The following is jazz journalist Morgan Enos’s interview with pianist and composer Renee Rosnes. Her latest album, Crossing Paths, was released 6 December via Smoke Sessions Records.
Crossing Paths features saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Steve Davis, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Adam Cruz, as well as great Brazilian artists Edu Lobo and Joyce Moreno, guitarist Chico Pinheiro, percussionist Rogério Boccato, and vocalist Maucha Adnet. They are joined by classical flautist Shelley Brown.
Links to purchase Crossing Paths, and to Rosnes’s website, can be found at the end of this article.
Renee Rosnes has extensive history with Brazilian music, and its relationship with jazz follows suit. But an album-length, jazz-forward immersion in that tradition didn’t come immediately; Rosnes herself has been eyeing it her whole career, which stretches back to the 1980s.
Of curating Crossing Paths, she says, “I did go with my intuition, but I was also looking for a balance of emotions and tempos and types of songs. I was looking for a set of music that would have an arc and a story to itself.”
Read on for a full interview with Rosnes.
UK Jazz News: What made now the right time to jump into Brazilian music with both feet?
Renee Rosnes: This has been a project I’ve been ruminating on for many decades and I felt that now was the right time to make it happen. My last recording was Kinds of Love [2021] – also on the Smoke Sessions label – and the repertoire was entirely original. In fact, my last three albums have featured mostly my material. Composing is, and has been a huge part of my life.
For this album, I was ready to embark on recording some meaningful Brazilian music – really dive into the realm and enjoy creating new arrangements. I’ve been listening to the genre for so long and loving so many of the artists and composers, from Antonio Carlos Jobim, to Chico Buarque, to Sérgio Mendes and Milton Nascimento, and many more.
Every time I listen to Brazilian music, my creative juices start flowing. I’m so attracted to the music and feel that it lives in my heart. Perhaps I lived in Brazil in a previous life!
UKJN: Describe narrowing down your Brazilian repertoire to the length of an album.
RR: It was very difficult. There are many composers I would’ve like to have included but there is only so much time. With the great legends Edu Lobo and Joyce Moreno on board, some of the songs were easily decided. Of course, I was thrilled that each of them agreed to be a part of the recording. It didn’t make sense to record just one Edu song, and I was honored that he sang two of his masterpieces: the iconic “Pra Dizer Adeus” and “Casa Forte.”
There is such an unending supply of great repertoire, I could see making several albums in the Brazilian music genre. There’s just so much repertoire that I truly love.
UKJN: Tell me more about the importance of Joyce and Edu.
RR: I met Joyce in New York City during the early 1990’s but discovered her music when I was still a teenager living in my hometown of Vancouver, Canada. I love the sumptuous sound of her voice and I love her as a person. She’s a great, inspiring woman.
In 1998, she invited me to record on her album, Astronauta: Songs of Elis, which was a tribute to the legendary vocalist Elis Regina. Being a huge fan of Elis’ music, I was ecstatic about joining her. Now, some 26 years later, on Crossing Paths, Joyce sings her original ballad “Essa Mulher,” which was also featured on Astronauta. It is such a beautiful song that I wanted to document it again on my album.
Regarding Edu, I recorded his composition “Upa Neguinho” on my Blue Note recording Ancestors back in 1996. Edu heard this rendition and, believe it or not, messaged me through Instagram, expressing that “nobody recorded it like you did, and I will be ever grateful.” I was so amazed by his reaching out and will treasure his words forever.
Edu has written so many glorious songs over the years: a lifetime of music. I would have been happy to have made an entire album of Lobo compositions.
UKJN: What made these American musicians ideal to navigate these musical traditions?
RR: I had never worked with the Brazilian guitarist Chico Pinheiro before, but had heard his music. I knew he was not only a wonderful player but also a formidable composer. With John Patitucci’s recommendation, I knew that he was right for the date.
The first time we played together was in the studio, and one of the first pieces we delved into was Egberto Gismonti’s “Frevo.” I felt there was an immediate musical connection. As a person, Chico felt like a new friend you meet, that you feel you’ve known forever.
John Patitucci and I have been friends for many years. He’s not only a great lover of Brazilian music but also very knowledgeable about the different grooves and song forms. He has the ability to go anywhere in the music, which makes playing with him incredibly freeing.
I had also never worked with Adam Cruz before, although I was familiar with his playing. I really admired his creativity, and the empathetic way he contributed to an ensemble. I felt that the chemistry would work very well between us all, and it did.
Brazilian percussionist Rogério Boccato has a really creative mind and a buoyant groove. He’s the kind of musician that brings joy to any context. I first played with Rogério with a band that the saxophonist Jimmy Greene put together many years ago, and was honored to have him join me on this recording.
UKJN: What of Chris Potter, Steve Davis, Shelley Brown, and Maucha Adnet?
RR: Chris Potter and I have a long history together; he’s been featured on many of my albums. Not only is he a complete virtuoso, he also has brilliant interpretive skills and was my first choice.
Steve Davis is a major trombone player with such a round, warm tone. His sound added just the right timbre. You often hear the trombone utilized in Brazilian music. For instance, I love the playing of the late Raul de Souza, who you hear on many recordings. I knew before I even began arranging the music that I wanted the trombone, and Steve fit the bill just perfectly.
Shelley Brown is one of my oldest friends. We were roommates at the University of Toronto, where we were both students in the classical performance program. She went on to a career in classical music in Toronto where she’s currently a member of the National Ballet Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra. She is a virtuoso who understands the feeling of this music deeply.
Vocalist Maucha Adnet and I have been friends for many years, and I admire her musicianship and ability to get to the essence of a song. She is featured singing two Antônio Carlos Jobim songs: “Canta Canta Mais” and “Caminhos Cruzados”, which translates to “Crossing Paths.” Maucha worked with Jobim for 10 years in his Banda Nova, so she really learned that music directly from the master himself. The whole recording session was a joy and the music had so much spirit to it. I think we all knew something very special was happening.
