And at number 5…
Artist: Seu Jorge & Almaz
Title: Seu Jorge & Almaz
Label: Now-Again 5068
Released: July 27, 2010
Genre: Brazilian
Seu Jorge entered the American mainstream consciousness with his appearance in the Wes Anderson film, Life Aquatic with Steve Zissos. He played the guitar strumming, Pele, covering David Bowie songs in Portuguese. His latest effort employs the band, Almaz, which provides a perfect backdrop for Jorge’s staging.
The band slides easily from samba to funk to rock, which Jorge can also do vocally. He can be refined on the samba covers or attack them, like he did on “Cristina.” He can also do both in the same song, like on Cain & Abel’s early 70’s funk-rock number, “Girl You Move Me.” He almost sounds plaintive as the song rocks over a bed of chunky guitar riffs, and then shifts into a more primal delivery.
Their cover of Kraftwerk’s “The Model” Jorge’s cadence is mechanical, which is a true reading of the song, while the band adds a life-giving vibe. Almaz drives these songs when Jorge’s voice can be come languid. On the Joao Donato cover, “Calo Boca, Menino,” the almost snotty, “nyah, nyah, nyahs” of the original, become this alluring “yeah, yeah, yeah,” where Jorge does his best Brazilian Barry White over the top of the music.
Jorge’s take on Roy Ayer’s “Everybody Loves The Sunshine,” is a keystone on the album. It is song most people can identify, holding it all together and letting the other numbers waterfall into place. It is the exemplifying groove that gives the album vision and the listeners definition.