'Tudo Azul' - is the culmination of Liz's long-held dream to make a bossa~nova album. A chance meeting with top British group 'Sirius B' ended her search for a tailor-made band who shared her passion for all things Brazilian, and who could recreate the intoxicating sun-drenched sounds and rhythms of Brazil.
Sirius B's reputation as a live band has grown dramatically over the last three years, and their current album 'Posto Nove' has been voted one of JazzFM's top ten favourites of 2001, following the success of their first album which gave their music a hearing in Japan and the USA. More on their website via Liz's Links Page.
The aptly titled 'Tudo Azul' (an expression used by Brazilians when things are going great and life is fine), is an exciting artistic collaboration promising a feast of bossa~nova favourites by pedigree writers, among them Tom Jobim, Ivan Lins, Dori Caymmi and Luiz Bonfa.
For every copy sold, 10% of the proceeds will be donated to TaskBrasil (The Abandoned Street Kids of Brazil Trust) whose work raises funds and awareness to help street children and teenagers in Brazil.
Real Player samples via Liz Ashton's web site:-
"Liz Ashton sings with clarity, good body language and great intonation" ~ Marion Montgomery
It is unusual to hear Brazilian music performed in the United Kingdom unless it is by visiting artists or a handful of dedicated musicians such as the lovely Liz Ashton and Sirius-B, her backing band for this sultry new set 'Tudo Azul'.
Liz has visited Brazil to try and understand the heritage and roots of the music as I did all those years ago and discovered that the music stems from the whole culture of Brazil, the everyday life, the people, the cities, Carnaval, Bahia.
This is evident in this 13 track tribute to the masters of bossa, Tom Jobim, Ivan Lins, Dori Caymmi and Luiz Bonfa whereby Liz performs classics such as the song made famous by Astrud Gilberto, 'Once I loved', Jobim's 'So Nice' and 'One Note Samba'. Her tonal inflections remind me of a young Astrud all those years ago when she performed these songs on her debut album which I bought in 1965 on Verve. Her magic, like that of Liz's, is the simplicity of the delivery which emphasises the lyrics in a clear, concise and melodic mood.
Liz tackles some extremely difficult songs with ease like 'One Note Samba' and Roberto Menescal's 'O Telephone', a song written for his girlfriend whose phone was 'always engaged' when he tried to call her.( So some things never change ;>)
The wonderful Jobim classic 'Anos Dourados' from his 1987 album 'Passarim' highlights for me what this album is all about, beautiful lyrics, beautifully sung ( half in English and half in Portugese) with a caressing piano and an intricate rhythm section.
The flute of Kevin Figes and Fender Rhodes piano and acoustic guitar played by the multi-talented Joe Cavanagh in the Jobim penned 'So Tinha de Ser com Voce' are worthy of a mention as they provide such an authentic base for Liz's vocals. Sung once again in Portugese, this light, airy bossa track conjures up scenes of a warm, sunny beach in Rio with a summer wind caressing the waves as they cascade onto the golden sands.
One pleasing moment of diversification on the album for me is the track Ivan Lins wrote especially for George Benson's 1980 album 'Give Me The Night' called 'Love Dance', Liz performs this wonderful ballad with an appeal of Marisa Monte or Leila Penheiro, warm, reassuring and with a loving affinity to the original composer.
It is obvious that Liz is passionate about the music from Brazil as this is expressed in her sensuous and emotive command of the songs and it is so pleasing to know that the music is still appreciated and performed so capably by modern day artists.
I am delighted that Liz is providing another platform for the performance of Brazilian music and the musicians who pioneered this totally unique sound all those years ago, in particular, the maestro Antonio Carlos Jobim.
It is a perfect addition to your Brazilian collection for those lazy, hazy days of summer. You can listen to sound samples on Liz's website and order your copy.
Wes Gillespie - www.thejazzsite.net
LIZ ASHTON is an accomplished vocalist from the UK whose warm, mellow renditions of popular favourites from the Jazz Standards Songbook have been delighting audiences and fellow-musicians alike, wherever she goes. Her 'smoky' sound has been compared with that of Julie London, although one can also hear in her work the influences of Blossom Dearie, Astrud Gilberto and the plaintiveness of Chet Baker. She has performed at a variety of venues and music festivals, most recently bringing her music to the parishes in a much-enjoyed series 'Jazz in Church'.
Reviews for Liz's debut CD 'Something for the Weekend', released in 1996:
| The Saturday Band | The Sunday Band |
|---|---|
| Pat Brandon - keyboard Geoff Laycock - drums Richard Tomalin - bass guitar Phil Burrell - guitar Martin Kemp - saxes | Peter Ward - keyboard Peter Robinson - drums Richard Tomalin - bass guitar Werner Hunt - guitar |
Real Player samples via Liz Ashton's web site:-
Simon Brown - keyboard
Rob Bromhead Jr - guitar
Bernie Hodgkins - bass guitar
Real Player samples via Liz Ashton's web site:-
