Cristina Braga, harp and voice, and the Modern Samba Quartet; Enja, 2013
4.25 harps
(Note: recording reviews prior to 2014 were based on a 5-star system.)
Changing the vibe entirely, I next put on the mesmerizing new disc from Brazilian harpist Cristina Braga and the Modern Samba Quartet. You get the drift of this sultry disc, Samba, Jazz and Love, from a picture of the quartet, pants rolled up, working their way through the sandy beach—Copacabana? Ipanema?—carrying the harp as if to bathe it in the air and sun that’s like nowhere else in the world. Meanwhile Cristina, dressed in her concert attire of floor-length black, arrives statuesque by boat. She’s elegant and classical—after all, Cristina is the Principal Harpist of the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theatre Symphony Orchestra—but her playing is filled with playfulness and as just as she promises, Brazilian soul.
And the treat for us is that Cristina sings with that absolutely heavenly, up-close, whispery tone we were first introduced to in the United States with Stan Getz. It’s warm, breathy, inviting, and backed up with the tone of her harp, she shapes a world that’s kicked back, chill, endlessly summer.
So how do you balance everyone—bass, drums, trumpet, harp, vibes, and voice? I’d guess very carefully and with an incredible ear for atmosphere. In this case, every part was clear, distinct, never too far in the background or foreground. Even when I would find my ears losing track of the harp or drums, I’d find them. They’re right there. You see, your feet are moving to the beat while your hips find the melody of the trumpet and vibes and the rest of you is keenly tuned into Cristina’s words.
The opening number “I Love Parfait” was maybe a little risky as it’s slow, internal, contemplative. But I was won over feeling each timbre introduced as well as a sensibility. “Don’t be afraid. Let’s just enjoy time.”
Of course, that mood carries right into the laziness of “O Barquinho” as we float away an entire afternoon on the sea then it’s as though we smirk at such simple pleasures, staying up to all hours dancing and making love, a hangover is inevitable.
The sound at the opening of Jobim’s “So Danco Samba” left me giggly, and it will live on my iPod for sure. It’s the sound at the opening. Okay, I’m not a harpist but I think I could make this sound, nails scraping stopped strings? Clever, cool, and immediately made me smile.
Another favorite was “Desafinado,” also Jobim, as this lovely innocent voice gently tells her love that if he says her singing is off-key it would hurt her feelings, “All I have is what God gave me.” Certainly the hand of God was generous to this lovely musician. A truly enjoyable disc that will allow beach life to be perpetually yours. Saude! •
