Duduka Da Fonseca plays drums with a stirring, sensuality. It's like listening to crushed ice melt at the beach. His last album in 2018 was a loving tribute to Brazilian samba-funk pianist Dom Salvador, who I believe is still playing regularly at New York's River Café at age 81. Duduka's latest album is Samba Jazz & Tom Jobim (Sunnyside), with pianist Helio Alves and vocalist Maucha Adnet. Born in Brazil, Alves is a pianist and composer who now lives in New York. Adnet is a singer-composer who also was born in Brazil and toured extensively with Jobim in the 1990s. [Photo above of Helio Alves, left, and Duduka Da Fonseca]
Duduka is from Brazil as well. He moved to New York in 1975 and has been here ever since, performing often in the city and in Brazil as well as everywhere else on tour. The rest of the musicians on the album are Billy Drewes on saxophone and flute (tracks 2-7, 9, 10 and 12); Romero Lubambo on guitar (tracks 1, 2 5, 9, 10 and 11); Hans Glawischnig on bass, and special guests Claudio Roditi on track 1 and Wynton Marsalis on track 11.
There are five Jobim songs—Pato Preto, Dindi, A Correnteza, Voce Vai Ver and Polo Pony. The rest are originals by members of the group: Gemini Man (Roditi), Alana (Duduka), Untitled (Alves), Pedra Bonita Da Gavea (Adnet), Helium (Alves) and A Vontade Mesmo (Raul de Souza). The bonus track is I Loves You Porgy.
As Alves writes in his liner notes, "Duduka, Maucha and I have been working together for over a quarter of a century. This album is the result of our experiences touring, playing and recording together for all these years." The music is like listening to old friends deep in conversation. There's also plenty of Brazilian soul and stardust, and a rainbow of moods. A lovely album.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Samba Jazz & Tom Jobim (Sunnyside) here and here. It's due at the end of August but you can pre-order.
JazzWax clips: Here's Jobim's Voce Vai Ver...
Here's Duduka's samba-fusion Alana...
And here's Duduka and Alves playing in 2012...
Bonus: Here's my 2012 interview with Duduka.
