My intent in making this album was to take you on a ride, a tour of my eclectic musical life! All the music involves my core trio of piano, bass and drums, with guest musicians joining us for certain pieces. We begin with Breakthrough, a jazz tune aimed at emboldening you to keep moving forward, beyond your boundaries. From there, the first part of the Portraits of Canada series is introduced. This suite is a musical homage to the natural beauty of Canada, its waters and forests, things that we must cherish and safeguard.
The album also makes several Brazilian stops along the way, with a samba (Boas Novas), a bossa nova (Little Bossa), and a chorinho (Cutie) featuring the voice of the chromatic harmonica. The Circle depicts a "roda" - a circular gathering where Capoeira is practiced. This is a martial art from Brazil I have studied for years which integrates music, and the track uses authentic Capoeira instruments. The idea for my arrangement of Chopin's Fantaisie-impromptu for jazz trio occurred to me years ago, as I wanted to highlight the melodic and harmonic beauty of this composition, underscored with a rhythmic Latin jazz approach. I included a Hungarian Folk Song as a nod to my heritage, and this little gem, whose title "Paros csillag" translates roughly to "A Pair of Stars", is a lament over lost love. The title track is a jazz fusion piece meant to make you feel as if you are on your favourite Ride, whatever that may be. Attila Fias
01. Breakthrough 5:46
02. Portraits of Canada - Overture 5:21
03. Boas Novas 5:38
04. Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor Op. 66 4:10
05. Portraits of Canada - Waters 7:26
06. Ride 5:48
07. The Circle 5:34
08. Little Bossa 5:29
09. Portraits of Canada - Forests 7:50
10. Hungarian Folk Song 3:45
11. Cutie 2:28
