Sob o Redentor
December 10, 2003

Last night I participated in the CD release concert of my friend Zé Paulo Becker's new CD, "Sob o Redentor". The show was at the Sala Baden Powell (Baden Powell Theater) in Copacabana, a place where I have seen many, many great shows. Actually I think the day after I arrived in Rio back in April, 2001 I saw a concert by Guinga (one of Brasil's best modern instrumental composers) there.

The baião in action
Leila Pinheiro
Zé and strings
Zé and Marcello
(photos courtesy of Duda Simões ... valeu Duda!)

Zé really did a great job. The CD is all original, highly arranged music with many great special guests. Two of the songs have lyrics by Aldir Blanc, one of the most important lyrisists in Brasil. Leila Pinheiro sang one of them on the CD and in the show last night.

There were tons of great musicians in the show and it was quite a production. Some of the tunes even had a string section ... which was great! There are so many names to mention as far as instrumentalists who played, but just a few ... Márcio Bahia (drummer for Hermeto Pasqual), Trio Madeira Brasil (Ronaldo do Bandolim and Marcello Gonçalves, along with Zé), Chico Chagas on accordeon, percussionist Beto Cazes. Anyway, lots of people ... I think there were between 20 and 30 musicians in total. The sound check took so long that we didn't even get to pass the tune I played on. I had to just walk on stage, borrow Beto's mic and hit! We played Chamengo Bom, a baião of Zé's .... 2 guitars, pandeiro, zabumba (Carlos César) and Beto on triangle. It rocked.

Posted by Scott at 01:31 PM