As summer draws to a close in Toronto, at the Rex the sounds of
summer were alive again thanks to a quartet led by vocalist Valeria Matzner. This quartet, consisting of voice and an
acoustic rhythm section of piano, bass and drums, brought the exotic rhythms
and harmonic complexities of Brazilian music, ranging from samba to bossa
nova. Not only Valeria Matzner’s group
brought the sounds and flavours of Brazil in their performances, they provided
a sense of originality through their original compositions designed
specifically for their own group.
The band opens with a piece of Scott Metcalfe’s (a brilliant pianist
and composer in his own right) “Brazilian Charlatan Pitch”. It is a primarily instrumental composition
that shows the scat sensibilities of Ms. Matzner along with a brilliant solo by
pianist Metcalfe and a drum coda provided by Max Senitt that is full of rhythm
and pop.
Among the other highlights of the night is when Valeria takes a
break to allow the trio to play Scott Kemp’s composition “Shai Cone”, which
opens with a bass solo of Kemp’s that shows off the classical and virtuosic
influence of bassists before him such as Charles Mingus, Charlie Haden, and
Scott Lafaro. Then it breaks into a
funky jam with creative playing and solos throughout by the trio.
Valeria shows off the beauty of her voice through her moving
rendition of the ballad “The Island” as well as her co composed songs with
Metcalfe “Cor” and “Grey”. Her voice is
filled with a beauty and vitality that really soars and radiates positivity
every chance she gets. Closing out the
first set is an Elis Regina number called “Madalena”, which was so good, crisp
and to the point that I had to record video to show the world how great this
band is.
Valeria Matzner is on the hook for her debut CD this year, and I
really can’t wait to hear more. If you
haven’t heard of her already and love the video, be sure to catch her whenever
you have a chance. One note and you
wish you were on the next flight to Rio.
VALERIA MATZNER OFFICIAL WEBSITE
(Valeria Matzner with Scott Metcalfe, Scott Kemp and Max Senitt performing "Madalena"
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