Some Quietly Intense Chills, Imported From Brazil
Toninho Horta at Cachaça on Monday night. The performance, he said, was only his second in New York in the last nine years.
Hiroyuki Ito/The New York Times
There is a deliriously inventive strain of popular music from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, best known from Milton Nascimento's hot streak of records in the first half of the 1970s. They are ambitiously cooperative, full-throated singing albums; they are also guitar-heavy and harmony-rich. Some prominently included a guitarist in his early 20s named Toninho Horta.
Mr. Horta went on to become a bandleader, crossing over into jazz more often than his Minas Gerais compatriots. But his solo set at Cachaça on Monday delivered many of the same chills as those records he contributed to long before. There was a striking originality and a purity of intent running through the music: it played itself out in quietly intense, trembly trances.
For American audiences, Mr. Horta is one of the geniuses who got away. (Perhaps especially for musicians: if you want to know why modern jazz players are bewitched by Brazilian music, he's a good place to start.) He has spent stretches of time living in New York, though now he's based in Brazil again.
In any case, he happened to be in town, and with only a week's notice was booked to fill an empty night at this new club. Aside from one evening last year at Fat Cat, when he played an unannounced gig with the guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, this was, he said, his first New York show in nine years.
The room was hectic, packed with Brazilians, Italians, Japanese, Americans and videographers; Mr. Horta knew a lot of them, chatting between songs. (Later in the evening, after a break, he encouraged musician friends to sit in with him.)
But alone for his first set, he easily slipped into deep concentration, playing songs including his own compositions “Gershwin” and “Pilar,” Jobim's “Amor em Paz” and — one of his signatures — an embroidered version of “Moon River.”
Bossa nova rhythm and harmony are implicit in much of Mr. Horta's playing, but not bossa nova's frugal guitar technique: he often strummed all six strings, leaving one or two unfretted, wresting complex harmonies and letting the low strings ring out. He was playing fluid, syncopated music that never sounded shallow or busy.
Like some of the best improvising musicians, he created a self-sustaining pool of sound in each piece, fantasias durable enough for him to hold back or dive in; he could slacken or hasten the tempo and volume without damaging a song's atmosphere.
And above that, his singing was light and keening. He sang out of the corners of his mouth, moving his head from side to side, wincing at high notes. At one point many members of the crowd sang along to a chorus, but not just monophonically: without prompting, they sang in their own rich harmony.
Pianist's vivid compositions enthrall Greenwich Village
Pianist David Kikoski leads his trio at Cahaca in Manhattan.
GEORGE McNISH/THE STAR-LEDGER
NEW YORK -- Pianist David Kikoski's opening set Tuesday night at Cachaca, a new room in Greenwich Village, epitomized modern mainstream jazz at its zenith. The music was as vital and creative as anything being played today.
Kikoski's aesthetic has its roots in the melodic swing of bebop. The pianist builds from there, delivering a vibrant, expressive music that's often wide-open and complex while remaining deeply song-like and rhythmic.
A musician who has played with such greats as Roy Haynes and Randy Brecker and who co-leads the group BeatleJazz, he's also a prolific writer of engaging compositions -- three of which he aired Tuesday.
New Brunswick native Kikoski, who lives in Jersey City, teamed with two longtime partners: West Orange bass ace Ed Howard, and the formidable NYC drummer, Victor Lewis. The three have a palpable chemistry. They listen keenly to each other, and respond, sounding like a working band, not an intermittent outfit. They have made one CD, Kikoski's “Lighter Way” (2006, Apria).
The pianist began with Dave Brubeck's classic “In Your Own Sweet Way,” employing a short vamp to start it.
Kikoski's imaginative delivery of the lovely theme, with melodic asides and rhythmic shifts, was buoyed by Howard's fat notes and Lewis' evocative brush work. In his subsequent improvisation, he first hinted at the theme, then began to stretch, and the interpretation grew more intense.
Lewis switched to sticks and kicked with vigor, complementing the pianist as he played anything from bluesy chords and dense thickets of colorful notes to long, fluid streams.
After a particularly heated piano-drums section, Howard was spotlighted. He has a round, firm sound that gives heft to his accompanying lines, and as he soloed, he kept the sound strong as he moved from fast bunches of notes to smartly-plucked gems and rich double-stops.
Later, Lewis created engrossing percussive statements in exchanges with Kikoski. A beguiling vamp closed the number.
Kikoski's “Grey Area,” from “Lighter Way,” showed how the pianist could take a modest idea -- a one-chord Latin/funk number built on just a few hearty ideas -- and expand it magnificently. He began by repeating those core ideas, gradually increasing the depth of his robust touch, and adding other potent thoughts. Lewis crashed and bashed deliciously, with Howard's fat notes holding the center.
Soon, Kikoski and Lewis launched into another remarkable exchange, with the pianist issuing a flood of notes and Lewis finding a fitting rhythmic answer. The drummer offered a sterling solo with just his hands, tapping and whapping drums and sock cymbal to stunning effect.
The set also included the challenging “Blanket in Byrd,” in 7/4, and a romping “Winnie's Garden,” based on the harmony of “Sweet Georgia Brown.”
The set's only drawback was the lack of something a little more laid-back, a ballad say, for balance. But neither Kikoski's cohorts nor his listeners, who cheered loudly at after each number, seemed to mind.
Kikoski returns Sept. 10 and 18 with as-yet-unnamed partners to Cachaca, 35 W. Eighth St. (between Fifth and Sixth avenues). Also on tap at the comfortable, casual room with good sightlines and audio are saxophonist Steve Slagle, tomorrow night; Samba jazz with Fabiana Masili, Friday-Saturday; Mike Moreno, Sunday; Hans Glawischnig, Monday; George Cables, Tuesday; and owner and bassist Titus Ribas, Wednesday. All shows 9 p.m.-2 a.m. $10 music charge, $15 minimum. Call (212) 388-9099 or visit www.cachacajazz.com.
The Sounds of Brazil in The West Vil’
Cachaça Jazz ‘n’ Samba Club
Cachaça Jazz ‘n’ Samba Club Opens
Can there ever be too many jazz joints in the West Village?
We think not.
The recently opened Cachaça offers a classy, low lit ambiance you can enjoy with late set times and cover charges much more reasonable than others in the nabe.
Since you can't always get out of work or dinner in time for those 7:30 sets, Cachaça lets you chose from 9 p.m., 11 p.m., and 1 a.m. performance times. A perfect after dinner place to bring a date.
Sure it may be on shoe shopping row, but you'll easily be able to pick out the polished storefront. The warm staff will welcome you past a narrow entry by the bar to an open space with ample seating and good stage views.
With apricot and exposed brick walls, candle lighting and a sleek, airy vibe, Cachaça offers a taste of Brazil and a sound of international jazz acts.
Regardless of the group playing, the piano always makes a beautiful visual, especially when you sip the signature Brazilian beverage: a Caipirinha with Cachaça, lime, and sugar.
So slick your hair and wear your buckle shoes.
And all that jazz.
Cachaça hits the spot
The Cachaça jazz band stage.
On Tuesday I went to go check out nuyorican jazz trumpeter Ray Vega at a new jazz club in Greenwich Village called “Cachaça.” For those of you who don't know what cachaça is it's a Brazil's rum that makes Brazil's most famous drink caipirinha.
Now don't let the name fool you into thinking Cachaça is a Brazilian drink spot because it is a hardcore jazz club that showcases some of the best jazz musician in the area with a stellar lineup.
Simply put Cachaça is one of the most comfortable jazz venues that I have visited in the Greenwich Village area. This beautiful location has wonderful lighting and marvelous décor that makes you feel at home the moment you walk in through the door. But what makes Cachaça standout is its amazing acoustics, which was designed by bassist and owner Titus Ribas. [Ronald Ferriolo and Titus Ribas are co-owners of Cachaca.]
Ribas wanted the acoustics to cater to the bass player so no matter where you sit in the club you can hear the bass clearly, which in turn gives the other instruments a wonderful lush sound that everyone can appreciate.
Cachaça is a reasonably priced jazz spot with great drink prices and cover charge. I highly recommend checking out Cachaça if you are into jazz and happen to be in the Greenwich Village area. Trust me you won't be disappointed.