Song Lyrics:
Colors of Time album
“Pereira’s achievement lies in his ability to remain faithful to the architecture of bossa nova while opening it toward other musical forms. He never dilutes its essence. Instead, he expands its emotional and sonic possibilities with remarkable restraint and sophistication”
Thierry De Clemensat (Paris Move)
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
Colors of Time
Guitarist-vocalist-composer Sergio Pereira is coming out of the grand tradition of such famed Brazilian troubadours as João Gilberto from Bahia, Toninho Horta from Belo Horizonte and Baden Powell, Vinicius de Moraes and Carlos Lyra, all from Rio de Janeiro. Also hailing from Rio, Pereira currently splits his time between New York City and Valencia, Spain while releasing albums on a regular basis. His fifth, the positive and uplifting Colors of Time, is like healing balm for these stressful times.
“This project reflects my journey between the previous four albums as well as my desire, as always, to take my music to a different level,” he said, “but always with the intent to ‘heal’ the soul from all the poisons, negativity, envy, sadness, solitude and all the bad vibes surrounding us in our current time.”
Alternating from buoyant samba grooves (“So They Sleep,” “Up the Hill”) to soothing bossa novas (“Keep Shining, “Rain Fall”) to romantic smooth jazz (“Dreams”) and swinging samba jazz (“Colors of Time,” “Brightness of You”), this latest Pereira offering is both beguiling and imbued with virtuosity, capable of elevating spirits while impressing aficionados from tune to tune. On Colors of Time. he is once again aided by a foundational crew of players including drummer Mauricio Zottarelli, flutist-arranger Oriente Lopez, electric bassist Ariel Ramirez and upright bassist Ales Cesarini. “These key players have been part of my life for quite a few years now,” said Pereira. “Their musicianship and understanding of my music and where I am coming from is the right chemistry for my music and for myself as a person. They know the sound I am looking for and they fully dive into my world. They are an extension of my soul.”
Pereira and his copasetic crew kick it off in festive fashion on the upbeat “So They Sleep,” with electric bassist Ramirez laying down a Jaco-esque groove and Pereira’s ethereal wordless vocals floating over a percolating rhythm. Trumpeter Chipi Chacón and alto saxophonist Felipe Lamoglia join together on the intricate fills of Lopez’s active horn arrangement while trombonist Rafael Rocha steps forward to add a jazzy solo to the mix. Following potent solos by Lopez and the leader, the horns engage in some spirited trading of eights at the tag (catch trumpeter Chacón’s brief quote from Eddie Harris’ iconic “Freedom Jazz Dance” in the midst of the fray).
The soothing smooth jazz ballad “Dreams” is delivered as a seductive vocal duet with Kim Nazarian, a founding member of the internationally acclaimed, Grammy-winning vocal jazz quartet, New York Voices (currently in the midst of their Grand Finale Tour after 38 years together). “I have always been a fan of the New York Voices,” said Pereira, “and Kim’s voice is just magical. She understands Brazilian music and interprets it superbly. The New York Voices song ‘Sassy Samba’ is one of my favorites since the ‘80s and Kim’s voice is the soul of that song. Last year I contacted her without knowing her personally and she was very receptive about recording ‘Dreams.’ I actually wanted her alone on the track but she insisted on having me sing it with her. For me, is a total honor and privilege to have her on my album, let alone perform a duet with her.” Solos by soprano saxophonist Marcelo Martins’ and pianist Alberto Palau add a jazzy touch of allure to this romantic number, one of two in the program sung in English by Pereira.
The breezy title track opens as a bossa nova grounded by Sergio’s acoustic guitar comping while also featuring him doubling the buoyant melody on electric guitar with flutist Lopez. It soon shifts into swinging jazz samba mode featuring a series of potent solos from pianist Palau, flutist Lopez and the guitarist leader (who drops in a quote from Miles Davis’ “Four” along the way). Zottarelli opens up with a flurry on the kit over a band ostinato near the end of this delightful upbeat piece.
“Brightness of You,” perhaps the jazziest number here, is underscored by Zottarelli’s creativity on the kit as he alternates between brushes and sticks. An interactive whirlwind here, his highly syncopated, over-the-barline approach behind solos by vibraphonist Sebastian Laverde and pianist Palau is imbued with a hipness factor recalling the great Elvin Jones. “Mauricio is one my favorite drummers and more than just a good friend,” said Pereira. “We have a mutual admiration for each other and we seem to be always in sync. We are each other’s biggest fans.” Upright bassist Cesarini grounds this swinging number with a formidable walk while Pereira doubles the pleasing melody on falsetto vocals and guitar.
“Up the Hill” is bookended by the lone sound of berimbau, a single-string bowed percussion instrument of African origin that serves as the fundamental heartbeat of Afro-Brazilian music. Ramirez provides Jaco-esque harmonics on electric bass while Lopez supplies an enchanting overdubbed choir of flutes on this cheerful, uplifting samba. Pereira carries the engaging melody with some spirited wordless vocals upfront while Lopez adds a soaring flute solo to further elevate the proceedings. “I composed this song out the idea of the people who lives up the hills, be it in Brazil or around the world, and the struggles of young kids and their mothers going down the hill to fetch water and bring it back to their homes up the hill,” he explained. “It’s a Xote rhythm from the north of Brazil, so I added the berimbau from Bahia to bring the listener closer to reality. Oriente did all the string arrangements and flutes choirs and we added the angelic voice of my daughter Camilla Pereira to a passage in the song to highlight the voice of a young kid’s struggle and peace.”
Pereira wraps an environmental warning in the comforting tones of samba on “The Clock Is Ticking,” the other number that he sings in English. With Ramirez grooving mightily on electric bass, Yeisy Rojas adding violin to the mix and Lopez switching to Fender Rhodes electric piano, the leader delivers his message: Let’s save this planet so let’s all prioritize/let’s bring our voices so the world will understand/each generation must protect the motherland/by rearranging what went wrong we can survive/our kids will walk a brighter path throughout their lives. Spirited solos by Lopez on Rhodes and Sergio on guitar culminate in a joyful vocal chorus that shines a positive light on this urgent alert.
As Pereira explained, “I have lived in many countries throughout the world…South America, Africa, Europe…and I have seen poverty, environmental pollution and people’s ignorance towards the environment. As the song says, ‘we are running out of time,’ as the majority of the people does not realize how important this message is. I am not a political person, but I believe governments don’t do enough to implement strict rules and laws regarding the earth. The song is a reminder that something must be done urgently and it’s up to us all to be aware of it, and to teach our children of the harm and damage we have already done to the environment. We need to save our water, soil and air. We still have time to change and educate the young generation so they can all live a better future life. So this idea is blended with an uplifting samba song in an effort to provide us awareness and hope for a better future. The samba brings the positivity to it all.”
The infectious bossa nova “Keep Shining,” grounded by guests Mark Egan on fretless electric bass and Dan Pugach on drums, features a brilliant solo by pianist Luis Guerra and some potent George Benson-esque guitar-and-scat unisons by the leader. And the closer, “Rain Fall,” underscored by Pereira’s gentle bossa nova comping on acoustic guitar, finds the leader dipping into his Wes Montgomery bag on electric guitar for some warm single note and octaves playing. Lopez’s three-voice flute choir lends a sublime quality to the melodious number before Zottarelli is unleashed to engage in some intense trades with percussionist Carlos Llidó.
With Colors of Time, Pereira shows marked growth from his auspicious 2016 debut. “It’s definitely a continuation from Swingando,” he said. “The Brazilian roots and soul is always present in my compositions. However, as I mature as a person and as a musician I like to move “outside the box” and follow new and uncertain paths. But the backbone of Brazilian music is always there following me throughout.”
While pursuing some adventurous paths, Pereira always arrives back ‘home’ on this enchanting release.
Bill Milkowski
Bill Milkowski is a longtime contributor to Downbeat magazine and the author of biographies on Jaco Pastorius, Pat Martino, Michael Brecker and Mike Clark. His Substack column “Musings on Music by The Milkman” also appears on his website: billmilkowski.com
Summary: Brazilian guitarist and composer Sergio Pereira blends bossa nova, jazz and smooth Latin rhythms into a refined and atmospheric album that captures the elegance of contemporary Brazilian jazz.
“Brazilian guitarist and composer Sergio Pereira blends bossa nova, jazz and smooth Latin rhythms into a refined and atmospheric album that captures the elegance of contemporary Brazilian jazz… “In today’s contemporary Brazilian jazz landscape, Pereira occupies a fascinating space between preservation and reinvention. Rather than modernizing bossa nova through excess or experimentation for its own sake, he chooses subtle evolution”
Paris Move (Thierry de Clemensat)
“All the compositions and arrangements of this album are aimed at contributing hope and balance to a society that continues to search for emotional recalibration. This music made me feel peaceful and relaxed”
Making the Scene (Dee Dee McNeil)
“Guitarist, vocalist, composer, and arranger Sergio Pereira brings together a wide-ranging Brazilian jazz ensemble for a recording shaped by samba, bossa nova, jazz improvisation, vocal writing, and expanded instrumental color. Across eight original compositions, the album moves through electric and acoustic guitar textures, flute and keyboard writing, layered horns, vibraphone and marimba, strings, cavaquinho, berimbau, fretless bass, and percussion, allowing Pereira’s melodic approach and Brazilian rhythmic foundation to guide the program’s arc. The recording unfolds with a balance of arranged ensemble details and open interaction, connecting lyrical songs forms, rhythm-section movement, and socially aware themes within a cohesive contemporary Brazilian jazz setting. “Across his recordings, he has developed a musical identity rooted in melody, groove, and collaborative ensemble color”.
Modern Jazz Today
“Brazilian guitarist Sergio Pereira leads a band with many talented Brazilians on Colors of Time, a beautiful recording that includes an environmental message. We liked the warmth on “Dreams” featuring vocalist Kim Nazarian, “Up The Hill”, “Keep Shining” featuring Mark Egan (b), the gentle bossa nova on the title track, “Rain Fall”, and “So They Sleep”.
O’s Place Jazz Magazine
Colors of Time
Liner Notes by Bill Milkowsky
Reviews:
https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/sergio-pereira-colors-of-time/