Brazilian Whispers

Andrea Brachfeld
Brazilian Whispers
Origin Records

Liner Notes

For more than a half of a century now the sound of Brazilian music –samba and bossa nova – has been whispering in the ears of jazz lovers all over the world. Ever since the release in the early sixties of Stan Getz’s pioneering collaborative efforts Jazz Samba with Charlie Bird and Getz/Gilberto with Joao Gilberto, the compositions of Antonio Carlos Jobim have been making their mark as noteworthy additions to the Great American Songbook and thus the source for creative improvisation by some of jazz’s greatest artists. Andrea Brachfeld, who has already in a decades long career made her mark in both jazz and Afro Cuban music circles, demonstrates on this date the expansive breadth of her talents with her own personal interpretations of pieces culled from the Jobim canon.

Brachfeld notes, “I’ve always had Brazilian music around me. I’ve played Latin music for many years and people would say to me, “Oh you should play Brazilian music.” I always thought if I was going to play Brazilian music, I was going to really do it, so I started going to listen to more Brazilian music at forro sessions. I also began listening to classical Brazilian music –the choros – and started playing them at the forros. I always liked Brazilian music, but I knew that I would need to really put in the time to study it in an authentic way if I wanted to really play it right. Then I thought for this record, if I could get the right people on the date to interpret it my way who really know Brazilian music, it could work.

The musicians here all “really know” Brazilian music. The date features Brachfeld’s working band Insight, with the flutist’s long time colleague, pianist Bill O’Connell, along with bassist Harvie S and drummer Jason Tiemann. She notes, “We’ve been playing together for almost three years now and I feel like there’s been a real progression and that we’re deepening musically as a quartet and becoming more of a unit. There’s also been a kind of spiritual growth which is reflected in the music and I’m really happy about that.” The group is augmented on several tracks by guitarist Roni Ben-Hur and percussionist Chembo Corniel, both of whom Brachfeld has worked with. On half the date the rhythm section changes up to include O’Connell’s longtime David Valentín bandmate, electric bassist Lincoln Goines, and Portinho, arguably the most important drummer in contemporary Brazilian music.

Commenting on the eclectic repertoire played here Brachfeld notes, “My main concept was choosing songs that I love and that just felt right to me. Basically I listened to a lot of Jobim songs and the ones that I really liked are the ones that we recorded.” Confessing that many of the songs were new to her, the quality of her emotive readings of the pieces, collaboratively arranged with O’Connell, bear out the efficacy of her selections, many of which are not commonly played in a jazz setting. The date opens with one song that she had played before, Jobim’s “Double Rainbow.” She recalls, “I did a Brazilian – themed concert in Winnipeg, Canada with guitarist Marcos Castillo and the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, and he brought out “Double Rainbow” It was really beautiful. The tender Jobim waltz gets the date off to a breezy start with Insight, plus Ben-Hur and Corniel, providing an ethereal atmosphere over which Brachfeld soars with elevating dynamics, followed by earthy guitar and Fender Rhodes solos before returning to the theme for a soft landing.

O’Connell moves over to acoustic piano and Goines and Portinho take over in the rhythm section for “Passarim which means bird. One of Jobim’s most stirring pieces, Brachfeld enhances the beautiful melody overdubbing four separate flute parts to accentuate its haunting harmony before taking off on an ascendant solo flight. The flutist credits “O’Connell’s genius” for coming up with the idea to play “Waters Of March , Aguas De Marco, over Harvie S’s walking bass and Jason Tiemann’s shuffle rhythm that provides a pulsating underpinning for soulfully swinging flute and piano solos. Roni Ben-Hur’s Spanish – tinged guitar introduces “Amparo,” before sharing the solo spotlight with Brachfeld’s alto flute and O’Connell’s piano on the gently swinging bossa nova. Portinho and Goines are back for “Sonhos e Cores , Dreams and Colors, an easy grooving bossa by Brachfeld and O’Connell that is tinged with melancholic optimism.

Brachfeld confesses, “The samba medley I kind of pulled together in the studio. I was thinking of recording a lot of different traditional rhythms so I did a lot of research. Then the night before the recording these three tunes came together as a medley and it was perfect. Roni really helped with that because he had some of the music and I didn’t have to explain much of the concept when we recorded it with Portinho playing the amazing accompaniment on the drums. It was just what I wanted.” She continues, “I recorded ‘Never Let Me Go’ as a homage to the great Roy Hargrove. I heard a recording of him playing it and I thought it was so gorgeous, I just love it.” She switches to alto flute for this one, playing with inspired intensity backed by Insight. Goines and Portinho return, laying down a funky beat on the romantically tinged medium tempo partido alto “Ligia” that finds Brachfeld blowing with singing joyous lyricism and Ben-Hur and O’Connell, on Fender Rhodes, soloing soulfully.

O’Connell once again gets kudos from Brachfeld for coming up with the idea for his innovative arrangement of “Girl From Ipanema.” Arguably the most popular song in the Brazilian repertoire, it’s never been heard like this before, with Goines’ galloping bass line and Portinho’s effervescent samba drumming propelling energetic flute, piano and guitar solos. The date ends with a pair of Brachfeld-O’Connell Brazilian inspired original compositions. “Triste e Solitaria, Sad and Lonely, which features Insight with O’Connell on Fender Rhodes in an ethereally moving excursion that lives up to its title, before the disc closes with “Espaço Aberto Open Space, a jaunty up tempo samba featuring Goines’ articulate electric bass work, putting an emphatic exclamation point on a date that confirms Brachfeld’s well earned position in the hierarchy of jazz flutists.

Liners by Russ Musto

Critically acclaimed flutist Andrea Brachfeld pays tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim on her newest recording and debut release for Origin records, Brazilian Whispers. Inspired by the Brazilian music scene in New York City, where she has resided for five decades, Brachfeld’s ninth recording as a leader showcases her virtuosity as a player and composer over the course of 11 tracks. She puts her spin on Jobim classics “Waters of March”, “Girl From Ipanema” and “Ligia”, among others, and demonstrates her compositional prowess on three Brazilian-spirited original songs that were co-written with frequent collaborator Bill O’Connell: “Espaço Aberto”, “Sonhos e Cores” and “Triste e Solitaria”. With Brazilian Whispers, Brachfeld solidifies her place in the modern jazz pantheon and proves why she is “one of the most important voices in the history of the contemporary flute” – Raul da Gama, Latinjazznet.

Brazilian Whispers — in the Press

• Brazilian Whispers Review - While the flute has been an important part of Cuban music and Afro-Cuban jazz since its beginnings, it is heard less often in Brazilian jazz settings. That is surprising since its soothing sound is a natural fit for gentle bossa novas.  Andrea Brachfeld, one of the top jazz flutists of the past few decades, had… …Read More
• Brazilian Whispers - Flutist Andrea Brachfeld’s latest release does more than just whisper “Brazil’.” Start with eight classics from the vast Jobim songbook given some innovative touches — “Waters of March” infused with a swing feel, “Girl from Ipanema” recast as a samba. Add to them three genre-rich tunes co-composed by Brachfeld and pianist Bill O’Connell and Brachfeld’s soulful alto flute on “Never Let Me… …Read More
• Andrea Brachfeld: Brazilian Whispers - Andrea Brachfeld plays both C and alto flute with a galloping team of Bill O’Connell/p-key, Harvie S-Lincoln Goines/b, Jason Tiemann/dr, Portinho/dr, Roni Ben-Hur/g and Chembo Corniel/perc on this mix of Jobim and originals. O’Connell’s keyboards give a vintage CTI soul feel to the rich read of “Double Rainbow” and “Ligia” as Portinho’s brushes glide to the… …Read More
• Andrea Brachfeld “Brazilian Whispers” Review - “Brazilian Whispers” is the result of fan request for Andrea Brachfeld to play more Brazilian music. Her thorough research resulted in an album true to the music while conserving her signature style. Original Brazilian Music Standards Once Andrea decided to release an album of Brazilian jazz, she did a thorough research of the country’s music. In particular,… …Read More
• Andrea Brachfeld: Brazilian Whispers in Jazzwise - ~Jane Cornwell, Jazzwise.com, April 2020 …Read More
• Her Full-bodied Sonorous Tone Makes for a Consistently Pleasant Listen - There’s comfort in flutist Brachfeld’s loving embrace of samba and bossa nova in this tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim. Although she doesn’t dare so much as a single wayward note, her full-bodied sonorous tone makes for a consistently pleasant listen. ~Eric Snider, Jazziz.com, March 2020 …Read More
• Five Artists: February 2020 Andrea Brachfeld – Brazilian Whispers - The flute as the lead instrument in any jazz combo relies on an empathic and sensitive rhythm section that will not overpower the wind instrument's delicate voice (Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson notwithstanding). Flautist Andrea Brachfeld happens upon a dandy rhythm section in pianist Bill O'Connell, bassist Harvie S and drummers Jason Tiemann and T Portinho. That said,… …Read More
• Andrea Brachfeld: Brazilian Whispers in Downbeat - ~Jim Macnie, Downbeat February 2020 …Read More
• EXOTIC SOUNDS…Andrea Brachfeld: Brazilian Whispers - Andrea Brachfeld plays flute and the darker alto flute set to a collection of Brazilian themes dominated by Antonio Jobim. She mixes and matches with Bill O’Connell/p-key, Harvie S-Lincoln Goines/g, Roni Ben-Hur/g, T. Portinho-Jason Tiemann/dr and Chembo Corniel/perc with some boppy pieces like her own “Espaco Aberto” and a relaxed “Triste E Solitaria.” Jobim’s “Double… …Read More
• Andrea Brachfeld: Brazilian Whispers - While Brazilian Whispers marks Andrea Brachfeld's first thorough exploration of the titular stream of sound, you'd never know it from the results. Teaming up with Bill O'Connell, her longtime pianist and sounding board, the veteran flutist, who's typically engaged in Afro-Cuban affairs or straight ahead suggestions, sounds like she's been playing this music all her… …Read More
• Musical Memoirs Review of Brazilian Whispers - Andrea Brachfeld is pictured smiling on her CD cover, with her head thrown back, the ocean waves and a tempered blue sky are the backdrop and she’s holding her flute delicately in her left hand. The first track of this album of Brazilian music sounds as happy and relaxed as this picturesque CD cover. It’s… …Read More
• La Habitación del Jazz on Brazilian Whispers - There are a number of instruments that do not quite feel comfortable in jazz or is it jazz which is not comfortable with it?  One of them is the flute. So even when an interpreter of the music who plays this instrument publishes an album of jazz, Brazilian music or a mixture of both, it… …Read More
• JazzTimes Review of Brazilian Whispers - For Brazilian Whispers, veteran flutist Andrea Brachfeld dives deep into the Jobim book, turning out fresh interpretations of familiar gems. Best known for her affiliations with Slide Hampton, Wallace Roney, and Dave Valentin, Brachfeld is joined by her regular working band—longtime collaborator Bill O’Connell on piano and Rhodes, double bassist Harvie S, and drummer Jason… …Read More
• Roots Music Report Review of Brazilian Whispers - Among the first 2020 CD releases on Origin, Brazilian Whispers is the latest solo album from NYC based flutist / composer Andrea Brachfeld. A number of artists support Ms. Brachfeld on the 11-track album, including established names like Roni Ben-Hur (guitars), Harvie S (bass), Lincoln Goines (electric bass), as well as several drummers and percussionists… …Read More
• Brazilian Whispers in London Jazz News - Flautist Andrea Brachfeld’s CV reads like a who’s who of Latin jazz. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, and a recipient of some of the genre’s most prestigious accolades (including the 2006 Chico O’Farrill Lifetime Achievement Award), she has recorded and/or performed with such luminaries as Paquito D’Rivera, Tito Puente, Slide Hampton and… …Read More
• Midwest Record on Brazilian Whispers - A member of the sorority of women that know how to pour the flute juice with a free hand that ultimately wind up letting Brazil shine on them, Brachfeld goes right to the Jobim source while avoiding most of the Jobim clichés to really get inside the music she loves. Backed up by a crew… …Read More

Notable Quotes

• Throughout the fine outing, Andrea Brachfeld is heard in top form - "Throughout the fine outing, Andrea Brachfeld is heard in top form, making this CD (Brazilian Whispers) an excellent introduction to her artistry." "...Andrea Brachfeld, one of the top jazz flutists of the past few decades..." ~Scott Yanow, Los Angeles Jazz Review, November 2020 …Read More
• Flutist Andrea Brachfeld’s latest release does more than just whisper ‘Brazil’ - "Flutist Andrea Brachfeld’s latest release does more than just whisper 'Brazil.'" "...Brachfeld’s soulful alto flute on 'Never Let Me Go.'" ~Bob Bernotas, Jazz Bob, June 2020 …Read More
• Brachfeld is dreamy on Passarim - "Brachfeld is dreamy on 'Passarim' and blends with 'Ben-Hur' on the sublime 'Amparo' ..." "O’Connell and Harvie S create a sublime mood for Brachfeld's alto tones of a cirrus cloud on 'Never Let Me Go'..." ~George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly, April 9, 2020 …Read More
• Andrea Brachfeld’s Insight Quartet knows Brazilian music well and performed it flawlessly - "The core of Andrea Brachfeld’s Insight Quartet knows Brazilian music well and performed it flawlessly." "These talented musicians performed like a well-oiled machine to produce music that transports you south to the land of the caipirinha." “Brazilian Whispers” is a refreshing album of Brazilian music. You get to listen to Jobim’s songs in a brand new way,… …Read More
• Antonio Carlos ‘Tom’ Jobim is the gift that keeps on giving - “Antonio Carlos 'Tom' Jobim is the gift that keeps on giving - and where the flautist Brachfeld is concerned, his generosity knows no bounds.” “…it’s as seamless as one might expect from a woman whose four – decade career includes eight albums under her own name and sessions for a veritable who’s who of Latin… …Read More
• Her Full-bodied Sonorous Tone Makes for a Consistently Pleasant Listen - There’s comfort in flutist Brachfeld’s loving embrace of samba and bossa nova in this tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim. Although she doesn’t dare so much as a single wayward note, her full-bodied sonorous tone makes for a consistently pleasant listen. ~Eric Snider, Jazziz.com, March 2020 …Read More
• Brachfeld is More Than Able to Kick Out the Jams - “Brachfeld is more than able to kick out the jams, evidenced by her barnburning solo on Jobim's "Waters of March." “The flautist is perfectly capable of cooking things off, as she does with Jobim's lithesome "Amparo." “Brachfeld's "Girl from Ipanema" is performed at a brisk and precise pace, with velocity great enough to evaporate the… …Read More
• Tracks Ripple With Laudable Precision - "...but the craft Brachfeld's outfit brings to the table makes many of the tracks ripple with laudable precision." ~Jim Macnie, downbeat.com, February, 2020 …Read More
• Veteran Flutist Spellbound - "The veteran flutist spellbound with her assured virtuosity and clear emotional projections as she explores some of Jobim's beloved classics and a trio of alluring originals." ~John Murph, downbeat.com, February, 2020 …Read More
• Distance Can Entice and Whispers Reveal - "Brachfeld's forthright playing and fresh arrangements of classic Brazilian fare land just this side of outright exhilarating. With this album, the bandleader reminds us that distance can entice and whispers reveal." ~Suzanne Lorge, downbeat.com, February, 2020 …Read More
• A Smile on the Beach of Ipanema - “Brachfeld’s tone and solos are lyrical and always optimistic. There’s a smile on the beach of Ipanema.” ~George Harris, Jazz Weekly, February 2020 …Read More
• Brazilian Beauty - "While Brazilian Whispers marks Andrea Brachfeld's first thorough exploration of the titular stream of sound, you'd never know it from the results. Teaming up with Bill O'Connell, her longtime pianist and sounding board, the veteran flutist, who's typically engaged in Afro-Cuban affairs or straight ahead suggestions, sounds like she's been playing this music all her life." "…the vibrant… …Read More
• Happy and Relaxed - “Andrea Brachfeld is pictured smiling on her CD cover, with her head thrown back, the ocean waves and a tempered blue sky are the backdrop and she’s holding her flute delicately in her left hand. The first track of this album of Brazilian music sounds as happy and relaxed as this picturesque CD cover.” ~Dee… …Read More
• An Excellent Recording - "An excellent recording providing rich and deep sounds. A top performance from all the participants on the disc." ~La Habitación del Jazz, January 2020 …Read More
• The Album Oozes Optimism - “The album oozes optimism, is alive, danceable and listenable. And it’s not just about Brazilian music, even though that is enough, there are also moments of top quality jazz.” ~La Habitación del Jazz, January 2020 …Read More
• America’s Musical Love Affair – Roots Music Report - "America’s musical love affair with Brazilian music continues forward with the 2020 CD release of Brazilian Whispers by Andrea Brachfeld." ~Robert Silverstein, Roots Music Report, January 2020 …Read More
• Most Upbeat and Positive – Roots Music Report - "Andrea has released Brazilian Whispers and the resulting album is one of the most upbeat and positive albums of Brazilian flavored instrumental jazz music in recent memory." ~Robert Silverstein, Roots Music Report, January 2020 …Read More
• Best-Developed Solos – London Jazz News - "Sonhos e Cores, a well-written, dramatic Brachfeld/O’Connell original which benefits immensely from Corniel’s percussion. It contains one of the flautist’s best-developed solos." ~Sam Norris, London Jazz News, January 2020 …Read More
• Adventurous – London Jazz News - "O’Connell returns to the Rhodes for his and Brachfeld’s original Triste e Solitaria, a gorgeous tune very much in the style of Jobim but with a slightly more adventurous harmonic approach, and probably the most successful track on the album." ~Sam Norris, London Jazz News, January 2020 …Read More
• Beautifully Rich, Deep Sound – London Jazz News - "Never Let Me Go, intended as a tribute to the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Brachfeld opts for the larger alto flute here, demonstrating a beautifully rich, deep sound which is complemented perfectly by some colourful voicings from O’Connell." ~Sam Norris, London Jazz News, January 2020 …Read More
• Earthy Flute – London Jazz News - "…Jobim’s Double Rainbow...Underpinned by a driving jazz waltz feel from Harvie S and Tiemann, the head sees Brachfeld’s earthy flute tone blend effortlessly with O’Connell’s Rhodes, reminiscent of Joe Farrell and Chick Corea on the latter’s seminal album Light as a Feather. The asymmetric form poses no problems for Brachfeld, who takes a fluent, athletic solo…"… …Read More
• Art and Heart – Midwest Record - "…all the right moves are in all the right places as art and heart mix it uphere in fine form…" ~Midwest Record, December 2019 …Read More
• Pour the Flute Juice – Midwest Record - "A member of the sorority of women that know how to pour the flute juice with a free hand that ultimately wind up letting Brazil shine on them…" ~Midwest Record, December 2019 …Read More