Pianist Roger Davidson’s repertory as a composer ranges from chamber music and symphonic and choral works to songs in Afro-Caribbean and Latin American styles, and from straight-ahead jazz to Klezmer music and children’s songs. Featuring eighteen original compositions, including bossa novas, sambas and chorinhos, Brazilian Love Song, is an exhilarating showcase for one of the most versatile composers in music today.
On his widely praised 2005 album Rodgers in Rio, Roger Davidson set Richard Rodgers standards in bossa settings, led by his tuneful, jazz-inspired piano playing. Now, in BOM DIA (Portuguese for “good day”), he weds his own songs to a full range of samba rhythms, from the percussive Carnaval style to the delicate murmur of the bossa nova. Here is a must-have album of romantic jazz, a love poem to Brasil – a country that has produced some of the world’s most bewitching tunes.
Uniting the same trio which includes legendary drummer Paulo Braga and first-call jazz bassist, David Finck, BOM DIA is a world class recording.
“Brazilian legendary drummer Paulo Braga joins David Finck and Roger Davidson in the trio’s ode to Richard Rodgers. “With a decidedly different twist on this program of favorite Richard Rodger tunes, pianist Roger Davidson turns them into gala Sambasand Bossa Novas. Celebrating the work of this popular songwriter, he explores each melody with a light, rythmic syncopation.
The original melodies remain at the forefront of his emphasis, as he interprets each song with gaily with a bright, positive glow….. The pianist has created a souvenir postcard to honor the life of a great popular composer – with candid reflections from Rio.”
Songs for Children in English with Brazilian and Caribbean Rhythms. Arranger and pianist Roger Davidson formed BINGO, an ensemble of leading Jazz musicians, to breathe new life into cherished childhood tunes. In addition to Brazil’s legendary Paulo Braga and Marivaldo dos Sontos, Bingo features vocalist Christy Baron, whose pristine singing brings sophistication and groove to these time-worn classics.