Technically,
Jorge’s program of music from-and-inspired-by-the-movie Abe will not sound so familiar to anyone who just saw the film, but
his fans recognized nearly every tune. For Brazilians, there were a handful of
his old school hits, given a distinctly samba vibe from Jorge’s guitar and Morelenbaum’s
cello. They also played a lightly swinging and downright jazz-like rendition of
Gershwin’s “’S Wonderful” (the only English language performance of the set).
However,
the centerpiece of the set was a trio of Jorge’s Bowie songs translated into Portuguese
for Life Aquatic, which was a shrewd
strategy, considering the Sundance audience’s likely familiarity with the Wes
Anderson film. The stripped-down arrangement of “Rebel Rebel” is an absolute
knockout that perfectly suits his deep baritone voice. “Life on Mars” sounded
similarly haunting, in a way that is perfectly in keeping its Bowie roots. The
same was generally true of “Ziggy Stardust,” but the slower tempo does not suit
the melody as well.
Throughout
the set, Morelenbaum’s accompaniment was tasteful and classy. The combination
of guitar and cello was evocative of samba, as well as the coffeehouse and
chamber music traditions. Even though Morelenbaum was definitely there in a
supportive role, the standing-room-only crowd could hear the simpatico between
the two artists.
The
music on Abe is really quite
different, but also very distinctive, including Jorge’s vocals on "Imigrantes" and Caetano Veloso’s “Meia Lua Inteira,” as well as Morelenbaum’s solo cello arrangements of Jobim’s
“Brigas Numcas Mais” and “Samba de Uma Noto So.” All of the music associated
(even distantly) with Abe is highly
recommended and the movie is quite nice too (review to come). One thing is
certain—Jorge’s ASCAP Music Café accomplished its mission, because it surely generated
buzz and interest for the film.
(Photo: Erik Philbrook)
(Photo: Erik Philbrook)
