Charlie’s latest – “Trio-zinho” now available

Few American jazz pianists have ventured into the Brazilian musical landscape so wholeheartedly as Charlie Dennard.
This “little” piano trio recording is Charlie Dennard’s 8th independent release as a leader and features a curated batch of lesser-known Brazilian classics.

His influences are apparent from several of the American innovators such as Vince Guaraldi, George Shearing and Clare Fischer, but his knowledge goes even deeper into the likes of Brazil’s Dom Salvador, Zimbo Trio and early Sergio Mendes.

The first 3 songs on this collection pay homage to the great Brazilian pianist, João Donato and his samba-jazz stylings that dominated the 1960’s. The next 2 pieces were written by the original Afro-Brazilian guitarist extraordinaire, Baden Powell. Last, but certainly not least, are 3 songs (a jazz waltz, a bossa-nova ballad and a classic samba standard) by the fabled Antonio Carlos Jobim.

There’s a distinct mid-century, retro influence present in this project from song selection, sound recording and album artwork. While each of the songs may not be in the popular repertoire (outside of Brazil), they are nonetheless quintessential material for anyone with Brazilian taste and/or interests.

‘Trio-zinho’ is a colloquial/diminutive Portuguese name that translates as ‘little-trio’ in English. This recording is a modern day classic that pays tribute to the most popular era in Brazilian music without any of the overplayed hits or excessive virtuosity. Enjoy!

Buy this album on BandCamp!

Featuring:

Charlie Dennard – Piano, Wurlitzer, Rhodes
Doug Belote – Drums
Jim Greene – Bass

1. Sambou Sambou (João Donato)
2. Muito A Vontage (Donato)
3. Tim Dom Dom (Donato)
4. Tempo de Amor (Baden Powell)
5. Berimbau (Baden Powell)
6. Mojave (Jobim)
7. Caminhos Cruzados (Jobim)
8. Red Blouse (Jobim)