Com Você

From Cadence Magazine: “Candeias” features the quintet Com Você in a program of lovely Brazilian melodies where Gershwin’s “S’Wonderful” almost sounds as if it were composed by Astrud Gilberto and her husband João. Singer Maggie Grebowicz interprets that chestnut in English, while most of the program features her delicate Portuguese. She offers a casual demeanor and shares the spotlight with the band. In Portuguese, the name of this quintet means With You. Appropriate to the presentation of their wares, Com Você is with us from start to finish as they pursue dreamy landscapes and fill each one with rhythms that sashay eloquently. Double bass and drums provide a thorough foundation that comes alive under our feet as if each selection were something new. Bossa nova and samba have been around for quite some time; yet, this ensemble delivers each piece with a freshness that proves memorable. Philippe Vieux’s baritone saxophone replaces tenor on two selections and his flute adds warmth to another while Eddy Hobizal replaces the pianist on Fender Rhodes through five numbers. The ample variety allows each piece to have its own personality. Grebowicz gives each song a gentle texture and opens the door for her musical partners to color with authority. “Candeias” is a winning debut for an unforgettable team that loves and respects the quaint Brazilian tradition.(Cadence, January-February-March 2008)_______________________________________________________ _________ ____________________________________________________________ ____ From jazzreview.com: Far from evoking the past, these interpretations have a very contemporary feel, due mainly to the fine solo work of Killian, Vieux, Hobizal and Langham. While more muscular than Getz, Killian is by no means another Coltrane clone. He has a voice of his own with an almost classical sonority at times. Vieux, who works with the likes of Tito Puente, Cedar Walton, Horace Silver, Eddie Palmieri and Patato Valdez has several forthright outings, and the two keyboard players add a harmonic richness to the proceedings. Langham who, with bassist Price, has been a sideman with Randy Brecker, Ravi Coltrane, Tom Harrell and Mike Stern, is a particularly effective soloist. Overall it is remarkable how these seemingly diverse elements fit together. As for the material, there is full measure of Jobim, including "O Grande Amor," which I had not heard since Getz' Sweet Rain album until it appeared on flutist Bill McBirnie's recent offering. There are some less well-known Brazilian pieces such as Marcos Valle's "Samba de Verão" and the title piece. And as a change of pace, Grebowicz throws in her gentle deconstruction of Gershwin's "S'wonderful." It all works, as the singer bends each piece to her unique styling, hands it off to the various soloists, and then reclaims it for a final rendering.... For lovers of both jazz and Brazilian music, this is something fresh that deserves a hearing.(Peter Westbrook, April 2007, jazzreview.com)_____________________________________________ ___________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____From Openmag: The sweetness of her voice is so soothing that the singer Maggie Grebowicz could calm a storm over Rio Bay. Adding to the seduction of this new-style bossa nova is the virtuosic accompaniment of such talented saxophonists as Stan Killian on tenor and Philippe Vieux on baritone. Another innovation: two keyboards provide a colorful harmonic foundation.... Com Você superbly enriches the classics of Jobim and of Caetano Veloso. They also brilliantly revisit Gershwin's 'S'Wonderful.' Exquisite and promising.(Openmag, le magazine des labels musicaux, March 2007)_______________________________________________________ _________ ____________________________________________________________ ____ From The LA Jazz Scene: The cover of Com Você’s "Candeias" looks very much in the style of a Verve album of the mid-1960s, perhaps one led by Astrud Gilberto.... Although they perform bossa-nova flavored-songs and Ms. Grebowicz mostly sings in Portuguese, to their credit they do not sound like copies of Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz. Ms. Grebowicz has a soft sensuous sound without sounding as vulnerable as Astrud while Killian is a bit more muscular and modern than Getz.... These renditions sound fresh, relevant and contemporary without watering down the idiom’s atmosphere and flavor. The overall results are delightful.... (Scott Yanow, March 2007, The LA Jazz Scene)