Que Bom

Jazz and Brazilian music flirting shamelessly is old news. It does not take a wild imagination to connect the dots between both worlds. That is why it has become so crucial for any new attempt in melding these two together to add something unique – especially since the stunning collaboration between João Gilberto and Stan Getz set such a high standard many decades ago, while more recently Uri Caine has ridden his piano past all the crowd-pleasing, superficial samba music on his extraordinary Rio.

The good thing about Italian pianist Stefano Bollani's second take on Brazilian music (this is a follow-up to 2008's Carioca) is that he took the time once more to look for a local band to play with and, instead of simply picking up a few classic tracks, he fed them his own compositions. His most lyrical tracks, such as ‘Habarossa’ or ‘Certe Giornate al Mare’ prove it was the right approach. ‘Michelangelo Antonioni’ is gorgeous and brings to mind Caetano Veloso's masterpiece Omaggio a Federico e Giulietta. It would have been nice if Bollani had insisted in exploring the more melancholic side of Brazilian music, where some of its most profound beauty lies. But ultimately Que Bom is a satisfying album.