Trombonist Ryan Keberle is an adept soloist known for his adventurous, globally minded approach to modern creative jazz. It's a style that has found him exploring Latin and Brazilian traditions in the past, as on 2016's Azul Infinito with his Catharsis ensemble. He takes this passion for Brazilian music a step further on 2022's luminous Sonhos da Esquina. The origins of the album go back to at least 2017, when Keberle traveled to São Paulo, Brazil. There, he befriended pianist Felipe Silveira, bassist Thiago Alves, and drummer Paulinho Vicente. Communing over their shared love of musicians like Milton Nascimento, Toninho Horta, Ivan Lins, and other seminal South American artists, they formed Collectiv do Brasil. What's particularly interesting about the group's sound, though, is just how introspective and romantic the music is. While rhythmically infectious, it's a style less informed by kinetic Afro-Brazilian dance grooves than by the Brazilian notion of "saudade," a state of longing and melancholy. These are lush, tropical compositions marked by Silveira's far-eyed chordal harmonies and Keberle's warm, vocal-like trombone tones. It's a combination that takes on ever more evocative qualities throughout, as on the opening "Cio da Terra" and the sparkling "Aqui, Oh!," songs that build with a slow, hypnotic energy that feels like you're watching the sunrise over a coastal beach. Similarly, the ballad "Tarde" has a dreamy, noir-ish quality that brings to mind the work of iconic Argentine saxophonist Gato Barbieri. There's also the lyrical "Carbon Neutral," whose title might suggest Keberle's thoughtfully holistic world view, but whose melody definitely makes you feel like you are soaring through bright Amazonian clouds. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi

1		Cio da Terra
2		Campinas
3		Carbon Neutral
4		Sonhos da Esquina
5		Clube da Esquina 2
6		Aqui, Oh!
7		Tarde
8		Francisca

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