A team of award-winning, world-class musicians has converged to create an exciting, first-of-its-kind compilation CD, GREEN HEART, a collection of songs of varying, sublime textures that epitomize the best in contemporary Brazilian music while they embrace ecological themes. Three revered Brazilian musician/composers -- bassist NILSON MATTA, saxophonist and flautist ZE LUIS, and master percussionist PAULO BRAGA - have collaborated on GREEN HEART, which will be released on New Orbita, a green, independent record label and media company committed to promoting today's Brazilian musicians while supporting environmental awareness and solutions.
Bassist Nilson Matta, whom world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma calls “a virtuoso bass player," contributed two original compositions to GREEN HEART, performing as “The Dynamic Duet" with celebrated Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo. The 3/4 samba “Paraty" honors Brazil's beautiful 17th-century, Portuguese colonial city where only horses and bicycles are permitted. Considered a National Historical Monument, Paraty is located on the coastline between Rio de Janeiro and So Paulo and is surrounded by many nature parks, including the Environmental Protection Area of Cairuu. His song “Green Heart" is a tribute to Brazil's Amazon Forest.
Saxophonist, flautist, and composer Ze Luis, the shining star of a new generation of Brazilian musicians who has worked most recently with singers Bebel Gilberto and Tania Maria, produced, arranged, and played flutes on four songs on the CD - three by Brazil's most famous composer and primary creator of bossa nova, Antonio Carlos Jobim, who “was raising awareness about the environment long before anyone else," says Ze Luis, “so I did three of his compositions, plus one about the blackbirds of the dry-lands by the incredible northeast Brazilian composer Luiz Gonzaga."
In an interview in Modern Drummer Magazine, Pat Metheny calls legendary Brazilian drummer Paulo Braga one of his four favorite drummers and credits Braga with bringing modern drumming into Brazil's samba schools. Braga composed, produced, and performed on four of the CD's cuts, encompassing new Brazilian rhythms as well as old ones, such as marakatu in his composition “Marakatusika," which features bass lines and arrangements by the late, beloved Brazilian bassist Nico Assumpo. “Balakunde" is dedicated to percussion master Robertinho Silva, who plays on the cut.
Nilson Matta, Ze Luis, and Paulo Braga will perform with Helio Alves and special guest Toninho Horta at the GREEN HEART CD release party at Joe's Pub in New York City on Monday, December 17, 2007 at 9:30pm.
For more information contact Leah Grammatica Public Relations.
