Guitarist Les Sabler first found his way onto the Smooth Jazz Therapy radar screen in 2007 with the CD ‘Sweet Drive’. In fact a song from it, ‘I’m Not The Same’, (with featured vocals from Toni Scruggs and Rahsaan Patterson) made it into my top twenty contemporary jazz tunes for that year. In all Les has six album releases to his name and has just made that seven with his tribute to the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Simply titled ‘Jobim Tribute’ it features twelve timeless tracks that capture to perfection the magic of the great man while lifting the lid on some of his lesser known gems.
Take for example the entirely beguiling ‘Esquecendo Voce’ or the reflectively magical ‘Janelas Abertas’ that complement familiar favorites such as ‘Bonita’ and ‘Fotografia’ which, with the addition of a sumptuous string arrangement from the Grammy-nominated arranger Tom Zink, is beautiful in the extreme.
‘Jobim Tribute’ is produced, arranged and performed in acoustic jazz style with stellar input from keyboard player Clay Perry, Byron House on acoustic bass and Brazilian drummer-percussionist Celso Alberti. Instrumentally, and in support of Sabler’s own vocals, (the collection comprises seven vocal numbers woven together with five instrumentals), they are in joyous harmony throughout and in this vocal category is the wonderful ‘Corcovado’ that glides like light on water.
Elsewhere, the first single to be serviced to radio is ‘A Felicidade’. This happy sun-kissed tune has all the Latin melody you will ever need and, with Sabler’s top notch finger-play, stands not only as testament to Jobim’s musical legacy but also Sabler’s vision in recreating it.
‘Jobim Tribute’ was released on April 8. Check it out.