LD of the Day - "Tania Maria: Purely Music"

LaserDisc of the Day
Tania Maria: "Purely Music" (Image LD ID7911VP) 1991
A delightful concert by Brazilian singer/songwriter/keyboardist Tania Maria, filmed for the "Purely Music Concert Series" of the German TV, during an European tour to promote the 1985 album "Made in New York" (issued by Blue Note's subsidiary Manhattan label). Tania performs four of the eight songs from that best-selling CD, one of her few albums that reached the Billboard Pop Chart: the funkfied sambas "Don't Go" and "E Carnival", the wonderful ballad "Walking in The Rain", the and the intoxicating title track "Made in NY", on which she only does wordless vocals. The show-woman brings the audience to her feet with "Come With Me", the main hit from her Concord years.
But the concert highlights are "Euzinha" (which includes a fantastic improvised vocal intro, full of many references to her childhood, family and friends) and the instrumental "Mr. and Mrs.", featuring a superb solo on acoustic piano.
The excellent band includes John Peña on electric bass, Walfredo de los Reyes Jr. on drums, and the NY-based Puerto Rican percussionist Frank Colón.