UPDATED 8/26 2 a.m.
It’s almost cruel to introduce Daniela Soledade's A Moment Of You with “Sonho Desfeito.” The cut is the seventh track on the Brazilian’s debut album (due August 30 via Blue Line Music), and its sultry melodies, combined with the horns and rich history of the song, are almost overwhelming. One should be allowed to build up to the moment the song arrives.
The tune, a samba from 1965, was penned by Soledade’s grandfather, Paulo Soledade, and legendary Brazilian music giant Antônio Carlos Jobim.
“The fact that Antônio Carlos Jobim composed it with him makes it extra special, because it links our music and our family directly to the beginning of bossa nova,” Soledade said in a release. The title of the album, which Soledade will celebrate with an August 30 release show in St. Petersburg, actually comes from a lyric in Jobim’s 1956 song “Someone to Light Up My Life.”
“I felt that the title suits the stage of life in which I found myself as I recorded this album,” Soledad added. “This is my moment to be myself, to invest in myself and to pursue my dreams.”
On guitar during that pursuit is Bay area guitarist Nate Najar, who worked with Soledad to put a quiet and intimate aesthetic that João Gilberto would’ve appreciated to tape.
“Song for Baden” is her father’s tribute to a late friend and mentor, guitarist Baden Powell. Soledade added extra lyrics, and famed Brazilian drummer Duduka Da Fonseca guested on the track, too.
“It's an honor to be able to include three generations of Soledade songs on my debut album. That was very special to me,” Soledade added. “I truly admire my grandfather and my father's talent and I feel very privileged to continue the family legacy.”
Soledade’s contribution to the tracklist is “Ninho,” a baião which she composed over just four basic guitar chords. Najar finessed the harmony and arrangement and asked Soledade to add a third part, melodies and harmony. Soledade said that “asking Patrick Bettison to play harmonica on it was the perfect choice.”
“I couldn't be happier about this project. I love that I have my grandfather and father's songs in there with one of my own. I love the intimate, delicate, rich sound of the recordings,” Soledade added in a release. “I love that all the musicians who play on it are amazing world-class musicians- the vibe, the feeling, the two languages combined, the authentic Brazilian rhythms that I grew up with… everything is perfect for me. I couldn't think of a better album to take me to the next stage of my musical life.”
After her Studio@620 release show, Soledad embarks on a three-week tour that hits the Eastern Seaboard and California. She’ll even fly out to California for a date at the Back Room in Berkeley. Soledad closes the year with local dates at the Suncoast Jazz Classic (November 22) and Najar’s annual Jazz Holiday concerts in St. Pete and Sarasota (December 12-13).
Listen to “Sonho Desfeito” below and see Soledade when she and Najar play St. Petersburg's Studio@620 on August 30.
Daniela Soledade w/Nate Najar Trio Fri. Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m. $20-$25. Studio@620, 620 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. thestudioat620.org.
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