Mauricio and Horns [VINYL]

'Mauricio and Horns' by Bossa Nova legend and harmonica master Mauricio Einhorn is produced by Jacques Muyal, with the Idriss Boudrioua Orechestra arranged by Rafael Rocha and with guest artists Paquito D'Rivera and Lula Galvao. In jazz, we all know the harmonica master, Mr. "Baron" Toots Thielemans, but we are equaly fortunate to have our "Prince", Mauricio Einhorn. His early contributions in the 1950s to the birth of the Samba Jazz movement in Brazil played a pivotal role in the creation of Bossa Nova, a genre that quickly became an integral part of the jazz world. The influence of jazz on Brazilian music - exemplified by the great Carlos Lyra in "Influencia Do Jazz" - was so profound that local musicians embraced it to forge a new musical identity. Many of Einhorn's compositions have become timeless standards performed worldwide since the early 1950s and '60s. Together with another giant of the scene, alto saxophonist Idriss Boudrioua, Mauricio's music gets an even grander presentation than ever before. This time, he teamed up with an exceptionally talented young musician: a big band arranger and trombonist named Rafael Rocha, who wrote all the arrangements and conducted the recordings. Rafael's arrangements are nothing short of magical. They are never overdone, always respecting the beauty of the original harmonies while infusing them with his deep passion for jazz. His trombone solos recall the phrasing of Frank Rosolino, and he modulates the pieces with swirling harmonies that evoke the very roots of Brazilian jazz. In every track, Rafael enhances Mauricio's elegant and expressive phrases without ever overpowering the artist, creating a "wall of sound" that gracefully floats alongside Mauricio.