Steve Murray Seven's geographic jazz; Fantcha's Cape Verdean pop
by Seth Rogovoy

(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Jan. 16, 2000) - From New Orleans to Chicago, from New York to Brazil, jazz has many geographic reference points. And if there's a theme uniting the 10 tracks on the Steve Murray Seven's eclectic new recording, "Samba Dat, Samba Dis" (Berkshire Music), it might just be jazz as geography.

From the New Orleans kickoff on a version of W.C. Handy's "Beale Street Blues" to the Brazilian-themed title track - one of several original compositions written by members of the group - eclecticism is the operative term. Or, as the title hints at, some of this, and some of that.

As such, the mix of instrumental and vocal numbers, shared by Joan Marks, Charlie Stevens Jr., and Maurice "Mo" Rancourt, the group's Louis Armstrong ringer, makes for delightful listening for those looking for a diverse listening experience reflecting jazz's heyday as a mid-20th century popular music.

The group boasts an array of versatile instrumentalists, including trumpeter Rancourt, trombonist Dorn Younger, pianist Bob Shepherd, drummer Dick DiNicola, and bassist Murray. Charlie Stevens Jr. doubles on clarinet and saxophone, and Rancourt, like Armstrong before him, plays trumpet when he isn't growling.

With such a varied lineup, the group is able to steer itself from Dixieland to swing to pop standards to Latin with relative ease.

The group explores complex rhythms on Bob Shepherd's "Yma Sumac's down-home, gut-bucket Peruvian Blues," on which each musician takes a solo turn before they join together for some sophisticated ensemble harmonization. Equally alluring is the treatment giving the closing number, "I Found a New Baby," done as an Oriental foxtrot and featuring a dizzying clarinet solo by Stevens.

Marks and Rancourt duet on the Gershwins' "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and on Frank Loesser's "Baby, It's Cold Outside," and Marks exercises her inner Barbra Streisand on her impressive rendition of the Barry Manilow/Johnny Mercer composition, "When October Goes."

The Steve Murray Seven celebrates the release of its new CD this Sunday night, January 23, at the Castle Street Café in Great Barrington from 7 to 10. There will be a cash bar and complimentary hors d'oeuvres prepared by Chef Michael Ballon.

Tropical dance from Cape Verde

The islands of Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony hundreds of miles off the west African coast, are a cultural crossroads: equal parts Africa, Europe and America.

More specifically, the music of Portugal and Brazil has heavily influenced the popular music of Cape Verde, as is immediately apparent from a listen to "Criolinha" (Tinder), the latest album by Fantcha, the Cape Verdean singer who performs tomorrow night in North Adams at Mass MoCA's Tropical Dance Party at 7:30.

The signature musical form of Cape Verde is a lyrical ballad called morna. Fantcha includes several examples of this style on her album, including "Sol ja camba (Sunset)," a violin-inflected, piano number whose mournful melody floats atop a rhythm that seems halfway between a waltz and a tango.

"Mi e dode na bo Cabo Verde (I'm Crazy About Cape Verde)" is a more upbeat, synthesizer-drenched salsa number, the singer's love song to her native land, which she left in 1988, after having been discovered by Cape Verde's most famous export, the singer Cesaria Evora. Evora was Fantcha's mentor, introducing her to Cape Verde's musical elite and popularizing her among the nation's exile community in Portugal and New England.

"Nostalgia" is one of several songs on "Criolinha" written by Paulino Vieria, the politically-minded expatriate Cape Verdean musician who now lives in Portugal. With a brass section and male choir, the song will please those bitten by the current Afro-Cuban music trend.

The MoCA event, more a dance party than concert, will include dance instruction arranged by the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, before Fantcha performs. Fantcha's resume includes concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, the Chicago World Music Festival, Central Park's Summerstage in New York, and Celebrate Brooklyn.

Tickets for the Tropical Dance Party are $10 for adults and $6 for children. Food and drink will be available. Call 662-2111 for more information.

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[This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on Jan. 21, 2000. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 2000. All rights reserved.]