Pixinguinha + Benedito

Mário Sève & David Ganc

Pixinguinha and Benedito Lacerda duo has now been paid a magnificent tribute by Mário Sève and David Ganc in the form of superb interpretations and creative arrangements. Pixinguinha offered only one explanation to justify his decision to definitively trade the flute in for the saxophone. It took the form of a dream he shared with journalist and playwright Henrique Pongetti during a party at the home of newsman Paulo Bitencourt, director and owner of the daily paper Correio da Manhã. The liquor was flowing most generously. It’s well known that Pixinguinha loved his booze but unfortunately, given the grief alcohol brought him, it can be considered an unrequited passion. Before I move on to talk about this fantastic disc by Mário Sève and David Ganc, I’d like you to lend your ears to Pixinguinha’s testimony, as transcribed by Henrique Pongetti: “One day, I took it into my head that I wasn’t playing the way I’d like to anymore. I started worrying that people would notice the flaws I myself had already started noticing in my playing. A while later, I saw an image of St. Francis of Assisi speaking to the fish, who stuck their little heads out of the water to hear the saint. I thought, ‘Pixinga, you played on a ship once, and the fish didn’t stick their heads out. You need to learn more flute, Pixinga!’ I stopped right there, for fear of going crazy.” The last disc recorded by Pixinguinha’s flute came out in 1942, and included his choros “Cinco companheiros” and “Chorei.” Those who had become accustomed to the brilliant talent of one of the world’s greatest flautists were saddened but, truth be told, in compensation choro was enriched by the counterpoints Pixinguinha created on his sax, an instrument he had been playing for friends alone for twenty years. The other reward was the 1945 creation of his partnership with the flutist Benedito Lacerda, with whom he began recording a few dozen of the best discs in all choro history. Sérgio Cabral (Author of the book Pixinguinha – vida e obra)

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Tracks

1- Cheguei
2- Acerta o passo
3- Descendo a serra
4- Cochichando
5- Os oito batutas
6- Sedutor
7- Ainda me recordo
8- Acorda garota
9- Água morna
10- Os cinco companheiros
11- Seu Lourenço no vinho
12- Glória
13- Displicente
14- Urubu Malandro

Músicos

Mário Sève
Saxophonist, flutist, composer and arranger. Just released “CASA DE TODO MUNDO” (Nucleo Contemporaneo – 2007), his first solo album playing his own compositions, with the participation of the groups Mestre Ambrósio, Época de Ouro, Choro Club, Pedro Luis e A Parede, Maogani, Nó em Pingo D´água, Baticun, musicians as Zé da Velha e Silvério Pontes, Marcos Suzano, Jorginho Pandeiro, Lui Coimbra, Jan Dumeé, Marcelo Fagerlande, Benjamim Taubkin, Toninho Ferragutti, Cristina Braga, Andy Connell and singers and composers as Monica Salmaso, Nelson Angelo, Rosa Emilia, Clara Sandroni, Paulo Malaguti, Suely Mesquita, Sergio Natureza, Guilherme Wisnik, among others. Acknowledged to be one of Brazil’s leading saxophonists and authority on the musical genre “choro”, Mario Sève is intensely active in Brazil’s musical scene, a rare creative personality, and a dynamic performer. He is a founding member of the groups NÓ EM PINGO D’ÁGUA – Mário Sève (sax and flute) / Rodrigo Lessa (mandolin) / Rogério Souza (acoustic guitar) / Papito (bass) / Celsinho Silva (pandeiro and percussion) – and AQUARELA CARIOCA – Mário Sève (sax and flute) / Lui Coimbra (cello) / Paulo Muylaert (eletric guitar) / Paulo Brandão (eletric bass) / Marcos Suzano (pandeiro and percussion). With Nó Em Pingo D’Água, won the prestigious Prêmio Sharp, twice won the “Concurso de Choros/Rio de Janeiro”; recorded six CD’s. Since 1996 he has been a member of PAULINHO DA VIOLA’s group, with whom he recorded four CD’s. With the group Aquarela Carioca was nominated three times for Prêmio Sharp, and recorded five CD’s, some with Ney Matogrosso. Toured in the United States, Europe, Japan, Mexico and South America. In partnership with harpsichordist Marcelo Fagerlande, he recorded the CD “BACH & PIXINGUINHA” (Nucleo Contemporaneo – 2001) and together with sax player Daniela Spielmann the CD “CHOROS, POR QUE SAX?” (Biscoito Fino – 2004), playing music written exclusively by brazilian saxophonists/composers. Toured with this project, with woodwind player David Ganc, all USA midwest playing and giving workshops in 5 universities (Notre Dame, Indiana State, Madison, Duke and Kentucky). Sève and Ganc released the CD “PIXINGUINHA + BENEDITO” (Nucleo Contemporaneo – 2005), a tribute to the most important brazilian duo of composers/musicians from the last century. Since 2000, he has been the artistic director and producer of the annual choro series, “Rio Choro”. This project has presented the most important interpreters and composers of the genre, including Altamiro Carrilho, Paulo Moura, Turíbio Santos, Época de Ouro and many more. He is the author of the authoritative “VOCABULÁRIO DO CHORO/CHORO VOCABULARY”, published by Editora Lumiar (Almir Chediak) in 1999, containing over 150 studies and compositions. Also collaborator on “SONGBOOK DO CHORO”, 320 choros (Lumiar), published in 2007 – the most comprehensive book of choro compositions by the principal composers of the past and present. Mario is about to release a Method of Brazilian Saxophone, sponsored by a Rio Arte grant. He has also performed, toured or recorded with: Ivan Lins, Alceu Valença, Leila Pinheiro, Zeca Pagodinho, Antônio Adolfo, Guinga, Geraldo Azevedo, Dona Ivone Lara, Nara Leão, Cristovão Bastos, Toquinho and others. And he wrote many tunes and songs, in partnership with Chico César, Guilherme Wisnik, Pedro Luís, Paulinho da Viola, Sérgio Natureza, Suely Mesquita, Geraldo Carneiro, Mauro Aguiar, Carlos Rennó, among others.

www.myspace.com/marioseve

David Ganc

David Ganc flute and saxophone player, arranger, composer Born in Rio de Janeiro. Started out in the seventies with cult band ‘A Barca do Sol’, which recorded three albums. Earned his diploma in music at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, then came to the United States where he earned his B.A. Professional Music at Berklee College. Upon his return to Brazil, he became a much sought-after studio musician, contributing in high visibility projects such as Caetano Veloso’s “Livro” (Grammy Award 2000) and “A Foreign Sound” (2004); Djavan’s Songbook; Gal Costa Sings Chico and Caetano; and recording with Paulo Moura, Beto Guedes, Alcione, Elba Ramalho, and many others. As a studio musician David has recorded more than 150 CDs/LPs, movie and TV soundtracks. As a performer he has played/recorded with almost every major Brazilian star in many countries, in festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Fest 99. His work is featured in the CD “Contemporary Instrumental Music from Brazil’ with Nando Carneiro (Windham Hill, 1993), and also in “Contemporary Brazilian Woodwind Players”, a selection of Brazil’s best woodwind players, released by Visom Digital (1993). He also appeared with in the CD “Os Bambas da Flauta”, (Kuarup Records 2003), which features the best brazilian flute players. He has released 4 CD’s as a solo artist: “Brazilian Ballads” (1996) by Leblon Records and french label Buda Musique with worldwide distribution, blending Brazilian Rhythms with String Quartet, “Caldo de Cana” (2000) (Kuarup Records), which features the flute extensively, with an appealing brazilian flavor, lush arrangements and room for lengthy solos, “David Ganc and Quarteto Guerra interpret Tom Jobim” (2004) by Kuarup Records, performing his original arrangements for Jobim’s music, for flute/sax, strings and percussion; and with Mário Sève, “Pixinguinha + Benedito – Mário Sève + David Ganc” (Núcleo Contemporâneo – 2005) a tribute to these choro masters. Ganc played three times at the Free Jazz Fest in Rio 95, 99 and 2001 (once by special appointment of the Festival’s organizing committee, to be featured with Stevie Wonder’s band); he performed at the Mellon Jazz Festival/ Pittsburgh 2001 in the concert “Tones of Nature, a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim”; toured in the New Orleans area (2003) also giving workshops about Brazilian music at local universities.

www.myspace.com/davidganc

Ficha Técnica

Músicos
Mário Sève: flauta e arranjo
David Ganc: sax tenor e flauta em sol
Wanderson Martins: cavaquinho
Cláudio Jorge: violão
Dininho: baixo
Jorginho do pandeiro: pandeiro e adufe
Esguleba: congas, cuíca, agogô
Celsinho Silva: tamborás e ganzá
Produzido por Mário Sève e David Ganc
Direção musical: Mário Sève e David Ganc
Gravação: Estúdio Araras (RJ), por Sérgio Lima Netto; Estúdio Ganc (RJ), por Paulo Brandão e Eduardo Chermont
Mixagem e edição: Estúdio Araras, por Sérgio Lima Netto, Mário Sève e David Ganc.
Materização: Estúdio Araras, por Sérgio Lima Netto
Arte: Botner e Pedro
Design gráfico: Tatiane Villela
Tradução: Diane Grosklaus Whitty
(for the English version go to www.guiadomusico.com.br/davidganc)