Christine Hitt - Magical Kite (2018)

Vocalist Christine Hitt's "MAGICAL KITE" produced/arranged by Geoffrey Keezer featuring John Beasley, Jeff Hamilton and more

"She has an unpretentious approach while sharing her great musical sensibilities with others. She's a real joy to work with."

Jeff Hamilton, legendary jazz drummer

MAGICAL KITE, the newest CD from vocalist and multi-instrumentalist CHRISTINE HITT, comprises a range of styles, from standards to gospel to bebop. The selection of songs reflects Hitt’s eclectic tastes and influences, but it’s her innate musicality that elevates and personalizes these songs.  The CD was produced and arranged by GEOFFREY KEEZER, the prolific, Grammy nominated pianist, composer, and arranger, and features JOHN BEASLEY on piano. She’s also accompanied by some of the top jazz musicians in Southern California. MAGICAL KITE is the long-awaited follow-up to YOU’D BE SO NICE TOCOME HOME TO, her 1999 MaxJazz debut that featured Hitt on vocals and piano, along with several well-known jazz artists.

Hitt’s warm voice can express a rich tapestry of tones, and she sings ballads and swing tunes with equal facility. Keezer’s arrangements truly set this recording apart, but Hitt also wanted the experience of  Keezer as an accompanist; she closes the CD with a gentle but emotional duet with him on “Around The World.” With Hitt’s sophisticated lyric interpretations along with her musical chops, MAGICAL KITE is a showcase from an experienced artist with great depth and maturity.

Christine Hitt, vocals

John Beasley, piano, Fender Rhodes, melodica

Geoffrey Keezer, piano (9) 

Jeff Hamilton, drums (1,5,7,8)

Gene Coye, drums (2,3,4,6)

Leo Amuedo, guitar

Bob Sheppard, alto sax  

Walter Rodriguez, percussion

Eric Hitt, bass

Erin Bode, vocals (4,6)

Cory Hitt, vocals (2,3,4)

Arranged and produced by Geoffrey Keezer

Executive producer Christine Hitt

1. Wade in the Water  4:40

2. Magical Kite  4:00

3. Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing  5:39

4. Shower the People  5:09

5. Yardbird Suite  4:15

6. Believe in Me  4:26

7. Shine on Harvest Moon  6:23

8. Smile  4:17

9. Around the World  3:23

www.christinehittmusic.com

Antonio Adolfo - Encontros Orquestra Atlantica (AAM Music July 11, 2018)

Pianist, arranger, producer and educator Antonio Adolfo grew up in a musical family in Rio de Janeiro (his mother was a violinist in the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra), and began his studies at the age of seven. At seventeen he was already a professional musician. His teachers include Eumir Deodato and the great Nadia Boulanger in Paris. During the 60's he led his own trio that participated in several Bossa Nova and Jazz shows in Brazil and toured with singers Leny Andrade, Carlos Lyra, Flora Purim, Wilson Simonal, Elis Regina and Milton Nascimento. Adolfo wrote tunes such as Pretty World (original Brazilian title: Sa Marina) that gained great success and have been recorded by such artists as Sergio Mendes, Stevie Wonder, Herb Alpert, Earl Klugh, Dionne Warwick, and others. He won International Song Contests (Rio - Brazil and Athens - Greece) on two occasions. 

As a musician, arranger and record producer he has worked with some of the most representative Brazilian names, besides having released more than 25 albums under his name. As an educator, he has been teaching music, specially Brazilian music, throughout the world and has written several books (see list in the Educator's section of this website). In 1985 Mr. Adolfo created his own school in Rio, Brazil, now with more than 1,300 students. His 2010 CD album, Lá e Cá/Here and There, follows the footsteps of 2007 live recording Antonio Adolfo e Carol Saboya Ao Vivo/ Live. In 2011 his CD Chora Baiao was released and became awarded. Antonio Adolfo's recent CD "Finas Misturas"/Fine Mixtures has been acclaimed with great reviews and Jazz radio airplay.

His recent releases, CD Rio, Choro, Jazz..., as well as his piano solo album O Piano de Antonio Adolfo were nominated for the 2014 Latin Grammy Awards. In 2015, Adolfo had released a CD recorded in New York and Rio, with singer Carol Saboya and harmonicist/vibraphonist Hendrik Meurkes entitled Copa Village and now, the 2015 Latin Grammy Nominee CD Tema, with only original compositions by him. And in 2016, the brand new CD Tropical Infinito being released in May, which has been nominated as Best Latin Jazz album for the 2016 Latin Grammy. In 2017 and 2018, CD Hybrido - From Rio to Wayne Shorter was nominated both, Latin Grammy and Grammy, consecutively.

Antonio Adolfo (piano)

Leo Amuedo (electric guitar)

Nelson Faria and Claudio Jorge (acoustic guitar)

Jorge Helder (double bass)

Rafael Barata (drums)

Jesse Sadoc (trumpet and flugelhorn)

Marcelo Martins (tenor sax and flute)

Dada Costa (percussion)

Ze Renato (vocals)

Plus components of Orquestra Atlantica (a Brazilian 7 horn plus rhythm section group)

Antonio Adolfo - Tropical Infinito (2016)

A great deal of time has passed since I included a horn section in one of my albums, although I have pondered that possibility for quite a while. So, the time has arrived, and I have augmented my usual quintet with three horns. But, why, you might ask.
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During the early 1960s - at age 17 to be exact, when I became a professional musician - most jazz recordings by the major artists included horns. These albums influenced me and an entire generation of Brazilian Jazz and Bossa musicians. Only one or two music stores in Rio imported the newly released American jazz LPs and I remember scrambling to be the first to buy those albums. Then I would call my musician friends to come to my house to listen to Miles, Coltrane, Bill Evans, the Jazz Messengers, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Horace Silver, Oliver Nelson, and others, to learn the jazz vocabulary from the masters.

During the last decade I have been trying to express myself through a variety of albums, what I hadn’t been able to do in previous years, mainly due to the time dedicated to an intense teaching career. And now, the time is right to show off my new octet with three horns (trumpet/flugel, saxophone and trombone) performing a selection of pieces by some of the master composers, mixed with some of my original tunes that compile the set list of this new album.

Antonio Adolfo

01 - Killer Joe (Benny Golson) – 5:18

02 - Whisper Not (Benny Golson) – 5:03

03 - Cascavel - Rattle Snake (Antonio Adolfo) – 4:32

04 - Yolanda, Yolanda (Antonio Adolfo) – 5:26

05 - Stolen Moments (Oliver Nelson) – 5:37

06 - Song For My Father (Horace Silver) – 6:27

07 - Partido Leve Light - Partido Alto Samba (Antonio Adolfo) – 6:48

08 - All The Things You Are (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein) – 6:23

09 - Luar Da Bahia - Moon Over Bahia (Antonio Adolfo) – 6:25

Piano And Arrangements: Antonio Adolfo

Trumpet And Flugelhorn *(4,7,8,9): Jessé Sadoc

Tenos Sax And Soprano Sax *(4,9): Marcelo Martins

Trombone: Serginho Trombone 

Electric Guitar: Leo Amuedo

Double Bass: Jorge Helder

Drums: Rafael Barata

Percussion: André Siqueira And Rafael Barata

Special guest:

Acoustic Guitar * (tracks 1, 3, 8): Claudio Spiewak

Engineers, Studios, Cover design, etc...

Production: Antonio Adolfo / Recording Engineer: Roger Freret / Second Recording Engineer: Leo Alcântara (Visom Digital Studios – Rio – BR) / Mixing: Claudio Spiewak (C L Audio – Hollywood, FL – US) / Mastering: Ron McMaster (Capitol Mastering, CA – US) / Cover Design: Julia Liberati / Illustration: Bruno Liberati / Antonio Adolfo’s photo: Paul Constantinides / Special Thanks: Ron Weber, Gabe O’Meara, Paul Constantinides / Copyright by Antonio Adolfo Music. All Rights Reserved.

ANTONIO ADOLFO Website

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