Beatles In Bossa
BlueAzul, 2022
8/10
An outfit who have been at it for 4 decades now, Minas is spearheaded by Orlando and Patricia Haddad, and it’s quite obvious they have an affinity for the Beatles. Here they inject American jazz, the Brazilian styles of Bossa Nova, Samba, Choro and Partido across these 14 interpretations from the Fab Four.
“Blackbird” starts the listen with warm acoustic guitar, where plenty of cultured rhythm enters thanks to Tom Cohen’s agile drums and Andrew Neu’s well timed brass, and “Come Together” follows with Jim Stager’s playful bass lines complementing Patricia’s vocal acrobatics.
Further along, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” flows with a hazy, almost psychedelic approach, while “Can’t Buy Me Love” is just as memorable as the original, where the fluid vocal harmonies benefit from John Swana’s skilled trumpet.
Deeper still, “Here Comes The Sun” emits a cozy intimacy with acoustic guitar and Orlando’s smooth pipes, and it isn’t long until Neu’s flute enters, too, and “Get Back” exits the listen with a busy and swift delivery of punchy drums, glowing brass and Rob Hyman’s excellent accordion prowess.
We’ve all heard these songs before, but they’ve never sounded quite like this, as the Haddad’s and company make for a very worldly and exciting take on classics that you’ll want to hear again and again.
Travels well with: Antonio Adolo- Jobim Forever; Miguel Espinozo Flamenco Fusion- Veneta