LUCIANA SOUZA & TRIO CORRENTE – Cometa (2023) FLAC (tracks), lossless

A collaboration between Luciana Souza and Trio Corrente, 2023's Cometa finds the acclaimed vocalist and São Paulo-based ensemble coming together in a vibrant celebration of the Brazilian musical traditions. A Grammy winner for her contribution to Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters, Souza has long been recognized for her deep grasp of Brazilian bossa nova, as well as jazz and classical idioms. Similarly, Trio Corrente members drummer Edu Ribeiro, pianist Fabio Torres, and bassist Paulo Paulelli emerged as leading ambassadors for their home country after taking home the Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album with 2013's Song for Maura with Paquito D'Rivera. Together, they play with a warm and laid-back camaraderie, offering heartfelt renditions of songs by legendary Brazilian composers, as well as their own inspired originals. They kick things off with a spritely take on Dorival Caymmi's ode to his native Bahia region, "Você Já Foi à Bahia." Later, they also draw upon Caymmi's samba work with a rhythmically infectious version of "Requebre Que Eu Dou Um Doce." Equally dance-invoking performances follow, including renditions of Djavan's "Ventos do Norte" and Paulinho da Viola's "Rumo dos Ventos." There are also more languid, romantic moments, as with bassist Paulelli's yearning "Baião Joy" and their dusky reading of the Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes standard "Sem Você." Matt Collar