JazzWeek (March 27, 2006)

Duduka Da Fonseca Quintet
Samba Jazz in Black and White (Zoho)
BRAZILIAN-BORN DRUMMER FONSECA, a founding member of Trio Da Paz, has performed with many of the most notable luminaries of the Brazilian jazz idiom and has led several groups since coming to New York in 1975. His second solo project includes Helio Alves on piano, Leonardo Cioglia on bass, Guilherme Monteiro on guitar, but most notably Israeli Anat Cohen. She shimmers on soprano, is tough and driving on tenor sax, and is exhilarating on clarinet on the track“Chorinho Pra Ele.” Guest guitarist Vic Juris burns up a couple of tunes, and trumpeter Clauio Roditti’s muted trumpet is haunting and wistful on “Bye Bye Brasil.” Da Fonseca has taken the samba sound that became so popular almost a half century ago and delivered it in a throughly contemporary package that fits solidly into the sound of mainstream jazz radio.