Marcos Ariel - My Only Passion

The acclaimed Brazilian keyboardist/composer gets kudos first and foremost for coming up with one of the best modern arrangements of "Girl From Ipanema" in many a year. His twist on the Jobim evergreen begins with a the seductive Portuguese whisper of Daniella Carlo over a snazzy retro-soul meets modern hip-hop groove. As two tracks of her voice (one high register, one low) duel it out for control, Ariel sets the foundation with a percussive, nearly arpeggio take on the famed melody. Elsewhere, he switches off between intimate, moonlit variety solo piano ballads that border on new age ("Moon's Mood") and exciting, soundscape and percussion heavy productions which speak to Ariel's Brazilian heritage. Read More