Reza Khan - Imaginary Road (March 26, 2021)

Guitarist Reza Khan paints a soundtrack for one’s thoughts on Imaginary Road, creating a musical road trip.

The set of melodic contemporary jazz features Khan, fellow guitarist Miles Gilderdale (of Acoustic Alchemy), a supportive rhythm section with bassist Mark Egan and drummer Maurizio Zottarelli, and the soundscapes of Philippe Saisse.

In his career, Reza Khan has created his own musical world, performing music that is often easy-listening but never predictable. His guitar solos, while inspired at times by Pat Metheny, Lee Ritenour and Wes Montgomery, have their own musical personality.

On Imaginary Road, his sixth album as a leader, Khan is joined by his longtime band (pianist Matt King, bassist Mark Egan, drummer Maurizio Zottarelli and, on two selections, rhythm and Brazilian guitarist Sergio Pereira) along with welcome guest appearances from David Mann (on soprano, flute and other wind instruments), electric guitarist Miles Gilderdale (best-known for his work with Acoustic Alchemy), and Philippe Saisse on keyboards.

Imaginary Road begins with “Waiting For The Sky,” a melodic piece that has a happy optimistic feel (as if to say that anything is possible) with some heat generated by Mann on soprano and guitarist Gilderdale. “Neo Funk” sounds like the start of a road trip. It features contrasting but complementary guitar solos from Khan and Gilderdale, and inventive statements from pianist King and Saisse on synth. “I See Stars” is a warm ballad with Khan’s guitar in the lead of the core group which is joined at times by Mann on flute and a melodic signature bass solo by Mark Egan. “La Liason,” while musically depicting the end of a love affair, is a thoughtful original that expresses hope for the future featuring Phillippe Saisse on Melodion.

One of the most memorable selections on this collection is “Midnight Runner,” an atmospheric performance which could easily serve as a soundtrack. “Broken River” has a strong forward momentum and gets funkier as it progresses. “Seven Miles Road” is a colorful journey that includes a guitar-flute tradeoff while the energetic “It’s Happening” is most notable for a fine statement from Mark Egan and arguably Matt King’s most rewarding piano solo of the project. The spiritual piece “Somewhere East” looks towards Khan’s Eastern roots while still keeping his feet planted in contemporary jazz; Mann’s soprano playing adds plenty of passion. This enjoyable set concludes with “Imaginary Road,” a happy closer that gives each of the musicians an opportunity to groove joyfully to its conclusion.

Born in Bangladesh, Reza Khan grew up as part of a musical family and was trained on Indian percussion from the age of eight. But after hearing the album Frampton Comes Alive, he permanently switched to the guitar. His early influences included Pat Metheny, the Rippingtons, and Acoustic Alchemy. Khan’s first band, Yours Sincerely, had a best-selling album but the guitarist soon switched gears to pursue a career in international relations. Moving to the U.S., he graduated from Queens College with a degree in computer science. Khan worked for the United Nations and spent a period living and playing music in South Africa. Since returning to New York, Reza Khan has developed his own fresh style and recorded a series of popular albums: 2009’s Painted Diaries, A Simple Plan, The Dreamwalker, Wind Dance, and Next Train Home.

Reza Khan and his group have performed throughout New York and Europe during the last few years, building up an audience that will clearly be pleased by the highly enjoyable music of Imaginary Road.

1. Waiting for the Sky** 3:35

2. Neo Funk** 4:08

3. I See Stars* 5:51

4. La Liaison* 4:57

5. Midnight Runner 5:56

6. Broken River** 5:12

7. Seven Miles Road** 5:28

8. It’s Happening** 5:53

9. Somewhere East 6:25

10. Imaginary Road 5:16

Composer: Reza Khan

Guitars: Reza Khan - Nylon and Electric Guitar, Sergio Pereira* - Rhythm Guitar & Classical, Miles Gilderdale** - Electric Lead Guitar, David Mann - Strings and Wind Instruments

Rhythm Section: Maurizio Zottarelli - Drums, Mark Egan - Bass, Fernando Saci - Percussion

Keyboards and Sound Design: Matt King - Piano, Philippe Saisse - Synth, Moog, Melodion and Mallets

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Sergio Pereira “Nu Brasil” CD Release Shows NYC & Spain

Sergio Pereira “Nu Brasil”

CD Release Shows NYC & Spain

NYC

Friday, November 16th 8 pm

Bonafide Club

212 E 52nd St, New York, NY 10022 (646) 918-6189

Sergio Pereira - acoustic guitar

Helio Alves - piano

Ariel Ramirez - bass

Oriente Lopez - flutes

Alexandre Kautz - drums

plus, special guest

Sunday, November 18th 8pm

Cornelia Street Cafe

29 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014 (212) 989-9319

Sergio Pereira - acoustic guitar

Helio Alves - piano

Ariel Ramirez - bass

Oriente Lopez - flutes

Mauricio Zottarelli - drums

plus, special guest

SPAIN

December 7, at 8 p.m.

Veles e Vents, Valencia, Spain

January 17, 2019

Jazz Club El Mussol

Alcoy, Spain

New CD

Sergio Pereira

“Nu Brasil”

(Zoho ZM 201808)

Street Date: September 7, 2018

Sergio Pereira-guitar,  Saxophonist Alexey Leon, Spain’s alto sax great Perico Sambeat, Cuban-born flutist and longtime New Yorker Oriente Lopez and Valencia, Spain-based trumpeter-arranger VoroGarcia. Sao Paulo-based electric guitarist Marcus Teixeira, French pianist Baptiste Bailly, Valencia-based bassist Ales Cesarini, Cuban-born bassist Ariel Ramirez, Brazilian harmonica virtuoso Gabriel Grossi and two Brazilian-born musicians now residing in New York City, pianist Helio Alves 

and drummer Mauricio Zottarelli.

Vocalists Paula Santoro, Sergio Santos and Viktorija Pilatovic lend an air of mystery and allure to the proceedings while rapper Devin Malloy adds the cherry on top of the buoyant opener, Down South.

There’s a certain something inherent in the music of Brazil that goes well beyond the notes and speaks more of the soul of a culture. Like the music of New Orleans, where the feel for an authentic second line rhythm grows out of the pace, the food, the flavor of the Crescent City, the persuasive rhythms of bossa nova and samba are ingrained in the hearts and souls of musicians from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. For guitarist-composer Sergio Pereira, that feeling is deeply imbedded in his DNA and emerges through his distinctive comping patterns. 

“I learned by growing up listening to samba rhythms and playing Brazilian percussion at a local school of samba,” says the 59-year Rio native and longtime resident of New York City. “Since I was a kid I have been always playing samba rhythm, making that ‘batucada’ rhythm with my hands and fingers at school until my teachers would tell me to ‘stopmaking that noise!’ I still do it all the time. It’s addictive.”

         

Pereira’s samba addiction comes to full fruition in spectacular fashion on his ZOHO debut release Nu Brasil,his follow-upto his acclaimed 2016 debut, Swingando.The title Nu Brasil (“nu” = “naked” in Portuguese) references the beauty of his home country where however social inequality still prevails.

 

A collection of ten thoughtful compositions, this superb set features contributions from a luxuriant crew of 18 world-class musicians including Cuban-born saxophonist Alexey Leon, Spain’s alto sax great Perico Sambeat, Cuban-born flutist and longtime New Yorker Oriente Lopezand Valencia, Spain-based trumpeter-arranger Voro Garcia. Also on board for Pereira’s sophomore release are Sao Paulo-based electric guitarist Marcus Teixeira, French pianist Baptiste Bailly, Valencia-based bassistAles Cesarini, Cuban-born bassist Ariel Ramirez, Brazilian harmonica virtuoso Gabriel Grossiand two Brazilian-born musicians now residing in New York City ispianist Helio Alvesand drummer Mauricio Zottarelli. 

Vocalists Paula Santoro, Sergio Santosand Viktorija Pilatoviclend an air of mystery and allure to the proceedings while rapper Devin Malloyadds the cherry on top of the buoyant opener, Down South. Says the composer, “I started to work on this song last summer while vacationing ‘down south’ in Puglia, Italy. Changing environment and location often provides me with great vibes for inspiration. It’s a happy samba groove with a magical soprano sax solo from Alexey. Devin’s rap is basically describing the experience of failure in pursuit of your dreams and talks about how life will continue to evolve and will pick you back up after you've fallen.” Bailly adds a cascading piano solo here while Pereira contributes an appealingly melodic, clean-toned solo on electric guitar.

East River is Pereira’s poignant reflection on the view from his Upper East Side neighborhood in Manhattan. “I frequently jog on the East Side by the East River and many times, after the jog, I just sit on a bench next to the 59thStreet Bridge looking over Roosevelt Island and Long Island City,” he explains. “It’s very peaceful there with the nice breeze from the river, the sounds of boats going by and the FDR Drive humming with vehicles.” The easy-going number opens with sparse solo piano before being joined by lush strings arranged by Garcia. Pereira plays the opening strains of the melody on his nylon string acoustic then scats simultaneously with his solo on this affecting number, which also carries a slight tinge of melancholy. As he explains, “When my older daughter, now 23, was 4 or 5 years old, we lived on Roosevelt Island.  We had an amazing time together there and I miss those moments. The strings bring out the melancholic moments I had, which I dearly miss, when my daughter was little.”

The seductive Arpoadoris an ode to the beach of that name on the south side of Rio de Janeiro where Pereira spent a lot of his youth. “This was my favorite beach, where I used to wake up really early in the morning to go surfing with friends,” he recalls. “Cool and hip crowds used to hang out there at sunset. People fell in love, hearts were broken and memories were left behind. It’s reminiscing about the time when I was 19, right before I moved to New York — some of the best moments of my life.” Singer Santoro narrates the story of love, passion, beach, summer and the sea with an enchanting delivery that combines the smooth allure of bossa nova and the freewheeling abandon of jazz in her delicious scatting passages and call-and-response exchanges with pianist Bailly near the end of the piece.

Greta is an affecting jazz waltz that Pereira wrote for his newly-born niece. “She is sweet, mellow, easy and tender just like this song,” he says. Flutist Lopez brings the mellowness, tenderness and jazziness that the song calls for while singer Sergio Santos doubles Pereira’s tender electric guitar melody with some sweet falsetto singing. Drummer Zottarelli deftly underscores the proceedings with some briskly swinging brushwork.

The energized title trackNu Brasilis fueled by Pereira’s infectious comping and showcases Lithuanian-born singer Pilatovic, who engages in some rapid-fire scat-and-trumpet exchanges with Garcia at the tag. Originally an instrumental, lyricist Paulinho Nunes brings new life to the upbeat piece while Pilatovic, singing in Portuguese with a ‘Carioca’ accent, brings a jazzy flair to this groovy samba.

Garcia arranges the strings on the lush Per Teand offers a warm, melodic flugelhorn solo on this inviting number. The tight Joao Donato-influenced samba/bossa Sambinhacomes charging right out of the gate with guitar and harmonica locked in tandem on the buoyant theme. Sao Paulo-based electric guitarist Marcus Teixeira, a former teacher of Pereira’s, contributes a Bensonesque solo over the percolating undercurrent provided by drummer Zottarelli and bassist Ramirez. Pianist Alves adds some jazzy improvising on this infectious groove while harmonica ace Grossi contributes remarkably flowing legato lines over the top. Percussionist David Gadeajoins Pereira to fuel this fiery samba groove.

The minor key Trem Do Tempocarries a tinge of melancholy on top of an undulating Ixeja rhythm. Lopez contributes a lovely flute solo while Santoro delivers the alluring Portuguese lyrics in her own inimitable style. Nunes again brings new life to the song with his thoughtful lyrics, which tell us a story about life and the passage of time: “Life is like a train/it slips through your hands/it does not stop in every station. Life is to be lived at each moment. Live it…live it…and live it.”

14 Clicks Away, a slow bossa nova fueled by Zottarelli’s brushwork and Pereira’s steady comping, features an elegant solo by pianist Alves and also showcases Sambeat in Getz-ian mode on this restful, gently grooving number. 

The album closes with the jazzy bossa nova Lascia Stare,which fluctuates between sadness and happiness and features Pereira doubling the melody with Grossi. “I always heard the more melancholic first part of the song with a harmonica, so Gabriel was my number one choice to deliver that feeling,” says Pereira.” The leader’s electric guitar solo here is typically melodic and flowing while Bailly adds sparkle with his piano solo. The title, Pereira explains, is an Italian expression which roughly translates to ‘let it go’ or ‘don’t bother yourself with it.’”

From opener to closer, Nu Brasiltakes the listener on a journey that is brimming with exhilaration and passion, soulful reflection and deep-seated feelings that speak of Pereira’s homeland. — Bill Milkowski

www.sergiopereira.world

Sergio Pereira - Swingando (2016) KARI-ON PRODUCTIONS

present

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sergio Pereira - Swingando

Recorded in New York City and Brazil Featuring the finest in Brazilian Jazz

Helio Alves, Marcus Teixeira, Nilson Matta, Mauricio Zottarelli, 

Duduka da Fonseca and Itaiguara Brandao. 

Early Reviews

The songs will take you on a journey of various Brazilian moods: from sipping a ‘Caipirinha’ by the quiet sunset of Leblon Beach to the powerful rhythms of modern Jazz Bossa. It sparkles, glows, and sweeps you onto the dance floor. This is a perfect appetizer for the Brazil Olympics. -Grady Harp, Top 100 Amazon Writer

Some people just have the right touch. Breezy stuff that might finds it’s seeds in samba but doesn’t’ rely on it to make it’s point, this is jazzy, snazzy and delightfully high octane in it’s approach. Joyful playing that really spreads the good vibes, if this is nu Brazil, put us down for more. Well done. -Chris Spector, Midwest Record

BIOGRAPHY 

Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sergio Pereira starting playing acoustic guitar (violao) at the age of 8 years old, influenced by his older brother who helped him play his first chords and the bossa-nova giants at the time such as: Joao Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Carlos Lyra, Joao Donato, Marcus Valle, and more, it was a time of personal discovery and what would be Pereira’s journey musically. Growing up in Rio in the 60’s and 70’s contributed tremendously to the energy, groove and rhythms reflected in his music today.

Moving to New York in the 80’s, exposed Pereira to an entirely different “scene.” It motivated the guitarist to not only continuing playing the guitar, but to further enhance his knowledge of the music and the instrument itself, which led him to studying with jazz greats including Chuck Wayne, Sal Salvador and Alex Adrian. Beginning in the early 90’s he has been travelling the world extensively, playing with different groups and at countless venues in many different countries in Europe, Africa and beyond.

In the United States, he has shared music with Gil Goldsten, Cidinho Teixeira, Leco Reis, Luis Ebert, Claudia Villela, Adriano Santos, Helio Alves, Nilson Matta, Mauricio Zottarelli, Lonnie Plaxico, Duduka da Fonseca, Olivia Foschi, Alex Sipiagin, just to name a few. For over 20 years Pereira has been a member of the United Nations Jazz band for which has afforded him the opportunity to perform in various high profile venues throughout New York City.

Pereira also spent time living in The Netherlands from 2003 until 2011, he played with some of top local musicians including Ferial Karamat and Arno Kolenbrander in which he arranged and recorded some of his music as well as participated in various radio programmes in Amsterdam. Together with other friend/musicians he founded the jazz/Brazilian/funk band named “Malandros”.

Again furthering his constant thirst to learn and grow, he began studying guitar with Marcus Teixeira in Sao Paulo, which further broadened his understanding of harmony, improvisation and technique required to be improve his skills as a composer, songwriter, arranger and guitarist.

Music has been his passion from an early age, and now he is able to express his ideas and vision with his first album entitled Swingando. Recorded in New York City and Brazil, the album includes some of the top musicians in Brazilian jazz today, such as Helio Alves, Marcus Teixeira, Nilson Matta, Mauricio Zottarelli, Duduka da Fonseca and Itaiguara Brandao. Swingando brings all of the emotions, energy and dynamics of growing up in Rio and keeping deeply in touch with his culture, along with his life’s journey as a traveling and performing musician, while keeping his foot firmly in the Brazilian tradition, a delightfully authentic listen with a cavalcade of Brazilian heavyweights.

EPK Link

CD DESCRIPTION

Music has been his passion from an early age, and now he is able to express his ideas and vision with his first album entitled Swingando. Recorded in New York City and Brazil, the album includes some of the top musicians in Brazilian jazz today, such as Helio Alves, Marcus Teixeira, Nilson Matta, Mauricio Zottarelli, Duduka da Fonseca and Itaiguara Brandao. Swingando brings all of the emotions, energy and dynamics of growing up in Rio and keeping deeply in touch with his culture, along with his life’s journey as a traveling and performing musician, while keeping his foot firmly in the Brazilian tradition, a delightfully authentic listen with a cavalcade of Brazilian heavyweights.

Track Time

1. Chega Ai 5:42

2. Let It Out 6:14

3. My Girls 6:21

4. Leblon 6:38

5. Swingando 5:19

6. Ela 3:34

7. Spring 5:51

All Songs Written by Sergio Pereira

Player and instrument:

Sergio Pereira (acoustic and electric guitar, voice)

Helio Alves (piano)

Nilson Matta (bass)

Mauricio Zottarelli (drums)

Duduka Da Fonseca (drums)

Marcus Teixeira (guitar)

Itaiguara Brandao (bass)

Claudia Villela (voice)

Olivia Foschi (voice)

Candida Borges (voice)

Osmario Marinho (drums)

Felipe Fidelis (bass)

Felipe Silveira (keyboard)

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