A bit of Brazil rocks jazz fans

KATIA MORAES, SAMBAGURU, Sheraton City Centre, Monday

Few could understand the words sung by vocalist Katia Moraes during Monday evening's installment of the monthly Jazz at the Sheraton series.

There were a few Brazilians on hand and a few Utahns versed in Portuguese, and the tiny singer did try a song in English, but for the most part the diminutive vocalist relied on her expressive face and body to broadcast each song's emotion.

Sambaguru isn't strictly jazz, playing instead high-level samba, imported and inspired by its many different musical cousins from Brazilian culture , which borrows from African and Portuguese roots.

So the non-Jazz, non-English, two-hour set performed by musicians hailing from Sri Lanka, Brazil and the United States might sound like a tough sell, but for the hundreds packed into the Sheraton Ballroom, the warm, bright performance was the perfect ray of light for a cold Utah night.

Joining Moraes in the spotlight were percussionist Kevin Ricard and drummer Tony Shogren. The trio provided much of the stage presence and performance power for the sextet. Primary composer and pianist Bill Brendle, although responsible for much of the music and adept at his keyboards let his music do the talking. He played several instruments, including a mean accordion.

Moraes — who perfectly embodies the energy, attitude and sensuality of her hometown, Rio Di Janeiro — demanded much of the attention with her contagious enthusiasm, expressed by arms, legs, face and hair. She urged the audience to respond and participate at every turn, finally creating a pocket of dancing near the front of the stage.

Ricard was also impossible not to watch while, wearing a wicked grin, he pounded various drums, convincing the audience that he was enjoying every beat. He worked an array of traditional Brazilian drums and chimes, creating soft tinkles, pounding thumps, and scratches and shakes on the pandeiro. (Think of a tamborine that gets the workout of a conga.)

Guitarist Mitchell Long and bassist Hussain Jiffry (who could double for a young Little Richard) are fine musicians that shone brightly in brief moments, working tightly within Brendle's compositions.

Moraes and company definitely brought the feeling of traditional Brazilian music to the show, which allowed those unfamiliar with the genre to enjoy a cultural baptism. At one point she asked audience members to close their eyes and imagine a beach scene at sunrise for a song that translates as "The Bicycle Grove." But with the siren's passionate voice, it was impossible to keep your eyes closed.

The group represented several Brazilian regions with salsa and samba, injecting with verve and energy what Ricard called "country music, just from another country."

---

E-mail: lc@desnews.com