Wednesday, July 25, 2007

"Grooves in the Temple" - Press Release


The newest release on JSR (voted one of the world’s top 10 jazz labels for four consecutive years, from 2001 to 2004, by DownBeat magazine) is by Brazil’s bass sensation, Jorge Pescara. Produced by Arnaldo DeSouteiro, “Grooves in the Temple” features the ravishing talents of Brazil’s top jazz bassist, Jorge Pescara, backed by living legends of the Brazilian jazz scene such as keyboardist Eumir Deodato (of CTI fame due to the monster hit “Zarathustra 2001”), drummer/percussionist Dom Um Romão (Weather Report, Frank Sinatra, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Sergio Mendes), conga master Laudir de Oliveira (Chicago, Joe Cocker, Chick Corea, Sadao Watanabe), Brazil’s jazz diva Ithamara Koorax (voted one of the Top 4 best jazz singers in the Down Beat 2002 Readers Poll) , guitarist Luiz Bonfá (the legendary composer of “Black Orpheus”, heard here in his last recording session), percussionist Sidinho Moreira (who often records with Azymuth) and many important others.
Just the fact that all these masters are reunited on this album, playing with a bright newcomer, is an evidence of Jorge Pescara’s big talents (you will hear how he combines great melodic lines with very energetic rhythmic swing and astonishing grooves, creating solos of moving beauty, using his classical training to obtain a very special touch on the bass).

Discovered by Arnaldo DeSouteiro in 1998, when playing with his pop band “Linha Amarela” at Rock in Rio Café, Pescara was soon recommended to Ithamara Koorax and Dom Um Romão. Deeply impressed, Dom Um hired Pescara as the new bassist for his group in 1999, and since then he has toured extensively with him, besides recording on Dom Um’s two latest albums (“Lake of Perseverance” and “Nu Jazz Meets Brazil”, both for JSR). He also took part in an all-star benefit project (“Street Angels”) for the London-based Mr. Bongo label, playing on tracks led by Luiz Bonfá, Pingarilho and Ithamara Koorax. Pescara is also one of the featured artists on “Friends From Brazil 2001” and “Rio Strut”, as a member of the Brazil All-Stars unit, alongside Deodato, Koorax, Dom Um, João Donato, Claudio Roditi etc. Since then, his performances have been praised by such critics like Ira Gitler, Patrick Dalmace (Jazz Hot), Douglas Payne, and Alex Henderson (All Music Guide).

But nothing compares to his outstanding debut album as a leader, Grooves in the Temple, carefully recorded (during four years!) in Rio de Janeiro and NY, with state-of-the-art digital techniques. The repertoire was carefully chosen, mixing surprising treatments of very famous songs (“Comin' Home Baby”, Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”, Jimi Hendrix’s “Power of Soul”) and haunting Pescara’s originals in tribute to bass heroes Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller and Tony Levin. “This all serves to whet one’s anticipation for Grooves in the Temple, as auspicious a debut, perhaps, as Jaco Pastorius’ 1975 solo debut”, states the renowned jazz historian Douglas Payne in the liner notes.

Key Sales Points:

· This is the debut solo album by the most important bassist in Brazil’s contemporary jazz scene (Jorge Pescara), who has recorded and toured worldwide with Dom Um Romão, Ithamara Koorax, and Brazil All-Stars.

· Features an all-star cast: Deodato, Bonfá, Laudir de Oliveira, Dom Um Romão, and Ithamara Koorax, among many others)

· Liner Notes are by American jazz historian Douglas Payne, who has written notes for albums by Lalo Schifrin, Hank Crawford, Lonnie Smith, Phil Upchurch, Clare Fischer etc.

.CD Cover Photo is by the legendary Pete Turner of CTI fame.

Artist: Jorge Pescara
Title: Grooves in the Temple
Cat No: VPB114CD
Label: JSR
Release Date 01 /26/2005
Barcode: 604388646920
Territory: World

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"Um disco destinado a ter impacto igual ao da estreia-solo de Jaco Pastorius", sentencia o historiador Doug Payne no texto de apresentaçao de "Grooves in the Temple", primeiro CD do baixista, compositor e arranjador Jorge Pescara. Nesta superprodução de Arnaldo DeSouteiro para o selo JSR, elaborada durante quatro anos entre Rio e NY, Pescara reuniu um elenco de all-stars: de Dom Um Romão (Copa Trio e Weather Report) a Laudir de Oliveira (Chicago), passando por Ithamara Koorax, Luiz Bonfá, Claudio Zoli, Eumir Deodato, João Palma, Paula Faour, Alfredo Dias Gomes, Claudio Infante, além de Guto Goffi, Maurício Barros e Zé Carlos Bigorna (estes três do Barão Vermelho) e muitos outros. A capa é assinada pelo mais importante fotógrafo na história do jazz, Pete Turner (George Benson, Weather Report, Freddie Hubbard, Chet Baker, Ron Carter etc). No repertório, ousadas recriações de hits de Jimi Hendrix e Led Zeppelin, além de temas de Pescara dedicados a seus ídolos Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller e Tony Levin.

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