc and when Catina DeLuna steps into the frame it becomes a winning formula.

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Sep 15, 2015 - Carol Banks Weber

Oftentimes, only authenticity will do.Catina DeLuna and a set of brilliant Brazilian and American musicians set about exploring a different kind of album from the usual Jobim standards people are fond of, but have heard about a billion times.

Catina DeLuna and Lado B (Portuguese for the B side) expand the Brazilian jazz repertoire to encompass 20th century music up to modern times. DeLuna herself is Brazilian. Pianist and arranger Otmaro Ruiz came from Venezuela. Between the two, they’ve orchestrated quite an original-sounding, vast selection of modern and modernized Brazilian jazz to sit back and decompress to.

They enlist the help of the Lado B band, including L.A. guitarist Larry Koonse, drummer Aaron Serfaty, and bassist Edwin Livingston, as well as guest artistsNick Mancini (marimba), Bob Sheppard (flute), Alex Acuna (percussion),Clarice Cast (percussion), Mike Shapiro (percussion), and a most emotionally effective choir of angels.

Brazilian Project is the group’s first album, and DeLuna’s second as a bandleader. On this self-produced album out since September 4, the group renders fascinating yet understated, constantly rumbling rhythms from 11 outstanding songs representative of Brazil in its entirety, including works by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Pixinguinha, and Egberto Gismonti.

Did someone say understated? Yes, well, that and effervescent, “O Canto Da Ema.” The short, one-minute-30-second song relies solely on DeLuna’s vocals and body percussion. She holds the steady rhythm literally in her hands, through her breath, and the downward spiral of the lovely native language.

Singing in Portuguese can be a mouthful. Very few Americans can pull it off without sounding as if they need a translator. They tend to stumble over the many syllables unthinkingly, while missing the whole breezy point. DeLuna suffers no such hazard, since she is Brazilian. Therefore, she can devote her time to meaning, the curvature of the characters in the story, the timbre of the mood, from soft and free flowing to sharp and abrupt.

In the romantic “Fotografia,” another Jobim standard, she can become the picture of nostalgic regret, as Ruiz squeezes in accordion to accentuate the place as some far-off, elusive destination, perhaps Paris. Koonse — the perfect romantic foil — follows suit.

In “Lamentos” by Pixinguinha, aka Alfredo da Rocha Viana Jr., DeLuna trips gracefully over the staccato lines of the lyrics and the piano notes tumbling forth. Her own wordless tumbling as pianist Ruiz chases the circus is proof of her authentic voice.

One of the most effective pairings of old and new is “Chovendo Na Roseira,” from Jobim’s “Double Rainbow.” Ooh a choir of angels (“Here comes the rain”) in her vocal fade as the piano-led music projects to the heavens. This one will stay long after the album’s put away.

Not as emotional of a jolt, but equally effective in quieter moments is the two-song opener, “Lavadeira Do Rio – Maracatu.” There’s so much at play here, from the sound of rain on a leisurely day, to the scraping of a percussive break, and into Koonse’s indulgences on guitar with DeLuna’s pomp of piano, both intro’d by a haunting vocal getaway. Lots and lots of textured mood shifts, yet nothing goes to excess or hysteria.

DeLuna and Lado B even cover Jobim’s most famous hit, “The Girl From Ipanema.” Lyrically, the cover fails to surpass the magic novelty of the original sensation that had Americans clamoring for more. But the guitar (and the vocal fade) on this song is all over the feel of the next big thing. The guitar floats and bobs over the gist of the song’s enlightened quotient about a girl, a beach, and their magical attraction.

Besides unobtrusive, sotto-like vocals, and a firm grasp of elusive rhythms, Catina DeLuna plays piano like a dream. The L.A.-based artist is also a voice actress and a teacher, having gotten a Master’s from Northern Illinois University.

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Intorno alla cantante Catina DeLuna ed al pianistaOtmaro Ruiz (ma anche autore di splendidi assoli alla fisarmonica), anche marito e produttore, la musica brasiliana viene presentata dal suo lato più jazzistico. Tuttavia è per i testi si è preferito lasciare tutto in portoghese, la lingua originale di testi di autori quali Antonio Carlos Jobim o Milton Nascimento, oltre a altri autori famosi, quali Piixinguinha o Egmerto Gismonti. La band è costituita oltre che dalla DeLuna e dal marito daLarry Koonse alla chitarra, Edwin Livingston al contrabbasso e Aaron Serfaty alla batteria. Ovviamente non mancano gli ospiti speciali, Nick Mancini alla marimba, Alex Acuna alle percussioni, Bob Sheppard al flauto. La cantante risiede ora in California ed ha spesso suonato in gruppi che fanno musica brasiliana mentre Ruiz, originario del Venezuela, ha suonato con tanti protagonisti del jazz, Billy Cobham, Charlie Haden, Frank Gambale, Tito Puente, ecc. Si ascolta la sua esperienza nei numerosi assoli nel disco, completamente a suo agio sui ritmi sudamericani, ma con una forte componente jazzistica. Molto bella è l’interazione con la chitarra di Larry Koonse sul brano che apre l’album. Garota De Ipanema è stato reso famoso da Stan Getz e Astrud Gilberto, qui c’è una interpretazione molto originale e dall’aspetto piuttosto moderno. Cavalo Marinho è un poetico tributo all’oceano e vede un bell’intervento dell´ospite Bob Speppard. Estrela Azul vede la presenza della marimba di Nick Mancini che sottolinea i versi dedicati all’amore ed alle sue difficoltà nel realizzarsi. La voce di Catina DeLuna splende per tutto l’album, il portoghese è la sua lingua e questa è la sua musica,. Si arriva alla fine con Fotografia di Antonio Carlos Jobim, ormai un classico della canzone brasiliana che diventa una ballad con l’intervento alla fisarmonica di Ruiz e della chitarra di Koonse in una nuova veste armonica. Qui c’è la quintessenza della bossa nova coni suoi temi, e cioè gli amanti (“E veio aquele beijo Aquele beijo” i versi finali) , il mare, il tramonto. Gran bel disco che si fa notare per la raffinatezza degli arrangiamenti, ricchi di coloriture jazz e personali anche quando si tratta di canzoni piuttosto famose.

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