Alden & Pizzarelli

Descolei alguns discos do guitarrista Howard Alden. A curiosidade fica por conta da guitarra de sete cordas - aquela corda a mais que nossos chorões e sambistas utilizam para permitir fazer a linha de baixo - que se tornou a especialidade do rapaz. O disco que eu apresento - In a mellow tone - é uma parceria com outro especialista em sete cordas: Buck Pizzarelli (é ele mesmo: o pai do do jovem guitarrista que vem constantemente ao Brasil). O encontro das distintas gerações não é marcado por discrepâncias; ao contrário, percebe-se uma boa coesão entre a linguagem dos dois músicos. A pegada de Alden (e também a de Buck) está impregnada pelo swing, o que conseqüentemente deixa o disco recheado com a alegria peculiar a esse estilo do jazz. Deixo a faixa Tangerine para vosso deleite (clique sobre o nome e digite jazzseen).

Para os gringos, o comentário do All music:

Howard Alden and Buck Pizzarelli played together a number of times over the years during jazz parties and in concerts, though the two seven-string guitarists never made a full CD together until In a Mellow Tone (though Alden appeared on a few tracks of Pizzarelli's A portrait). Both heirs to the legacy of guitarist George Van Eps (who popularized the instrument), these two masters make magic on any session in which either of them takes place; combining the two meant that there was no reason for any additional players. With the extra string providing each man the ability to play a bassline for the other, they have a ball in the studio as they trade off playing gems like their cooking renditions of "In a Mellow Tone," "Cherokee," and "Three Little Words." Their slightly brisker treatment of Claude Tornhill's theme song "Snow Fall" works beautifully, while their intimate approach to "What's New" is among the best versions available on record or CD. They also capture the playful spirit of "Jitterbug Waltz" with a brilliant arrangement. Alden tackles both the haunting "In the Dark" and a brief take of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" as solos. The sale of this highly recommended CD benefits the Sante Fe Jazz Foundation, which assisted Alden when illness limited his ability to tour for an extended period