Featured Artist: Sufiano

CD Title: Urban Morphology

Year: 2007

Record Label: Villa Luisa Records

Style: Latin Jazz / Latin Funk

Musicians:

Sufiano (vocals, acoustic guitar), Oliver McEwan (bass), Mikkel Baltser (guitars), Hans Hvidberg (drums, percussion), Anders Mortensen (piano, keyboards), Marianne Sogaard Andersen (additional vocals), Jeppe Hojgaard (saxophone)

Review:

Urban Morphology, the debut CD from Copenhagen based musician Sufiano, has a 70’s pop jazz vibe with touches of Brazilian sensuality and New York soul. Sufiano is a hopelessly romantic singer/songwriter cut from the same hipster cloth as Michael Franks, Boz Scaggs, and Al Jarraeu.

A consistent theme found in Sufiano’s lyrics is an overjoyed spirit of optimism and awe regarding the opposite sex. On “Spirited,” a light hearted samba, an otherwise contented mood is suddenly jostled (“Then here she comes with a flower in her hair, waving her hair throughout the breeze, baby!”). The pensive “Love Bubble” looks for light at the end of a tunnel full of torment (“Hope, that’s all I have”). The groovy Latin soul of “Days” is a yearning plea for a long lost love ("I’m searching for the stars for my salvation").

Sufiano’s sidemen are a stellar crew of highly adept Danish musicians who approach the diverse nature of the session with ease and brilliance. Guitarist Mikkel Baltser, pianist Anders Mortensen, and saxophonist Jeppe Hojgaard prove to be aggressive soloists who are sympathetic to the overriding romantic nature of the music.

Urban Morphology is a pleasing introduction to the sensuous and dynamic world of Sufiano and a strong first release by the recently established Villa Luisa Records.

Tracks:

Daisy, Spirited, Sunrise, Airport, Love Bubble, Relentless, Sicilian Love, Days, Objects of Desire (and Personal Affection)

Record Label Website: http://www.villaluisarecords.com

Reviewed by: John Barron

---

Copyright© 2007 JazzReview.com®. All Rights Reserved.