The jazz canon is full of outstanding material for musicians to use as vehicles for improvisation. The music of Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim and his peers has been especially ripe for interpretation since the 1960s. Chromatic harmonica specialist Yvonnick Prené looked to the Brazilian jazz school for inspiration for his new duo recording with piano virtuoso Geoffrey Keezer, entitled Jobim’s World.
Originally from France, Prené has made a name for himself in the New York City jazz scene by his straight-ahead jazz style that leans heavily toward the post-bop language. After his last quintet recording, Listen!, Prené decided to find a new avenue to showcase his heightened improvisational sensibilities. He enlisted the assistance of Paris based producer Daniel Yvinec and the two landed on the idea of recording a duo album in honor of the spirit of Jobim’s music. The scaled down approach would display Prené’s talents in the most transparent way.
Prené has known Geoffrey Keezer’s playing and personality for a long time, following the pianist’s appearances in New York City and studying his music. Without meeting Keezer, Prené invited him to record this album, to which Keezer accepted.
To prepare, Prené and Yvinec took their time discussing the possibilities and the material they should work on. Prené also brought in pianist Laurent Courthaliac, a bebop enthusiast, to help arrange a number of pieces, which they worked on over a three-day period in Paris in September 2023.
The trio ultimately arrived on five Jobim pieces, two pieces by Jobim peers, and two original compositions by Prené for the program. The well-known material from Jobim was really transformed in their arrangements, which respects his timeless melodies but really stretches the harmonic structure to allow for a more modern edge.
After an afternoon of rehearsal with Keezer, in which the pianist and Prené found a close musical rapport and respect, the recording was captured at Oktaven Audio on November 17, 2023.
The recording begins with Jobim’s classic “Triste,” which was arranged by Prené and Courthaliac. Keezer and Prené navigate a twisting harmonic world with aplomb, especially the challenging double-time section at the end. Pixinguinha and Benedito Lacerda’s joyful choro “Proezas De Solon” follows with emphatic performances from the duo. Believed to be an early influence of Jobim, French Caribbean composer Henri Salvador’s ballad, “Dans mon île,” is gorgeously rendered with Brazilian saudade.
Prene’s “Vagues à Lames” is a fantastic, dance based on Jobim’s “Waves,” the title cheekily referring to Jobim’s tune, a difficulty in life, and the reeds of a harmonica. Courthaliac’s arrangement of Jobim’s unimpeachable classic, “The Girl from Ipanema,” is read straight through, highlighting the brilliance of the original tune and the originality of the arranger. Inspired by Jobim’s “One Note Samba,” Prené’s “Too Many Notes” presents an exciting pointillistic melody and a modified minor bridge.
There is a charge in the interplay between Keezer and Prené on Jobim’s “Tide,” a piece originally based on the changes of “Wave,” while Jobim’s “Desafinado” receives a light, airy performance intending to sound like a child’s music box. The recording concludes with Jobim’s “Double Rainbow,” which approximates the sound world of early 1960s John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner, dramatically balancing shades both dark and light.
Yvonnick Prené is an expert at creating challenging but wonderfully listenable situations for his chromatic harmonica. On Jobim’s World, Prené finds a tremendous foil and collaborator in pianist Geoffrey Keezer as they reimagine the musical world of Antônio Carlos Jobim.