A Day In New York

The second chapter of Morelenbaum2/Sakamoto, A Day In New York picks up where the trio€s moody and elegant 2002 debut, Casa, left off and broadens the vision. Rather than covering a broad spectrum of Antonio Carlos Jobim€s compositions while stressing lesser-known material, as it did on the debut, Morelenbaum2/Sakamoto does five more Jobim tunes and three songs from other composers as well as three new versions of songs that also appeared on Casa. The playing on this session (a studio date tacked to the end of a tour) is a little more upbeat than the moody debut. Nonetheless, the music is again absolutely stunning thanks to additional help from guitarist Luiz Brasil and percussionist Marcelo Costa. Highlights here include classics "Desafinado" and Joao Gilberto€s "Bim Bom" and "Insensitez," all of which couldn€t have been done better. Filled with yearning romance, sentimental playing, and the tasteful restraint of classic bossa nova, A Day In New York is a fine follow-up to an excellent debut. --Tad Hendrickson