Anat Cohen & Marcello Goncalves - Outra Coisa (2017)

2017 release from clarinet superstar Anat Cohen. On Outra Coisa, a duo date with 7-String guitarist Marcello Gonçalves, Cohen delves deep into the music of celebrated Brazilian composer Moacir Santos. While Santos was an accomplished orchestrator and arranger (he later wrote music for films), it was the connection between his music and the guitar which was at the genesis of this recording. "I've always loved the rich orchestral sounds of Moacir's compositions but could not imagine how to transfer his large ensemble sound into my solo guitar. Reading Moacir Santos's scores directly from his songbook, I was surprised how perfectly it fit the 7-string guitar, in the original key, as if the music was composed for the instrument," says Gonçalves. "I spent a year working on that repertoire and when Anat visited Brazil, I proposed that we get together so I could show her the arrangements I'd been working on. Anat proposed meeting directly at a recording studio and so we did." The resulting recording is an intimate exploration of Moacir Santo's music, but two instrumental virtuosos who are intimately familiar with the music of Brazil, as well as with the varied influences which inspire Santos' music. The duo setting and Gonçalves' inventive arrangements allows both musicians to concentrate on the essence of Moacir's music, bringing it to life in a fresh and unexpected way.