Balzaquiana

Description

"In recent years, my discography has been characterized by the choice to present my work as a composer and/or arranger. For this album, I wanted to offer more freedom to the members of my quartet, which is why the writing was kept to a minimum. It was the discovery of a fascinating piece that triggered this new recording. It is Balzaquiana, a carnival march (marchinha) recorded in 1949, which was a huge success at the Rio Carnival in 1950. The music is by Antonio Nassara - a composer who wrote several major titles in this genre - and the lyrics are by Wilson Batista. This session is mainly composed of tracks - some of them rare - from the jazz repertoire. I nevertheless wanted to add two compositions which are, in a way, portraits of two characters imagined by Balzac: La Torpille and Bixiou. To you who honor me with your attention, I invite you to listen particularly to the clarity and depth of the drumming. It is the work of Lucio Tomasi, who, at just 28 years old, passed away two months after this session. It was such a joy to have Lucio among us, to make music with him, that his sudden departure literally devastated us. His invaluable talent lives on through this music. The memory of his luminous presence will forever be etched in our hearts." --- Esaie Cid ---. Recorded at Zoot studios, Paris, July 2025.