MARCEL CAMARGO Offers a Look Into the Mind
of Antônio Carlos Jobim on Behind Jobim,
Featuring Gretchen Parlato - Available July 15
First Studio Recording from Ongoing Concert Series,
The Brazil You Never Heard
New York Release Performance Scheduled for
Tuesday, July 15 at Rockwood Music Hall
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| Cover Art by Adriano Fonseca de Carvalho |
"Marcel's music manages to keep a very traditional Brazilian feeling while
moving forward into a new age, with twists and turns that are fresh, unexpected
and very original. I'm a fan! I wish him a long and successful career" - Sérgio Mendes
Marcel Camargo
has made his living as a professional musician in different locations
all over the world, working as a sideman to legendary Brazilian, jazz,
and pop musicians such as Michael Bublé, Sérgio Mendes, Bebel Gilberto,
and Gretchen Parlato. Stepping into the spotlight as a leader with The Brazil You Never Heard, Camargo has created a project to showcase his many musical facets - guitarist, vocalist, composer, arranger and producer.
The São Paulo musician set
out to produce an ongoing series of live concerts with companion studio
records that feature his arrangements and compositions in the context of
a chamber orchestra. While the focus is on Brazilian music, the
repertoire embraces music from all over the world, illustrating how
Brazil is both influenced by and influential to the international music
scene.
Behind Jobim, the first in the series of EPs, aims to take an abridged look into the mind of Antônio Carlos Jobim,
arguably Brazil's most internationally renowned composer/songwriter.
"When I put together the repertoire, I designed it to mostly feature
music that I knew was influential to Jobim," says Camargo. "When I did
include his compositions in the set, the idea was to tie those to other
pieces by composers that were his heroes." The result is a historical
narrative, pointing back to Jobim's favorite classical composers -
Debussy, Chopin and Villa Lobos - as well as his predecessors in the
legacy of great Brazilian composers - Pixinguinha, Garoto and Radamés
Gnattali.
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Marcel Camargo - Photo Credit: Uyen Luu
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When it came to recording the album, producing duties were split between drummer Leo Costa and Camargo. "For this EP, we chose to record pieces from the Behind Jobim
concert that we felt made the biggest statements about what we wanted
to accomplish musically and in terms of creating narratives," reflects
Camargo. Those narratives are reinforced by the presence of vocalist Gretchen Parlato,
who is no stranger to collaborations with Camargo. "Marcel Camargo is
one of my favorite musicians, I love singing with him. He beautifully
honors the classic sound we all adore in Brazilian music, but also
allows his own voice to shine through...he's doing something very
special and necessary with this project," says Parlato.
The first historical
connection is presented on "Lamentos do Morro," which Camargo imagined
had a strong connection to Jobim's "Samba do Avião." The composition was
re-orchestrated from a solo guitar arrangement by Brazilian guitarist
Garoto to bring it closer to the hearts of non-guitar players. "I know
Jobim loved Garoto as well and thought perhaps the song might have been
of special importance to Jobim," reflects Camargo.
On "Lamento," Camargo
incorporates a modern take on the Choro written by one of the genre's
most influential composers, Pixinguinha. Originally released in 1928,
the tune was described by critic Cruz Cordero as an Americanization of
the typical Brazilian style in both melody and rhythm. "We loved this
piece and we think Jobim loved it too," states Camargo. "I thought I'd
twist this Choro even further with some different harmonies and rhythms
that, while still referencing the older style, make the tune seem
modern."
Vocalist Gretchen Parlato
is featured on three of the album's five songs. On "I Fall in Love Too
Easily," Parlato sings a duet with Camargo on guitar in an intimate
setting. "We thought this was a nice contrast to the other tunes because
of the sparse instrumentation and the improvised interpretation of the
composition, whereas the other pieces on this record are very planned
out and arranged," notes Camargo.
"Prelude/How Insensitive"
brings the classical connection to the forefront by using Chopin's
"Prelude No. 4 in E minor (Opus 28)" as an introduction. It is
transcribed for a string quartet and made to resolve into the
arrangement of Jobim's "How Insensitive," which also features Parlato.
Behind Jobim
concludes with "Imagina," reinforcing the inspiration of Jobim and his
ever-evolving connection to classical music. The song is said to have
been Jobim's first composition from 1947, originally as a homework
assignment from his teacher written for solo piano. Although the string
quartet is the main sonic force, the harp and celeste are brought in to
emphasize the dreamy quality of the arrangement enforced by vocals from
Parlato and Camargo.
"A big part of the success
of the series lies in the caliber and uniqueness of the groups that I've
been lucky to assemble to present the material," says Camargo. Often
including string and horn sections with a core rhythm section as well as
the harp and mandolin, these large chamber groups have the capability
of bringing all the details of a given piece to life while opening the
listener to musical moments that might have otherwise passed by
unnoticed.
Since the music of Jobim
draws from many sources - mainly classical music, Brazilian popular and
folk music, and jazz - Camargo creates a set that is very eclectic, yet
conceptually cohesive.
About Marcel Camargo
Born and raised in São
Paulo, Brazil to a "musical extended family," Camargo learned to play
guitar, percussion and sing with his uncle. At 16, he moved to the
United States where he later earned his degree in Ethnomusicology from
UCLA while studying under some of jazz' most significant musicians -
Kenny Burrell, Billy Higgins, Harold Land, Gerald and Anthony Wilson as
well as studying traditional Ghanaian music under master drummer Kobla
Ladzekpo. His interests in school were varied but he was particularly
attracted to folk music from different parts of the world. Taking full
advantage of being in the United States, Camargo focused his studies on
America's great folk idiom, jazz.
Currently residing in Los
Angeles, working both as a sideman and leading his own group, his main
gig has been playing guitar and singing back-up vocals for international
pop star Michael Bublé. His other side work has been diverse, ranging
from working with Sérgio Mendes, Bebel Gilberto, Tom Harrell and
Gretchen Parlato - to performing with R&B/Hip-Hop icons such as Seu
Jorge, Flying Lotus, Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch as well as touring
and recording with artists like Macy Gray, Quadron, and Missy Higgins.
As an educator, Camargo has
lectured on a variety of musical subjects while teaching at institutions
such as the California State University Northridge, Shepherd
University, the Larchmont Music Academy in New York, the French-American
Lyceum Kennedy, and the South Pasadena Music Conservatory in
California.
